Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has called for Ilhan Omar to be removed from Congress and the country over a speech which critics claim she placed protection of Somali interests above US. On Saturday night, Omar gave a Somali-language speech to a group of community leaders at a Minneapolis hotel. DeSantis has slammed her comments and demanded she is deported from the US. According to the translation, Omar also attacked the governments of Ethiopia and Kenya, alleging that they have "stolen" territory from their neighbouring nation. Her comments were also condemned by Somaliland’s deputy foreign minister, Rhoda J Elmi who accused her of "ethno-racist rhetoric."

Aligning with the strategic roadmap for the Indian market, South African Tourism is delighted to announce the 2024 edition of its annual India roadshow. The 20th annual roadshow schedule marks a vital milestone in South African Tourism’s efforts in the Indian market. India is currently one of the top three focus markets for South African Tourism across the globe and holds a position of strategic importance. Each year, Indian and South African trade partners come together during the annual trade schedule and chart the way forward for next phase of growth. In 2023, South African Tourism made a giant leap forward and inched closer to its target of surpassing pre-pandemic arrivals from India.

Somalia: Ethiopia's MoU with Somaliland is disruptive, US saysThe United States of America has yet again condemned the recent MoU between Ethiopia and Somaliland, insisting that the agreement, if implemented, will severely erode gains made in the fight against Al-Shabaab militants. Ethiopia is one of the major security stakeholders in Somalia, having deployed over 4,500 Ethiopia National Defence Forces (ENDF) to Somalia, who are assisting in the fight against Al-Shabaab. And we support conversations between the peoples of Somalia and Somaliland about their shared future." Al-Shabaab militants have been on the receiving end for the last 16 months after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud assumed power, with the first phase of operations leaving over 3,000 militants dead in central Somalia. In return, Ethiopia pledged to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state despite being part of Somalia.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Roman Abiy Ahmed Ali has congratulated Sheikh Hasina for being reelected as Prime Minister of Bangladesh, reports BSS. In a recent letter sent to Bangladesh Prime Minister, he said, "On behalf of the People and Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and that of my own, I would like to express my warmest congratulations to your Excellency on your reelection as prime minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. I would also like to congratulate the people of Bangladesh for conducting a successful election." "Ethiopia's relation with the People's Republic of Bangladesh is historical and longstanding. I am confident that during your leadership the existing friendly relations between our two countries will continue to be further strengthened," the Ethiopian Premier said.

Nearly 400 people have died of starvation in Ethiopia's Tigray and Amhara regions in recent months, the national ombudsman said Tuesday, a rare admission of hunger-related deaths by a federal body. Local officials have previously reported starvation deaths in their districts, but Ethiopia's federal government has insisted these reports are "completely wrong". They concluded that 351 people have died of hunger in Tigray in the past six months, with 44 more deaths in Amhara. The U.N. and the U.S. paused food aid to Tigray in mid-March last year after discovering a "large-scale" scheme to steal humanitarian grain. A third aid worker said the food aid pause and the slow resumption meant some people in Tigray have not received food aid for over a year.

ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has foiled more than 4,550 cyberattacks in the first six months of the current 2023/2024 Ethiopian fiscal year, which started on July 8, an official said Wednesday. Solomon Soka, director-general of Ethiopia's Information Network Security Administration (INSA), said his agency managed to foil over 98 percent of the 4,623 cyberattacks, the state-run Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported. The number of cyberattacks targeting the East African country has increased 115 percent compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year, Soka further said. "Had the cyberattacks succeeded, Ethiopia could have suffered over 10.5 billion Ethiopian Birr (about 186 million U.S. dollars) losses," the official warned. Soka attributed the big increase in cyberattacks targeting Ethiopia to a combination of reasons, including the worldwide increase in digitization, rising financial benefits for attackers and Ethiopia's rapid development of digital infrastructure.

CDC researchers last year published a study showing an estimated 7.7% of middle and high school students, or about 2 million in total, were current e-cigarette users in 2023. More than 60% of youth e-cigarette users used disposable vapes, with popular brands including Elf Bar and Esco Bar. So far, the FDA has approved only 23 e-cigarette products and devices, effectively rendering unauthorized products often found on store shelves illegal and manufacturers and retailers subject to enforcement. Globally, as many as 121 countries or territories regulate electronic nicotine delivery systems, based on a 2023 World Health Organization report. That includes 33 countries that have moved to ban their sale, and 87 that have implemented regulations such as age restrictions on sales, bans on advertising and prohibiting vaping in public indoor areas.

By Dawit EndeshawADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - At least 372 people have died in two northern Ethiopian regions from drought-induced hunger in the last six months, a senior government official said on Wednesday, adding to the regions' challenges arising from conflict. Endale said the findings were from a 10-day assessment in the two regions, and it was possible there were more deaths. Legesse Tulu, government spokesperson, Mengasha Fentaw, spokesperson of Amhara region and Redaei Halefom, spokesperson of Tigray, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the deaths. In late December, Getachew Reda, the president of Tigray region's interim administration, said 91% of the region's population was at risk of starvation and death and the situation was beyond the administration's capacity to handle. Last May, the WFP suspended food aid to Tigray following reports of widespread theft of donations.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - At least 372 people have died in two northern Ethiopian regions from drought-induced hunger in the last six months, a senior government official said on Wednesday, adding to the regions' challenges arising from conflict. Endale said the findings were from a 10-day assessment in the two regions, and it was possible there were more deaths. Legesse Tulu, government spokesperson, Mengasha Fentaw, spokesperson of Amhara region and Redaei Halefom, spokesperson of Tigray, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the deaths. In late December, Getachew Reda, the president of Tigray region's interim administration, said 91% of the region's population was at risk of starvation and death and the situation was beyond the administration's capacity to handle. Last May, the WFP suspended food aid to Tigray following reports of widespread theft of donations.

Kenyan authorities on Wednesday proscribed the church of a religious leader who ordered his followers to starve themselves and their children to death so that they could go to heaven, as an organised criminal group. In an official gazette document published on Wednesday, the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki declared the church an “organised criminal group”, paving the way for further investigation and possible prosecution of members deemed to have aided Mackenzie. Cabinet Secretary for @InteriorKE @KindikiKithure declares Paul Mackenzie's Good News International Ministries an organized criminal group. Prosecutors have said they will charge 95 people in total, on counts of murder, manslaughter, terrorism, and torture. In December, Mackenzie received a 12-month sentence for producing and distributing films that were not approved by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB).

Addis Ababa — The Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), which inaugurated a modern media complex today, must further invest in human capital and content to compete in Africa, veteran Ethiopian media professionals said. But the news agency should also invest on human resource to improve content and become competent media in Ethiopia and Africa. So, as much as the news agency has invested on the building and the technology, it should invest on human resource also. He believes that by nurturing its human resource and diversifying its content, ENA can become a true competitor and reliable source of information in Africa. Yet, Tibebu noted that the media complex needs human resource and content to thrive further.

Ethiopia, which is facing global condemnation for signing an illegal Memorandum of Understanding with the secessionist northern part of Somalia known as Somaliland to access the Red Sea, has asked for an extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of IGAD to “explain itself” on the matter. Somalia leaders said the agreements did not only violate the unity of Somalia and its Constitution but also threatened to stoke security tensions in the Horn of Africa. The international community including United Nations, European Union, IGAD and African Union have condemned Ethiopia’s violation of Somalia’s territorial integrity. Somalia ruled out talks with Ethiopia until Addis Ababa retracts its agreement with Somaliland. Abdishakur said, “Instead of operating beyond the boundaries of diplomacy, Ethiopia should retract its decision and respect Somalia’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

Just 14% of 3.2 million people targeted for food aid by humanitarian agencies in the region this month had received it by Jan. 21, according to the memo by the Tigray Food Cluster, a group of aid agencies co-chaired by the U.N.’s World Food Program and Ethiopian officials. The memo urges humanitarian groups to “immediately scale up” their operations, warning that “failure to take swift action now will result in severe food insecurity and malnutrition during the lean season, with possible loss of the most vulnerable children and women in the region.”SOURCE: VOAShare

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was honored with the prestigious Agricola medal award from the FAO on 28 January, 2024 (Photo: PM Office Ethiopia/Facebook)Addis Ababa – The recent decision by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to award the prestigious Agricola Medal to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has sparked criticism from Human Rights Watch (HRW). The organization argues that the award overlooks the severe humanitarian crisis and extensive food insecurity currently plaguing Ethiopia. Allegations have emerged during the Tigray conflict, suggesting that Ethiopian government forces employed deliberate tactics such as pillaging and attacking food systems, exacerbating food insecurity. The FAO’s recognition of Prime Minister Abiy has generated mixed reactions and criticism. Taye Atskesellasie, the PM’s foreign policy adviser, praised the FAO, stating, “Indeed, when the lives of farmers improve, so does the country’s.” ASAdvertisement

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