Ethiopia

13 Jan 2021; MEMO: Ethiopia's foreign ministry yesterday warned Sudan of "retaliation" after border clashes were reported in the country's northern Tigray region.

"Addis Ababa's silence against border escalation is not out of fear," the ministry's spokesperson, Dina Mufti, said in a statement, accusing the Sudanese army of "taking advantage of Ethiopia's preoccupation with the Tigray clashes while deeply penetrating into the region."

ADDIS ABABA, Jan 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The African Union hailed the diplomatic rapprochement to end a blockade against the Gulf nation of Qatar.

“I wish to commend Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for restoring full diplomatic ties with the state of Qatar,” tweeted Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat.

“I also congratulate Kuwait for their effort in this important development for the region, key for the betterment of relations between Africa and the Gulf states,” Mahamat added.

ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat on Friday called on the African continent to ensure economic recovery from the brunt of COVID-19 pandemic as the New Year begins.

"As we mark the end of the year 2020, we also mark the end of one of the most extraordinary and challenging years in living memory," the chairperson of the 55-member pan-African bloc said in a statement.

ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the recent armed attack in western Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz regional state has risen to 207, the country's federal rights group confirmed late Friday.

Among the victims were 133 adult men, 35 adult women, some 20 elderly persons as well as 17 children, one of them a six-month-old baby, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), a rights group established by the Ethiopian parliament, said in a statement late Friday.

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 25 (NNN-XINHUA) – The Ethiopian Defense Forces killed some 42 “anti-peace elements” as part of the crackdown on perpetrators of the latest “gruesome” attack that killed at least 100 civilians in Ethiopia’s western Benishangul-Gumuz regional state, local government officials said.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) -Ethiopia will hold a parliamentary election on June 5, 2021, the National Electoral Board said on Friday, as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed tries to quell outbreaks of deadly political and ethnic violence in several regions.

Abiy’s Prosperity Party, a pan-Ethiopian movement he founded a year ago, faces challenges from increasingly strident ethnically-based parties seeking more power for their regions.

Africa’s second most populous nation has a federal system and 10 regional governments, many of whom have border disputes or face low-level unrest.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia’s military killed 42 armed men accused of attacking a village in the western Benishangul-Gumuz region, state-affiliated Fana TV reported on Thursday, as the government sent in more troops to contain ethnic tensions.

Government forces seized bows and arrows and other weapons from the armed men, Fana said in its report that cited unnamed regional officials. It did not say when the clash took place or which group was involved.

23 Dec 2020; MEMO: The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday that Addis Ababa and Khartoum reached a final accord to resolve the ongoing border crisis.

The announcement followed negotiations between an Ethiopian delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Yemek Mekonnen, and the authorities in Sudan.

According to the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Dina Mufti, the border dispute between the two countries is to be resolved peacefully, through dialogue.

ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said the Horn of Africa finds itself in "a very particular situation," as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, is experiencing "tough challenges."

The chairperson of the 55-member pan-African bloc made the remarks during the 38th IGAD Extraordinary Meeting, which brought together east African leaders in the Red Sea nation Djibouti late Sunday.

19 Dec 2020; MEMO: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Thursday that the "incident" involving a local militia on the border with Sudan "will not lead to a strained relationship with Khartoum."

The Ethiopian leader stated: "These incidents will not break the ties between our two countries because we are engaged in a permanent dialogue, that is our choice to settle problems," Ahmed tweeted.