News as at
October 26, 2026, 10:06 am
Ethiopia's Abiy Inaugurates Major Megech Irrigation Dam
- [Horn Diplomat] Gondar -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday inaugurated the Megech Irrigation Dam Project in Gondar, a major infrastructure development aimed at expanding agricultural production, improving water supplies and creating economic opportunities for surrounding communities.
PM Abiy Stresses for Stronger Indigenous Capacity to Drive National Development
- [ENA] Addis Ababa -- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has emphasized for stronger domestic institutional and human capacity, improved coordination among government institutions, and the removal of systemic bottlenecks to accelerate Ethiopia's development.
Kenya Red Cross Launches Emergency Response for Families Fleeing Moyale Clashes Into Marsabit
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) has launched an emergency response for families arriving in Moyale, in Kenya's Marsabit County, after fleeing insecurity linked to renewed clashes across the border in Ethiopia, as fighting in the disputed border town has forced civilians to seek safety on the Kenyan side.
Drone Strikes Kill Schoolchildren in Amhara, Civilians in Tigray Regions As Conflicts Show No Sign of Abating
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Drone strikes in Ethiopia's Amhara and Tigray regions killed schoolchildren and other civilians on Tuesday, 20 October, according to eyewitnesses and local residents who spoke to Addis Standard, adding to mounting civilian casualties amid renewed fighting between federal forces and armed opponents in both regions.
Ethiopia's Abiy Unveils Ambitious Nuclear Energy Vision
- [Horn Diplomat] Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Oct. 22, 2026 (Horndiplomat -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission to review progress in developing the country's nuclear energy programme, highlighting the role of advanced technology in Ethiopia's long-term economic transformation.
Fighting in Border Town Moyale Spreads to Three More Districts, Exchange of Heavy Gunfire
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- What started as a dispute over the raising of a Somali Regional State flag in Moyale town, Borana Zone, Oromia Region, followed by the killing of a 13-year-old girl on October 18, has escalated into sustained fighting, with security forces from the Oromia and Somali regions exchanging heavy gunfire.
Peace Over Rivalry - Somalia's Future Lies in Cooperation, Not Confrontation With Ethiopia
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Somalia needs a foreign policy that gives its people a better chance of living in peace. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud should place cooperation with Ethiopia at the center of that effort while protecting Somalia's sovereignty and maintaining its wider international partnerships. With so much unfinished work at home, Mogadishu cannot afford to let other governments' rivalries determine its relationship with its largest neighbor.
Ethiopia's Coffee Sector Faces $453 Million Export Risk Under EU Deforestation Rules
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Ethiopia could lose up to $453 million in coffee export revenue under the European Union's deforestation regulation, with compliance gaps threatening to exclude smallholder farmers from a market that accounts for around 30% of the country's coffee exports, according to an October 2026 briefing paper by ODI Global.
Who Protects the Protectors? Inside the Growing Danger for Ethiopia's Humanitarian Workers
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- When humanitarian workers travel to the field, they carry more than food, medicine, or information. They carry the hopes of people facing hunger, displacement, illness, and conflict. Yet, the danger increasingly exposes those delivering this assistance.
Obituary - Prominent Kenyan Oromo Scholar, Anthropologist Professor Abdullahi Shongolo Passes Away
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Professor Abdullahi Shongolo, a prominent scholar of history and anthropology whose research on Borana Oromo culture, customary law, and history brought international attention to the community's rich heritage, passed away on 20 October at the age of 68 at Nanyuki Hospital in Kenya, following an illness from which he did not recover.
Entrenched Authoritarianism: Ethiopia's Rule of Law Index Slides Further
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Ethiopia's rule of law performance has deteriorated further, with the country ranking 133rd out of 143 countries and jurisdictions in the 2026 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, according to the ranking provided for this report. The latest assessment extends a multi-year decline that has seen the country remain near the bottom of global and sub-Saharan African comparisons.
Ethiopia Calls for Data-Driven Policymaking to Accelerate Africa's Progress
- [ENA] Addis Ababa -- Ethiopia has reformed its statistical legislation and established an independent statistical service to strengthen the production and coordination of official data, President Taye Atske Selassie said.
PM Abiy Reviews Ethiopia's Progress Toward Nuclear Energy Development
- [ENA] Addis Ababa -- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has visited the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission to review progress in developing the country's nuclear energy program.
News - Funding Shortfalls Threaten Health Services in Ethiopia's Conflict-Hit Regions, UN Warns
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Funding shortages threaten essential health and nutrition services in Ethiopia's conflict-affected regions, with 10 of the 16 operational mobile health and nutrition teams in Amhara expected to shut down by the end of October, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
Eritrea Tells Us There Is No 'Crisis' Between Ethiopia and Eritrea
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Eritrea's Ambassador to the United Nations, Sophia Tesfamariam, has told senior US diplomats that there is no "crisis" between Ethiopia and Eritrea, while urging Washington and other international actors to address what she described as threats to Eritrea's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ethiopia's Sovereign Access to Seaport Crucial for Regional Shared Prosperity - Scholars
- [ENA] Scholars have noted that Ethiopia's sovereign access to seaport plays a crucial role in ensuring regional shared prosperity.
News - 13-Year-Old Girl Killed After Flag Dispute in Borana's Moyale - Protesters Block Transport Services
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- The opening of a new Somali Region administration office and the raising of its flag in Moyale town in Borana zone of Oromia regional state on October 18 triggered an exchange of gunfire between Somali regional forces and Oromia local militias, leaving a 13-year-old girl dead and prompting protests that disrupted transport services and forced businesses to close on Monday, residents told Addis Standard.
PM Abiy Says Eritrean People Have Lost Former Assets Since Secession
- [ENA] Addis Ababa -- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Eritrean people have lost much of its industrial capacity and urban vitality since secession, urging good neighborliness and development cooperation as the path forward.
Eritrea's Migration Economy - Can the Nation Survive Without Forced Remittance?
- [ENA] October 20, 2026 (ENA)
Ethiopia Signs Second-Phase LNG Development Deal for Ogaden Gas Field
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Chinese companies GCL Group and Jurong Group have signed an agreement to develop the second phase of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project at Ethiopia's Calub gas field in the Somali Region, as the government seeks to expand commercial use of the country's natural gas reserves.
PM Abiy Warns Eritrea of 'Extremely Severe' Consequences If It Rejects Peace Call
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has warned Eritrea of "extremely severe" consequences if its government continues to reject Ethiopia's calls for peace and regional cooperation, accusing Asmara of aligning itself with forces seeking to destabilize Ethiopia. He also called on Tigrayan youth to abandon armed struggle, accusing Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) leaders of prolonging conflict at the expense of the region's population.
Ethiopia's Abiy Urges Investment in Youth As Kenya Honors National Heroes
- [Capital FM] Nairobi -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called for greater investment in young people, saying Kenya's next phase of development will depend on its ability to turn freedom into economic opportunities for the next generation.
Ghana Set to Overtake Ethiopia As Africa's Eighth-Largest Economy After Kenya Takes East Africa Lead
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- Ghana is projected to overtake Ethiopia as Africa's eighth-largest economy in 2026, with its gross domestic product (GDP) forecast to reach US$128.64 billion, exceeding Ethiopia's projected US$127.15 billion by US$1.49 billion, according to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) October 2026 World Economic Outlook (WEO), as reported by African Business Insider on 17 October.
Prisoner of History, Not Geography
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- In early October 2026, Ethiopia and Eritrea took their quarrel to the UN Security Council by letter. Addis Abeba told council members that Eritrean troops had advanced up to 60 km into Tigray, which Eritrea denies. Asmara replied by calling the accusation a declaration of war and asking the council to take deterrent measures. Ethiopia also alleges that Eritrea is helping fund, mobilize, and direct armed groups in the north. Eritrea, for its part, says Addis Abeba is using its demand for sea access, along
Somalia's Aid Paradox - Saving Lives, Sustaining Dependency
- [Addis Standard] Addis Abeba -- For more than three decades, international aid has been an indispensable lifeline for Somalia. It has helped prevent humanitarian collapse, funded essential health and education services, and sustained civil-society organizations through cycles of conflict, drought, and displacement. Those contributions are real and should never be minimized. Yet prolonged reliance on external assistance raises a challenging political-economy question: can a humanitarian and development apparatus designed for immediate
Supreme Audit Institutions Deliberating On Strengthening Collaboration, Accountability in Africa
- [ENA] Addis Ababa -- A workshop aimed at strengthening collaboration and improving the effectiveness and sustainability of public-sector auditing across Africa is underway in Addis Ababa.
TPLF Had Been Preparing for War - PM Abiy
- [ENA] Addis Ababa -- The defunct TPLF had been preparing for another round of war, violating the Pretoria Agreement, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed revealed.
PM Abiy Honors Kenya's Heroes, Highlights Shared Legacy of Unity
- [ENA] Addis Ababa -- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has paid tribute to Kenya's freedom fighters and national heroes during the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret, Kenya.
