Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Thursday an incident last week in which dozens of soldiers marched on his office was instigated by “plotters” and revealed the troops were armed. Ahmed, in office since April, said the soldiers had been intent on derailing …
Read More »Ethiopia, Eritrea to normalise relations: Ethiopian PM
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia and Eritrea have agreed to reopen embassies and borders, Ethiopia’s prime minister said during a visit to Asmara on Sunday, signalling an end to two decades of conflict between the neighbours. “We agreed that the airlines will start operating, the ports will be …
Read More »Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders meet in Asmara
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed was warmly greeted by Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki in the capital Asmara on Sunday at the start of a meeting to repair relations between the neighbours. Eritrean state television showed footage of the two men embracing while Abiy’s chief …
Read More »Egypt’s Sisi hails ‘breakthrough’ in Nile dam talks
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday that a “breakthrough” had been reached in talks with Sudan and Ethiopia over a controversial dam the latter is building on the Nile. The progress, which he did not specify, took place over the last two days …
Read More »Ethiopian Airlines to purchase 10 new aircrafts
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Africa’s fast growing carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, has signed a purchase agreement with Bombardier for 10 new Q400 aircrafts. Bombardier Commercial Aircraft said on April 27 that the value of the transaction is worth US$332 million. “The Bombardier turboprops continue to deliver unmatched performance to our …
Read More »Nile dam won’t harm Egypt, says new Ethiopian leader
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Ethiopia’s newly appointed prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, said on Thursday that the controversial dam his country is building on the Nile will not harm Egypt’s share of water supplies. Egypt relies almost totally on the Nile for irrigation and drinking water, and says it has “historic …
Read More »Ethiopia: A nation in need of a new story
AFRICAN ARGUMENTS | Mohammed Girma | At the end of Zagwe dynasty around the 14th century, medieval Ethiopia was in disarray. Provincial warlords were battling for supremacy and the nation was on the brink of disintegrating. Ethiopia was at threat of breaking itself apart through internal fighting as its standing in the world diminished. …
Read More »Ethiopia prime minister names new cabinet
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopian new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reshuffled his cabinet Thursday in a bid to stem growing discontent with the long-ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition. Abiy, 42, is the first prime minister to come from Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group the Oromo, who …
Read More »Ethiopia PM asks protesters for patience as he seeks change
Ambo, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia’s new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed paid a visit to a hotbed of anti-government protests Wednesday, asking residents for patience as he works to bring change to the Horn of Africa country. Abiy is the first prime minister to come from Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group …
Read More »Ethiopia: Why PM Abiy Ahmed’s first priority should be free expression
William Davison | AFRICAN ARGUMENTS | The swearing-in this week of Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed and his promising inaugural speech suggests Ethiopia has its best chance yet to address a political crisis that has been building for decades. This comes not a moment too soon. Youthful protesters, particularly in Oromiya, …
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