News: #Tigray Interim Admin, #CRS and #UN agencies discuss strengthening humanitarian response and durable solutions for displaced persons

The Tigray Interim Administration has urged Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and United Nations agencies to scale up humanitarian assistance and support durable solutions for displaced persons, while reaffirming its commitment to ensuring the safe return of internally displaced people (IDPs) and upholding the territorial integrity of Tigray.

The call was made during separate discussions held 15 and 16 October 2025 by the Interim Administration president and vice president with CRS and UN agencies delegations.

Lt. Gen. Tadesse Worede, President of the Tigray Interim Administration, urged CRS to expand its emergency assistance for vulnerable communities across Tigray and for refugees who have fled to Sudan.

According to the Office of the President, the discussions focused on ongoing humanitarian operations and efforts to support....

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52936

#DP World launches new Jebel Ali-Berbera shipping route

DP World has launched a new direct shipping service linking Jebel Ali Port in the #UAE with Berbera Port in Somaliland, bonding trade routes between the Gulf and East Africa.

Operating every nine days, the service calls at Aden and Djibouti, offering faster, more reliable access to key regional markets. From Berbera, cargo can move onward to landlocked destinations such as #Ethiopia, reducing dependence on longer and more congested routes through Djibouti.

The route offers greater predictability and fewer regional bottlenecks, positioning Berbera as a vital alternative for Gulf–Africa trade flows.

Ganesh Raj, Group Chief Operating Officer, Marine Services at DP World, said, “The Jebel Ali to Berbera service further complements DP World’s investment drive into Africa.

https://www.logisticsmiddleeast.com/news/dp-world-jebel-ali-berbera

In #Ethiopia, a groundbreaking right to work directive transforms lives for the better

Ethiopia’s landmark 2019 Refugee Proclamation has transformed the lives of thousands of refugees by granting them, for the first time, the right to work, run businesses, and participate in the economy.

The reform, supported by the World Bank’s Ethiopia Economic Opportunities Program, followed the government’s 2016 pledges to improve refugee livelihoods & has since enabled more than 24,000 refugees & asylum seekers to obtain work permits, residence permits, & business licenses.

For decades, refugees like Michaele Haile from #Eritrea, Muetaz Mhd Semir from #Syria, & Ebtesam Khalid Mohammed from #Yemen struggled under restrictive laws, barred them from formal employment or business ownership.

The 2019 proclamation, followed by a right-to-work directive in 2020, changed that reality.

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2025/10/15/in-ethiopia-a-groundbreaking-right-to-work-directive-transforms-lives-for-the-better

𝐖𝐅𝐏 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝟏𝟓 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 #𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧

Addis Abeba – The World Food Programme (#WFP), in collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia, has activated its Drought Anticipatory Action Plan (AAP) across 15 districts in the Somali region to mitigate the projected impacts of drought during the October–December 2025 rainfall season.

According to WFP, the activation followed the crossing of pre-agreed drought triggers in July and August 2025.

The drought triggers were identified using a tool called the “AA Map Room,” which helps classify districts based on drought risk levels. Using this tool, WFP and its partners analyzed rainfall, vegetation, and water availability to determine the areas most at risk.

From the analysis, #Bokh, #Galadi, #Goro #Baqaqsa, #Guradamole, #Hudet..

https://web.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid02o59Rci2MW9Akw7f5YUV7RxxpXFcEB2okD3f1v2hBGfXixn1vepxa548vyQRRY28hl

#IMF Projects #Ethiopia’s Economy to Grow by 7.2% in 2025

Ethiopia’s economy is projected to expand by 7.2 percent in 2025, maintaining its position among Sub-Saharan #Africa’s fastest-growing economies, according to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa released in October 2025.

The IMF attributed Ethiopia’s strong performance to ongoing macroeconomic stabilization efforts and reforms that have helped sustain growth despite a challenging external environment marked by tight borrowing conditions, uneven commodity prices, and reduced aid flows.

Ethiopia, alongside #Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, #Rwanda, and #Uganda, is among the countries driving the region’s resilience, the report noted. The Fund highlighted that high prices for key commodities such as coffee and gold have benefited Ethiopia, offsetting some of the pressures from declining external assistance and global trade disruptions.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17RofoQjAf/

#Somaliland defence minister meets #US Congressman Chris Smith amid push for stronger ties

Somaliland’s Defence Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali met on Thursday with U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) in Washington, marking another step in expanding congressional engagement over Somaliland’s evolving relationship with the United States.

The meeting comes as the U.S. House of Representatives advances legislation proposing the establishment of a U.S. Representative Office in Hargeisa and the inclusion of separate U.S. travel and advisory guidance for Somaliland. These provisions are embedded in key Fiscal Year 2026 foreign affairs and appropriations bills now moving through Congress.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Somaliland Mission in the United States said it “greatly appreciated Rep. Chris Smith’s meeting today with Somaliland Defence Minister Mohamed Yusuf Ali to discuss steady progress in U.S.–Somaliland relations and chart next steps to strengthen our partnership.” The Mission added that it “deeply values his leadership and commitment to advancing our shared priorities.”

The engagement follows a September 2 letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio from Congressman John Moolenaar (R-MI), chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. The lawmakers urged Washington to issue a separate travel advisory for Somaliland, calling the measure “concrete and immediately actionable.” They said it would enhance global perceptions of Somaliland’s stability, attract U.S. investment, and strengthen American efforts to counter China’s growing influence in the Horn of Africa.

https://www.horndiplomat.com/2025/10/somaliland-defence-minister-meets-u-s-congressman-chris-smith-amid-push-for-stronger-ties/

#Policy_Brief: Ethio-Saudi Relations: Why it’s broken, what can be done about it?

Ethiopia’s relations with Arab states, particularly #Saudi_Arabia, have long been defined by “a cocktail of unpredictability, suspicion, and a sharp up-and-down trajectory over the years,” writes Mukerrem Miftah in his Policy Brief. He emphasizes that “frequent wars with #Egypt and #Sudan in the past,” along with recent developments such as the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (#GERD) and the mass deportation of more than half a million Ethiopian migrants, have triggered “intense backlash and reprisals” from Arab states, “further complicating the nature of perception and relations.”

Although #Ethiopia maintains strong ties with Western, Eastern, and Asian nations, the author notes that its engagement with the Gulf States remains limited. Saudi Arabia’s investment in Ethiopia, estimated at a maximum of $3 billion, pales in comparison to the over $30 billion invested in Egypt and $13 billion in #Djibouti. This disparity, Mukerrem argues, indicates that for the Saudi Kingdom, Ethiopia represents “less of an asset demanding strategic investment and partnership.”

The article further highlights Saudi Arabia’s historical association with “religious fanaticism and fundamentalism” through its global promotion of Wahhabism and Salafism, with nearly $100 billion spent on advancing these ideologies. This ideological export “created fertile ground for global terrorism,” giving rise to extremist groups such as ISIS and #Al_Shabaab. Another major source of tension is the GERD, where Saudi Arabia’s support for Egypt’s opposition to the project has coincided with the “forced deportation of over half a million Ethiopian migrants” since 2013. Mukerrem underscores that “the timing and scale of the deportation have caused a major challenge, which continues to plague the Ethiopian government to this day.”

Moving ahead, the author calls for “sustained talks and effective communication” to replace “latent and passive animosity.” To rebuild Ethio-Saudi relations, he urges Ethiopia to capitalize on its vast resources and large population to attract Saudi investment—but only in tandem with tangible progress on “peace and stability.” In turn, Saudi Arabia must “understand and respect Ethiopia’s local and regional constants,” refrain from supporting hostile actors, and “reevaluate its approach to Ethiopian migrants,” based on mutual understanding and international norms.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52944

Egypt’s Prime Minister says only 5% of Nile basin rainfall reaches #Egypt and #Sudan, calls River ‘a matter of existence, not subject to compromise’

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has described the Nile River as “a matter of existence, not subject to compromise,” emphasizing Egypt’s heavy reliance on the transboundary river amid renewed tensions with Ethiopia.

He said that although the Nile Basin receives more than 1,660 billion cubic meters of rainfall annually, only about 84 billion cubic meters—roughly five percent—reach Egypt and Sudan.

Speaking at the closing session of the 8th Cairo Water Week on Thursday, Madbouly said the event focused on “key issues at the heart of international water security,” particularly the challenges countries face in managing shared resources to ensure both security and development.,

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#AS_Editorial - Vaults of the few swell, plates of millions clatter empty: #Ethiopia’s crisis demands honesty, not hubris

Ethiopia is witnessing the systematic production of inequality - a process in which political power is converted into economic privilege. What began as a promise of shared prosperity in 2018 has morphed into an architecture of exclusion, enriching a few while impoverishing millions.

This month, the #World_Bank’s Poverty and Equity Brief delivered a stark warning: poverty, measured at $3 per day (2021 PPP), has climbed from 33 percent in 2016 to 39 percent in 2021 and is projected to reach 43 percent by 2025. After two decades of progress, Ethiopia is now reversing course, undoing gains that took a generation to build.

Under the Prosperity Party, inequality has ceased to be an unintended outcome of crisis; it has become a governing tool. Fiscal power, public contracts, and investment opportunities are increasingly concentrated within......

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https://addisstandard.com/?p=52949

#Australia sheep-export ban helps #Somalia win $1 billion of sales

Somalia’s livestock exports are receiving a boost from fading Australian and Sudanese competition, which could help drive its shipments above $1 billion this year.

The Horn of Africa nation has seen its earnings from livestock exports climb from $523 million in 2021 to $974 million last year, according to government data, and that trend is expected to continue.

“This increase can be attributed to two main factors — first, Sudan, once a major livestock-exporting country, is currently facing conflict. Secondly, Australia, another key supplier to Gulf countries, has reduced exports,” said Qaasim Abdi Moallim, director of animal health at Somalia’s livestock ministry. “This allowed Somalia to take advantage of the situation and accelerate its livestock exports.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-17/somalia-s-1-billion-livestock-trade-gains-from-australia-sudan

News: Fitch affirms #Ethiopia’s foreign-currency rating at ‘Restricted Default’

Global rating agency #Fitch has affirmed Ethiopia’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency (LTFC) Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘Restricted Default’ (RD), citing the country’s continued default on its Eurobond and other non-bond commercial external debt.

The agency said it typically does not assign outlooks to sovereigns rated ‘CCC+’ or below.

In a statement issued on 17 October 2025, Fitch said the rating reflects Ethiopia’s ongoing default on its single Eurobond and other non-bond commercial external obligations after the government failed to pay a USD 33 million Eurobond coupon due on 11 December 2023.

Ethiopia is seeking to restructure about USD 15 billion of external debt, including arrears as of end-June 2024, under the G20 Common Framework, for which it applied in 2021.

Fitch forecasts general government debt to peak at 40.4% of GDP in FY25 and gradually decline to 36.6% by FY27.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52952

#Ethiopia, #China central bank governors discuss debt restructuring, financial cooperation

Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia (#NBE), Eyob Tekalign (PhD), held talks with Governor of the People’s Bank of China (#PBC), Pan Gongsheng, on the sidelines of the World Bank and #IMF Annual Meetings.

According to local media reports, the discussions focused on strengthening financial cooperation between the two countries, with particular emphasis on debt restructuring and enhancing cross-border trade relations.

The two governors agreed on the need for central banks and financial institutions in both countries to deepen collaboration aimed at boosting trade and investment flows.

Eyob reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to advancing its strategic partnership with China, including in the financial sector, in line with the country’s ongoing economic reform program.......

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