#Uganda halts registration of new asylum seekers, including #Ethiopians, amid declining aid

Uganda has suspended the registration of new asylum seekers from countries including Ethiopia, #Somalia, and #Eritrea as it struggles to cope with declining donor support and a growing refugee population, The Monitor reported.

According to the report, the suspension applies to countries that are not currently experiencing active conflict.

Geoffrey Mugabe, Senior Settlement Commandant in the Department of Refugees at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), said the decision was driven by financial constraints, reductions in World Food Programme (WFP) rations, and a continuous influx of refugees

“We intend to narrow support to only vulnerable refugees. Registration from countries not in conflict — notably Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea — has been closed,” Mr. Mugabe said.....

https://web.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid0jWQzcTQejF5nQQHPZWRbd2XZMmUvc8Ucz9s6NEu6GLW9EQjukG3aj8ZDgCxCVVZul

Concerned #Ethiopians convene in #Amsterdam, urge for transitional framework rooted in peace, stability to address Ethiopia’s ‘worsening political, security, and economic crises’

A group of concerned Ethiopians representing various political organizations, armed and civil society groups, scholars, and activists convened in Amsterdam on October 18 to discuss what they described as Ethiopia’s “worsening political, security, and economic crises.”

In a statement sent to Addis Standard, the representatives said the gathering, which follows a similar meeting held in August 2025 in the United States, was organized to deliberate on “the importance of political transitioning, the principles and process of political settlement, mechanisms for transition to peace, and the management of external actors’ influence.”

The statement asserted that after seven years in power, “Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s unchecked power, war-mongering, and governance failures have plunged Ethiopia into...

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52980

#Eritrea yet to release six Sri Lankan sea marshals despite ongoing diplomatic efforts

Diplomatic attempts to secure the release of six #Sri_Lankan Sea Marshals detained in Eritrea since November 2024 have so far failed, The Island reported, citing sources familiar with the ongoing negotiations.

The Sri Lankans, employed by Azerbaijani company Caspian Marine Service B.V., were among 24 crew members aboard three Azerbaijan-flagged tugboats intercepted in Eritrean waters on 7 November 2024. The vessels were reportedly diverted into Eritrean territory due to adverse weather conditions. While Eritrea released and repatriated the 18 Azerbaijani crew members in late March, the six Sri Lankan Sea Marshals remain in custody.

The detained men were deployed through Seagull Maritime PMSC, with Freightplan (Pvt.) Ltd. serving as the local agent. Their exact whereabouts remain unknown.

https://island.lk/govt-seeks-release-of-six-sl-sea-marshals-in-eritrean-captivity/

#Op_ed: #Ethiopia’s education crisis, birth of lost generation

In this op-ed, Mulugeta Gebregziabher draws on John Dewey’s warning that “If education does not teach you to resist injustice, it has failed,” calling it “a moral indictment of the current state of Ethiopia’s education sector.” He notes that “since 1990, Ethiopia has experienced a remarkable expansion of educational access,” yet the system has entered “a period of alarming decline” after 2019.

The author explains that university enrollment has stagnated, graduation rates have fallen, and “over 91% of students failed the 2025 national exam.” Furthermore, conflicts in #Tigray, #Amhara, and #Oromia have destroyed schools and displaced millions, while “at least 13 million children are currently out of school.”

“What is happening in Ethiopia is not mere neglect; it is a slow, painful self-destruction,” Mulugeta writes, urging officials to depoliticize education, invest significantly, and restore academic freedom.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52973

#UN risks bankruptcy as resources shrink, SG Guterres warns

The United Nations faces a “race to bankruptcy” unless Member States pay their dues in full and on time, Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Friday, presenting a sharply reduced $3.238 billion regular budget for 2026.

The revised proposal marks a significant drop from his original ask for next year of $3.715 billion and is 15.1 per cent below the 2025 approved appropriation.

Speaking to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly – which handles UN finances and administration – Mr. Guterres described a deeply precarious outlook, with high arrears, delayed contributions and the “return of credits” threatening to wipe out liquidity and undermine core operations.

https://www.citizen.digital/article/un-risks-bankruptcy-as-resources-shrink-sg-guterres-warns-n371657

#ENDF says 48 Fano fighters killed, 40 wounded as clashes intensify in #Amhara region

The #Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) said it has killed 48 and wounded 40 armed fighters, including several #Fano leaders, during coordinated counterinsurgency operations carried out on Saturday, 18 October 2025, across parts of the #West_Gojjam, #North_Gojjam, and Awi zones in the Amhara Regional State.

In a statement issued on 19 October 2025, the ENDF said the operations were conducted as part of a “law enforcement campaign” targeting what it described as “extremist elements” destabilizing the region.

According to the statement, in the W.Gojjam Zone’s Wonberma District, under the coordination of the Eastern Command, 8 fighters were killed & 13 wounded. Similar operations in #Awi Zone’s Banja District, resulted in the killing of 23 fighters and 19 others wounded, the statement said.

The statement comes amid reports of renewed fighting across several parts of the region,

https://addisstandard.com/?p=52988

Governance of #Red_Sea an exclusive responsibility of coastal states: #Egypt FM

Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed that governance of the Red Sea is the exclusive responsibility of its coastal countries, stressing their leading role in protecting its security, stability, and natural resources in ways that strengthen regional cooperation and shared interests.

FM Abdelatty made the remarks during a high-level session at the fifth Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development on Sunday.

According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the session, titled “Connecting Continents and Building the Future through the Red Sea: Opportunities for Arab-African Economic Integration,” was attended by #Somali Foreign Minister Abdi Salem Ali, #Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohy Eldin Salem, #Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji, #EU Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Annette Weber, and World Bank representative Gary Milante.

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/555228.aspx

#Sudan to reopen #Khartoum airport on Wednesday after 30-month closure

Airport to resume domestic flights, marking 1st reopening since fighting erupted between army and RSF in April 2023.

Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority said Monday it will reopen Khartoum International Airport for domestic flights starting Wednesday, following a 30-month closure caused by the country’s ongoing conflict.

“The Civil Aviation Authority issued a notice announcing the resumption of domestic flights at Khartoum International Airport beginning Wednesday, Oct. 22, in accordance with approved operational procedures,” the official news agency SUNA said.

The decision confirms the airport’s readiness to gradually receive flights after completing technical and operational arrangements, the agency added.

This marks the first time Khartoum International Airport has resumed operations in more than two and a half years amid the conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The army and RSF have been fighting a war since April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.

On March 27, the Sudanese army said its forces had cleared the last RSF strongholds in Khartoum province after regaining control of the airport, several security and military facilities, and neighborhoods in the capital’s east and south for the first time since April 2023.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/sudan-to-reopen-khartoum-airport-on-wednesday-after-30-month-closure/3722169

Inside #Ethiopia’s aggressive EV revolution

As the first country in the world to ban the import of petrol and diesel vehicles, Ethiopia is creating the blueprint for electric vehicle (EV) uptake, supported by favourable government policies. It is one of several African countries to be introducing incentives to encourage EV uptake as a means of reducing fuel dependency and supporting green transport growth.

While many Ethiopians were initially reluctant to switch to EV, they are becoming a much more common sight in the capital of Addis Ababa, and public perception is slowly shifting.

While Ghana was the leader for EV uptake in 2024, with a 29.31 percent share of the continent’s EV revenue, Ethiopia is now the fastest-growing country for EV uptake, with an anticipated CAGR of 58.92 percent through 2030.

Before the introduction of the ICE vehicle import ban, EVs were extremely uncommon in Ethiopia.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Inside-Ethiopias-Aggressive-EV-Revolution.html

News: #Ethiopia in talks with #China to convert dollar loans into Yuan

Ethiopia has begun negotiations with China to convert a portion of its $5.38 billion debt to #yuan-denominated loans, following Kenya’s recent move to diversify away from the U.S. #dollar and support China’s push to internationalize its currency.

National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) Governor Eyob Tekalign (PhD) said discussions are underway with the Export-Import Bank of China and the People’s Bank of China (PBC) for a potential currency swap. He disclosed the talks during an interview with Bloomberg on October 17 in Washington, D.C., where he attended the International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings.

After his appointment as Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), Eyob made China his first official overseas destination. On 22 September, Addis Standard reported, citing local media, that Eyob was visiting China to advance debt restructuring talks & strengthen economic cooperation.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=53012

#Geological Shock – massive rift opens in #Ethiopia within 10 days, signaling the possible birth of a new #ocean on earth

It might sound like a science fiction headline, but it’s true: Africa is slowly splitting in two. Deep beneath the surface of the continent, massive geological forces are at work, stretching the land apart in a process that could one day give rise to a brand-new ocean. This isn’t something we’ll see in our lifetime, but over millions of years, it could completely reshape the map of Africa and the world.

At the heart of this transformation is the Great Rift Valley, one of the largest and most active tectonic fault systems on the planet. Stretching over 3,000 kilometers from the Gulf of Aden down to Zimbabwe, this valley is slowly tearing the eastern part of Africa away from the rest of the continent.

In 2018, a dramatic event caught everyone’s attention: a massive crack split open in Kenya, cutting through the Nairobi-Narok highway. While it seemed sudden, it was just one visible example of a process that’s been underway for more than 25 million years.

The rate at which the African continent is splitting may seem slow: just over half a centimeter per year. But in the world of geology, that’s lightning-fast. It’s roughly the same pace at which South America once drifted away from Africa, forming the Atlantic Ocean.

Over time, this tiny annual shift adds up to massive geological change. The ground is not as solid as it seems beneath us; tectonic plates are constantly shifting, bending, and breaking. That’s how continents move, oceans form, and mountains rise.

Eventually, water from the #Red_Sea and the #Indian #Ocean could rush into the widening rift, forming a new sea or ocean. This would separate countries like #Somalia and Ethiopia from the main body of Africa, turning them into a vast island, a completely new geographical entity.

https://estoyenlafrontera.com/en/geological-shock-massive-rift-opens-in-ethiopia/