#Just_In: #Saudi_Arabia condemns #Khartoum Airport attack, urges ‘neighboring countries’ to respect #Sudan’s sovereignty
Addis Abeba – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the targeting of a site at Khartoum International Airport, warning against continued attacks on civilian infrastructure.
In a statement released on 5 May, the Ministry said the Kingdom expresses its “strong condemnation and denunciation of the targeting of a site at Khartoum Airport.” It reaffirmed what it described as its “unwavering stance in calling for the preservation of Sudan’s unity, its legitimate institutions, the capabilities of its brotherly people, and its security and stability,” while stressing “the importance of keeping civilian objects and vital facilities out of the conflict.”
Saudi Arabia also urged Sudan’s “neighboring countries” to “respect Sudan’s sovereignty and independence…”
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17FW2xbapN/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Addis Abeba – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the targeting of a site at Khartoum International Airport, warning against continued attacks on civilian infrastructure.
In a statement released on 5 May, the Ministry said the Kingdom expresses its “strong condemnation and denunciation of the targeting of a site at Khartoum Airport.” It reaffirmed what it described as its “unwavering stance in calling for the preservation of Sudan’s unity, its legitimate institutions, the capabilities of its brotherly people, and its security and stability,” while stressing “the importance of keeping civilian objects and vital facilities out of the conflict.”
Saudi Arabia also urged Sudan’s “neighboring countries” to “respect Sudan’s sovereignty and independence…”
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17FW2xbapN/?mibextid=wwXIfr
❤9👎1
News: #Trump pauses #Hormuz operation as #Iran talks gain momentum
U.S. President #Donald_Trump has announced a temporary pause in the military operation aimed at escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing progress in negotiations with #Iran.
The operation—dubbed “Project Freedom”—was launched to move stranded vessels through the strategic waterway but will now be halted briefly to allow space for a potential agreement. Trump said the decision followed requests from countries including Pakistan and comes as talks with Tehran show signs of a possible breakthrough.
Despite the pause, the broader blockade linked to the conflict remains in place, highlighting the fragile nature of the situation.
The strait—through which a significant share of global oil supplies passes—has been at the center of escalating tensions, with both sides previously threatening or carrying out attacks on vessels.
https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1BCd4SuCvG/
U.S. President #Donald_Trump has announced a temporary pause in the military operation aimed at escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, citing progress in negotiations with #Iran.
The operation—dubbed “Project Freedom”—was launched to move stranded vessels through the strategic waterway but will now be halted briefly to allow space for a potential agreement. Trump said the decision followed requests from countries including Pakistan and comes as talks with Tehran show signs of a possible breakthrough.
Despite the pause, the broader blockade linked to the conflict remains in place, highlighting the fragile nature of the situation.
The strait—through which a significant share of global oil supplies passes—has been at the center of escalating tensions, with both sides previously threatening or carrying out attacks on vessels.
https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1BCd4SuCvG/
❤2
News: #US condemns #Khartoum airport attack, pushes for truce in #Sudan
The #United_States has strongly condemned a drone attack on Khartoum airport and other civilian sites, reportedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (#RSF), warning that such strikes are worsening Sudan’s humanitarian crisis.
In a statement, the U.S. Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs stressed that civilian infrastructure must not be targeted, highlighting airports as critical lifelines for the delivery of humanitarian aid and movement of relief personnel. #Washington said attacks of this kind are further restricting already limited humanitarian access in a country facing severe shortages and mass displacement.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56791
The #United_States has strongly condemned a drone attack on Khartoum airport and other civilian sites, reportedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (#RSF), warning that such strikes are worsening Sudan’s humanitarian crisis.
In a statement, the U.S. Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs stressed that civilian infrastructure must not be targeted, highlighting airports as critical lifelines for the delivery of humanitarian aid and movement of relief personnel. #Washington said attacks of this kind are further restricting already limited humanitarian access in a country facing severe shortages and mass displacement.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56791
❤2👍2
News: #Ethiopia quietly raises fuel prices just days after assuring supply recovery
In a letter that was not made public but was distributed to fuel stations across the country, the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration announced on 4 May a new price increase taking immediate effect, raising costs across all petroleum products.
Compared to 1 April prices increase, petrol rose by 17.6% from 142.41 birr, while white diesel increased by 10.7 percent from 163.09 birr per liter. Kerosene and jet fuel recorded the steepest hikes, more than doubling from around 151 birr and 150 birr respectively, marking one of the sharpest increases in recent fuel pricing.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56796
In a letter that was not made public but was distributed to fuel stations across the country, the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration announced on 4 May a new price increase taking immediate effect, raising costs across all petroleum products.
Compared to 1 April prices increase, petrol rose by 17.6% from 142.41 birr, while white diesel increased by 10.7 percent from 163.09 birr per liter. Kerosene and jet fuel recorded the steepest hikes, more than doubling from around 151 birr and 150 birr respectively, marking one of the sharpest increases in recent fuel pricing.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56796
😭2💯1😡1
#Somaliland: #Maersk agent ISS says #Berbera booking suspension unrelated to security concerns
Integrated Shipping Services (ISS), acting as an agent for Danish shipping giant Maersk in Somaliland, said the temporary suspension of cargo booking services linked to Berbera Port was caused by logistical and feeder connectivity constraints rather than security or regulatory concerns at the port.
In a clarification letter addressed to the Somaliland Ports Authority (SPA), ISS said the suspension of booking services for cargo destined to or via Berbera Port was “not related to any operational, security, or regulatory concerns in Berbera.”
“Berbera remains a strategically important gateway within the regional trade ecosystem, and a valued part of our network,” the company said in the statement signed by ISS Managing Director Youssouf A. Elmi.
https://www.horndiplomat.com/maersk-agent-iss-says-berbera-booking-suspension-unrelated-to-security-concerns/
Integrated Shipping Services (ISS), acting as an agent for Danish shipping giant Maersk in Somaliland, said the temporary suspension of cargo booking services linked to Berbera Port was caused by logistical and feeder connectivity constraints rather than security or regulatory concerns at the port.
In a clarification letter addressed to the Somaliland Ports Authority (SPA), ISS said the suspension of booking services for cargo destined to or via Berbera Port was “not related to any operational, security, or regulatory concerns in Berbera.”
“Berbera remains a strategically important gateway within the regional trade ecosystem, and a valued part of our network,” the company said in the statement signed by ISS Managing Director Youssouf A. Elmi.
https://www.horndiplomat.com/maersk-agent-iss-says-berbera-booking-suspension-unrelated-to-security-concerns/
❤1
#Op_ed: Limits of #Pretoria: How Western #Tigray became the blind spot of #Ethiopia’s peace deal
Three years after the Pretoria Agreement, Ethiopia remains at a “perilous inflection point,” writes Gebremichael Negash. While the deal ended active fighting, he argues that #Western_Tigray has become an “information black hole,” where constitutional governance is replaced by administrative control and exclusion.
Despite promises to return displaced people, the region still operates under de facto occupation-like conditions and remains largely closed to journalists and humanitarian access. The author contends that this silence is deliberate, enforced through restrictions and the criminalization of inquiry, turning the area into a “phantom zone” where alleged abuses go largely unreported.
He concludes this is not a local issue but a “constitutional crisis in slow motion.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56788
Three years after the Pretoria Agreement, Ethiopia remains at a “perilous inflection point,” writes Gebremichael Negash. While the deal ended active fighting, he argues that #Western_Tigray has become an “information black hole,” where constitutional governance is replaced by administrative control and exclusion.
Despite promises to return displaced people, the region still operates under de facto occupation-like conditions and remains largely closed to journalists and humanitarian access. The author contends that this silence is deliberate, enforced through restrictions and the criminalization of inquiry, turning the area into a “phantom zone” where alleged abuses go largely unreported.
He concludes this is not a local issue but a “constitutional crisis in slow motion.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56788
#UAE denies #Sudan claims of drone attack on #Khartoum Airport, calls allegations “fabrications”
Addis Abeba – The United Arab Emirates has denied allegations by Sudan that an Emirati drone was used in a drone attack on Khartoum airport launched from Ethiopia, dismissing the claims as “fabrications,” Reuters reported.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, a UAE official rejected accusations by Sudan’s army that drones linked to the Gulf state had taken off from “Bahir Dar airport in Ethiopia” and carried out strikes on multiple locations in Sudan in March and May.
Sudan’s military spokesman had earlier described the alleged incident as an escalation of UAE involvement in the country’s conflict, presenting what he said were images and flight path data showing Emirati-owned drones operating from Ethiopian territory. However, Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the claims.
https://www.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid02yQH23Dkj8sKAPatzC8pzRTTBCP4waTUEf9erc7W472Za553V7GgopRigZ4autxbcl
Addis Abeba – The United Arab Emirates has denied allegations by Sudan that an Emirati drone was used in a drone attack on Khartoum airport launched from Ethiopia, dismissing the claims as “fabrications,” Reuters reported.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, a UAE official rejected accusations by Sudan’s army that drones linked to the Gulf state had taken off from “Bahir Dar airport in Ethiopia” and carried out strikes on multiple locations in Sudan in March and May.
Sudan’s military spokesman had earlier described the alleged incident as an escalation of UAE involvement in the country’s conflict, presenting what he said were images and flight path data showing Emirati-owned drones operating from Ethiopian territory. However, Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the claims.
https://www.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid02yQH23Dkj8sKAPatzC8pzRTTBCP4waTUEf9erc7W472Za553V7GgopRigZ4autxbcl
❤2👎2
#Ethiopia: #Borana Drinking Water Project remains unfinished after 18 years; residents, Abba Gadaa await an end to "community thirst."
Residents of the Borana lowlands have expressed deep frustration over the prolonged delay of the #Billiqo_Water_Project, also known as the Borana Water Network Project. Designed to stretch from Qancaro village in the #Dillo district near the #Kenyan border to connect various districts across the zone, the project was promised to be a reliable water source for thousands of residents and their livestock. However, the project remains incomplete despite spanning the terms of more than three Abba Gadaas.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56775
Residents of the Borana lowlands have expressed deep frustration over the prolonged delay of the #Billiqo_Water_Project, also known as the Borana Water Network Project. Designed to stretch from Qancaro village in the #Dillo district near the #Kenyan border to connect various districts across the zone, the project was promised to be a reliable water source for thousands of residents and their livestock. However, the project remains incomplete despite spanning the terms of more than three Abba Gadaas.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56775
👍1
News: ‘Unfounded, irresponsible’: #TPLF rejects #Ethiopia’s #Sudan collusion claims, warns of ‘dangerous escalation’
The TPLF said it “categorically reject[s] these accusations,” describing them as “unfounded, irresponsible, and indicative of a recurring pattern of deflection through disinformation.”
The response follows a recent allegation by Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry that the TPLF was working with the government of Sudan, claims the group dismissed as inflammatory at a time when “the region demands restraint and constructive engagement.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56817
The TPLF said it “categorically reject[s] these accusations,” describing them as “unfounded, irresponsible, and indicative of a recurring pattern of deflection through disinformation.”
The response follows a recent allegation by Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry that the TPLF was working with the government of Sudan, claims the group dismissed as inflammatory at a time when “the region demands restraint and constructive engagement.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56817
❤3
News: #US inches closer to lifting #Eritrea sanctions, sending signal to #Ethiopia: new report
Despite the apparent policy shift, criticism has emerged over the prospect of normalizing ties with one of the world’s most closed political systems.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the US to “not consider lifting sanctions until Eritrea has taken major steps toward accountability for violations and demonstrated a clear break from abusive past and present practices.”
Responding to the latest news, Eritrea expressed its earnest “hope that this act will indeed herald an enduring rectification of misguided policies to ensure justice, legality and fairness.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56822
Despite the apparent policy shift, criticism has emerged over the prospect of normalizing ties with one of the world’s most closed political systems.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the US to “not consider lifting sanctions until Eritrea has taken major steps toward accountability for violations and demonstrated a clear break from abusive past and present practices.”
Responding to the latest news, Eritrea expressed its earnest “hope that this act will indeed herald an enduring rectification of misguided policies to ensure justice, legality and fairness.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56822
❤1
News: Oil markets swing as #Hormuz tensions continue to rattle global energy trade
Global energy markets remained volatile as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continued to disrupt oil and fuel shipments, even amid signs of possible diplomatic progress between the #United_States and #Iran.
According to #Reuters, exports of refined fuels across #Asia have plunged sharply due to the prolonged disruption in the strategic waterway, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes. Jet fuel exports were hit hardest, while diesel and gasoline shipments also dropped to multi-year lows as refiners struggled to secure crude supplies.
https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1CuF73zBx8/
Global energy markets remained volatile as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continued to disrupt oil and fuel shipments, even amid signs of possible diplomatic progress between the #United_States and #Iran.
According to #Reuters, exports of refined fuels across #Asia have plunged sharply due to the prolonged disruption in the strategic waterway, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes. Jet fuel exports were hit hardest, while diesel and gasoline shipments also dropped to multi-year lows as refiners struggled to secure crude supplies.
https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1CuF73zBx8/
News: #Ethiopian Orthodox Church Patriarch urges leaders to pursue peace, ‘listen to the heartbeat of the people’
“People can only be won through persuading the conscience, not by other means,” the Patriarch said. “Therefore, listen carefully to the needs and the heartbeat of the people.”
Abune Mathias said Ethiopians are fundamentally seeking peace, justice, economic security, and equal religious freedom. He stressed that responding to these demands would restore trust between the public and leaders.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56830
“People can only be won through persuading the conscience, not by other means,” the Patriarch said. “Therefore, listen carefully to the needs and the heartbeat of the people.”
Abune Mathias said Ethiopians are fundamentally seeking peace, justice, economic security, and equal religious freedom. He stressed that responding to these demands would restore trust between the public and leaders.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56830
❤7👍2
#Israeli military investigates soldier over desecration of #Virgin_Mary statue in #Lebanon
Addis Abeba – The Israeli military says it has opened an investigation after a photograph circulated online appearing to show an Israeli soldier desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon.
According to The Times of Israel, the military said on Wednesday that it viewed the “incident gravely” and pledged to take action against the soldier involved.
The photo, which has sparked outrage online, reportedly showed the soldier placing a cigarette in the mouth of the statue while smoking one himself. Initial findings by the Israeli military indicated that the image was taken several weeks ago in the Christian-majority village of Debel in southern Lebanon, although it only began circulating widely on Wednesday.
https://www.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid0zZSdNKTPMVDM7TjABcjFJ9LYAe8XsKWYCg1u3vn8VParx6F25SMd3NhvznGbWzp9l
Addis Abeba – The Israeli military says it has opened an investigation after a photograph circulated online appearing to show an Israeli soldier desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon.
According to The Times of Israel, the military said on Wednesday that it viewed the “incident gravely” and pledged to take action against the soldier involved.
The photo, which has sparked outrage online, reportedly showed the soldier placing a cigarette in the mouth of the statue while smoking one himself. Initial findings by the Israeli military indicated that the image was taken several weeks ago in the Christian-majority village of Debel in southern Lebanon, although it only began circulating widely on Wednesday.
https://www.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid0zZSdNKTPMVDM7TjABcjFJ9LYAe8XsKWYCg1u3vn8VParx6F25SMd3NhvznGbWzp9l
🤨4❤3😡2
#Ethiopian TikTok grieves a popular creator. Are TikTok and Meta complicit in her death?
**Content notice: This article contains mentions of suicide and depression, which some readers may find disturbing.
Boni, an Ethiopian content creator who spoke to her audience on TikTok in the Afan Oromo language, died by suicide on April 29, 2026. That day, she posted a farewell message in Afan Oromo on her Facebook account - “Nagaatti Yaa biyya lafa,” (Goodbye, world), followed five minutes later by a video on TikTok and Facebook, captioned “I said it, it is over,” in which she stated her intent on camera with imagery of the means visible in frame. That video has since been viewed and shared millions of times through stitches (videos where a creator reacts to another’s video, thereby creating new content), reposts, and reactions on TikTok and other platforms; ...
https://globalvoices.org/2026/05/05/ethiopian-tiktok-grieves-a-popular-creator-some-wonder-whether-tiktok-and-meta-are-complicit-in-her-death/
**Content notice: This article contains mentions of suicide and depression, which some readers may find disturbing.
Boni, an Ethiopian content creator who spoke to her audience on TikTok in the Afan Oromo language, died by suicide on April 29, 2026. That day, she posted a farewell message in Afan Oromo on her Facebook account - “Nagaatti Yaa biyya lafa,” (Goodbye, world), followed five minutes later by a video on TikTok and Facebook, captioned “I said it, it is over,” in which she stated her intent on camera with imagery of the means visible in frame. That video has since been viewed and shared millions of times through stitches (videos where a creator reacts to another’s video, thereby creating new content), reposts, and reactions on TikTok and other platforms; ...
https://globalvoices.org/2026/05/05/ethiopian-tiktok-grieves-a-popular-creator-some-wonder-whether-tiktok-and-meta-are-complicit-in-her-death/
❤1
#Op_ed: Stabbed by Social Media, Silenced by the Gun: Slow death of journalism in #Ethiopia
World Press Freedom Day 2026 arrived with a bitter irony: in the Horn of Africa, “journalism is not merely under pressure; it is under siege,” writes Guyo Wariyo Aba-Jirma. He describes the region—from #Sudan’s violent conflict and #Eritrea’s enforced silence to arrests, expulsions, and media shutdowns in Ethiopia—as a “landscape of fear and erasure.”
The author argues that currently, journalism faces a dual threat in Ethiopia: state use of “anti-terrorism and cybercrime laws" and social media, where truth is “shot in the heart” through disinformation.
Still, Guyo emphasizes that journalism “matters—not because it is safe, but because without it, power goes unchecked, injustice goes unrecorded, and history remains unwritten.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56813
World Press Freedom Day 2026 arrived with a bitter irony: in the Horn of Africa, “journalism is not merely under pressure; it is under siege,” writes Guyo Wariyo Aba-Jirma. He describes the region—from #Sudan’s violent conflict and #Eritrea’s enforced silence to arrests, expulsions, and media shutdowns in Ethiopia—as a “landscape of fear and erasure.”
The author argues that currently, journalism faces a dual threat in Ethiopia: state use of “anti-terrorism and cybercrime laws" and social media, where truth is “shot in the heart” through disinformation.
Still, Guyo emphasizes that journalism “matters—not because it is safe, but because without it, power goes unchecked, injustice goes unrecorded, and history remains unwritten.”
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56813
❤1
News: Following defense, #Ethiopia, #Azerbaijan deepen trade ties
Ethiopia and Azerbaijan have held high-level bilateral talks aimed at strengthening trade and investment cooperation, as the two countries also move toward formalizing defense ties through a proposed military cooperation agreement.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56833
Ethiopia and Azerbaijan have held high-level bilateral talks aimed at strengthening trade and investment cooperation, as the two countries also move toward formalizing defense ties through a proposed military cooperation agreement.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56833
👍1
#Ethiopia: Senior #fuel sector officials among 13 charged in alleged multi-million-birr fuel diversion, #corruption scheme
Initial police investigations presented before the court described what authorities called a sophisticated corruption network that extended beyond fuel diversion to the deliberate undermining of Ethiopia’s digital financial and regulatory safeguards, including mandatory electronic payment systems.
Speaking before lawmakers in early April, Kassahun Gofe, Minister of Trade and Regional Integration, acknowledged that structural problems in the sector predated the current crisis.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56839
Initial police investigations presented before the court described what authorities called a sophisticated corruption network that extended beyond fuel diversion to the deliberate undermining of Ethiopia’s digital financial and regulatory safeguards, including mandatory electronic payment systems.
Speaking before lawmakers in early April, Kassahun Gofe, Minister of Trade and Regional Integration, acknowledged that structural problems in the sector predated the current crisis.
https://addisstandard.com/?p=56839
❤1
#UN,#UK condemn drone strikes on #Khartoum airport as flights remain suspended
The United Nations warned that air operations at Khartoum International Airport remain suspended following drone strikes on the facility and other parts of the capital, dealing a significant blow to humanitarian logistics.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, told reporters in New York that the airport is “vital to humanitarian access,” especially for the movement of personnel following the recent resettlement of the UN team in Khartoum.
The British Embassy in Sudan also expressed grave concern over the situation, stating on the X platform that attacks on civilian infrastructure and vital aid routes must stop.
“Every strike endangers innocent lives,” the Embassy said, calling on the warring parties to agree to a humanitarian truce and commit to a civilian-led future for the country.
https://sudantribune.com/article/313614
The United Nations warned that air operations at Khartoum International Airport remain suspended following drone strikes on the facility and other parts of the capital, dealing a significant blow to humanitarian logistics.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, told reporters in New York that the airport is “vital to humanitarian access,” especially for the movement of personnel following the recent resettlement of the UN team in Khartoum.
The British Embassy in Sudan also expressed grave concern over the situation, stating on the X platform that attacks on civilian infrastructure and vital aid routes must stop.
“Every strike endangers innocent lives,” the Embassy said, calling on the warring parties to agree to a humanitarian truce and commit to a civilian-led future for the country.
https://sudantribune.com/article/313614
❤2
News: #US predicts “swift end” to #Iran war as #Tehran reviews U.S. peace proposal
U.S. President Donald Trump said he sees a “swift end” to the war with Iran as Tehran reviews a new U.S.-backed peace proposal aimed at formally ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of #Hormuz, according to Reuters.
The proposed framework, reportedly mediated through #Pakistan, would unfold in three phases: formally ending the war, resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, and launching broader negotiations over sanctions relief and Iran’s nuclear program. However, several major sticking points remain unresolved, including Iran’s missile program, its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and regional proxy groups allied with Tehran.
Despite diplomatic momentum, tensions escalated again on Thursday after U.S. and #Iranian forces exchanged fire around the Strait of Hormuz.
https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1XMwk6MBXo/
U.S. President Donald Trump said he sees a “swift end” to the war with Iran as Tehran reviews a new U.S.-backed peace proposal aimed at formally ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of #Hormuz, according to Reuters.
The proposed framework, reportedly mediated through #Pakistan, would unfold in three phases: formally ending the war, resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, and launching broader negotiations over sanctions relief and Iran’s nuclear program. However, several major sticking points remain unresolved, including Iran’s missile program, its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and regional proxy groups allied with Tehran.
Despite diplomatic momentum, tensions escalated again on Thursday after U.S. and #Iranian forces exchanged fire around the Strait of Hormuz.
https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1XMwk6MBXo/
❤3