News: #Ethiopia, #Malawi sign pact to disrupt human trafficking networks along southern migration route

Ethiopia and Malawi have signed a bilateral agreement on migration governance and combating human trafficking that will establish stronger criminal accountability mechanisms along the southern #migration route, according to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Justice.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed at the Ministry of Justice, provides a framework for joint action to prevent human trafficking, migrant smuggling and other cross-border crimes, while strengthening the protection of migrants’ rights and facilitating safe and dignified returns.

The agreement was signed by Women and Social Affairs Minister Ergoge Tesfaye and Malawi’s Internal Security Minister Peter Mukhito. It was negotiated under the National Coalition framework, with the Ministry of Justice facilitating the process.....

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Coalition says #Abeshige extrajudicial killings ‘comparable to the #Red_Terror’, demands independent investigation

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#Trump says he will declare Strait of Hormuz #US territory

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Violence erupts in western #Kenya ahead of opposition rally

Violence erupted in #western_Kenya early Sunday, with two AFP journalists attacked ahead of an opposition rally whose leaders had warned that crowds could be targeted by armed thugs.

The country is due to hold national polls in just under a year, with President #William_Ruto seeking a second term. Opposition politicians have warned of an increasingly hostile environment, and observers have voiced concerns about the use of armed thugs -- known in Kenya as goons -- to disrupt political gatherings.

The opposition #Linda_Mwananchi movement, a group seeking to galvanise dissatisfaction over Ruto's tenure, plans to hold a rally with potential presidential hopeful #Edwin_Sifuna on Sunday in #Homa_Bay.

There were chaotic scenes early Sunday morning in the centre of town, an AFP journalist said, with goons attacking passersby and snatching valuables.

AFP video-journalist Fred Ooko and.......

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#African_Union rejects foreign interference, parallel governments in #Sudan

The African Union Peace and Security Council on Sunday rejected foreign interference in Sudan's internal affairs and attempts to establish parallel entities or governments that could undermine the country's unity and sovereignty.

The position was conveyed during a meeting between Sudan's Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah #al_Burhan and an African Union Peace and Security Council delegation led by Algerian diplomat Mohamed Khaled at the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum, according to a statement from the Transitional Sovereignty Council.

Khaled, the council's rotating chair, described the meeting as "fruitful," saying it addressed several issues related to peace, security and stability in Sudan. He reiterated the council's condemnation of any foreign interference in Sudan's internal affairs.....

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News: #Zambia Airways appoints #Ethiopian aviation executive Aman Wole as CEO

Zambia Airways has appointed Ethiopian aviation executive Aman Wole Gurmu as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 1 August 2026, the Zambian national carrier announced.

Aman joins Zambia Airways from Ethiopian Airlines Group, where he spent more than 19 years in the aviation industry, holding leadership positions in airline management, commercial strategy, sales, market development and strategic partnerships.

According to Zambia Airways, his previous positions include Regional Director for Mainland #China and #Mongolia, Regional Director for #France and the Maghreb, Area Manager for Zambia and Director of Sales in Addis Ababa. His career has included assignments across Africa, Europe and Asia.

Zambia Airways Board Chairperson Jomo Matululu said Gurmu’s international experience and strategic........

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#Somalia announces grade 12 exam results, with 93% of students passing

Somali Ministry of Education on Saturday announced the results of the 2025-2026 national Grade 12 examination, with 40,037 of the 42,916 students who sat for the exam passing, a 93% pass rate.

The ministry said 2,809 students failed the examination. Education Minister Farah Sheikh Abdulqadir said students who missed the exam for documented reasons will be given an opportunity to take it at a later date.

The minister also praised students, parents, teachers and the wider public for supporting the national examination process and reventing the leakage of exam papers.

“The exam papers, which consisted of several million, were not stolen and spread on social media, and this was due to the efforts ade,” Farah said.

He said the government spent $1,268,619 to administer the examination, describing the expenditure as....

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#Commentary: Beyond National Dialogue: Political architecture for democratic transition in #Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s #National_Dialogue Conference has reignited debate over the country’s constitutional future, writes Dereje Jada Hawaz. He argues that successful democratic transitions in multinational states depend not only on institutional frameworks but also on the sequence through which political legitimacy is established.

The author emphasises that "political legitimacy cannot be manufactured by institutions that themselves lack broadly accepted legitimacy.”

Dereje further cautions that Ethiopia’s previous transitions have repeatedly failed by prioritising the consolidation of state power before achieving political consensus. He underscores that “Shortcuts rarely make the journey shorter.”

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News: Fighting erupts in #Somalia’s #Baidoa between federal forces, former #Southwest president loyalists
 
Heavy fighting erupted in central Baidoa on Monday between Somali federal forces and armed groups loyal to former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, marking a renewed escalation in the political and security crisis that has gripped the regional capital since March
 
The latest fighting follows months of political confrontation between Mogadishu and Laftagareen, which intensified in March when federal forces moved to assert control over Baidoa.
 
Despite the March takeover, the political dispute was not resolved. On June 10, Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur “Madobe” was elected president of South West State in a parliamentary vote, replacing the administration led by Laftagareen. Madobe subsequently met Ethiopian Sector 3 forces stationed at Baidoa airport and pledged deeper security cooperation.
 
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News: Drought Threatens Livelihoods of #Irob Minority Community in Eastern #Tigray

A worsening shortage of rainfall is putting the livelihoods of the Irob community in #eastern_Tigray at growing risk, with local authorities warning that prolonged dry conditions could lead to livestock deaths, disease and starvation.

According to a report by #Tigrai_Television, a delegation led by the Tigray Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources visited Irob District to assess the impact of the drought, which officials have linked to the effects of #El_Niño.

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News: #Ethiopia’s growing malaria drug resistance posing threat to frontline treatment, new study reveals 

A nationwide genomic surveillance study has identified widespread antimalarial drug-resistance markers in Ethiopia, including mutations associated with partial artemisinin resistance, raising concerns over the continued effectiveness of artemether–lumefantrine, the country’s first-line treatment for #Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Although #malaria outbreaks have risen sharply in many parts across Ethiopia since late 2022 and throughout 2023, the country experienced a further surge in cases from the beginning of 2024. Between January and August, more than 4.7 million new cases were reported, resulting in 918 deaths.

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News: 50,600 #Ethiopians left country in first quarter of 2026 amid economic hardship, migrant exploitation 

An estimated 50,600 people left Ethiopia through the Eastern Route during the first quarter of 2026, as #migrants increasingly used alternative routes and faced exploitation by smugglers, according to a new report by the International Organization for Migration (#IOM).

The data was published against the backdrop of a string of similar reports tracking migration trends among Ethiopians in recent months.

This week, the IOM said Ethiopian nationals accounted for 91% of the 13,687 migrants who arrived in #Yemen in July 2026, making them by far the largest group recorded entering the conflict-affected country during the month.

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#Sudan, #Saudi_Arabia to sign ‘strategic cooperation’ agreement in #Riyadh
 
Sudan and Saudi Arabia are set to sign a “Strategic Coordination and Cooperation Council” agreement on Monday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as the two countries seek to deepen political and economic ties.
 
The agreement is expected to be signed by the foreign ministers of Sudan and Saudi Arabia, according to a diplomatic source cited by Sudanese independent outlet Al-Mohagig.
 
The source said the agreement reflects the two countries’ “commitment to strengthening bilateral political and economic relations and establishing mechanisms for closer cooperation and coordination.”
 
It is also expected to support expanded economic, trade and investment partnerships between the two countries, while advancing their shared interests.
 
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News: #South_African fintech Sybrin steps up #Ethiopia expansion to support digital payments

South African financial technology company Sybrin has announced plans to strengthen its presence in Ethiopia, seeking to support the country’s efforts to modernise its digital payments ecosystem and expand financial inclusion.

The initiative follows market research and engagement by Sybrin’s payments team, which identified Ethiopia as a significant opportunity for payments modernisation, driven by regulatory reforms, growing digital adoption and the government’s push to expand access to financial services, according to a report by South African technology publication ITWeb.

Sybrin said Ethiopia has made progress in developing foundational payment infrastructure, with the next phase expected to focus on improving operational efficiency, automating workflows, strengthening...........

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Trump says he is not seeking extension of framework agreement with #Iran

President #Donald_Trump said Monday that he is not seeking an extension of June’s framework agreement with Iran towards ending the war, while claiming the #US has established “total control” over the Strait of #Hormuz.

"No," Trump replied when asked by reporters whether he was seeking an extension of the deal with Iran, reached in June with #Pakistani mediation.

His remarks came as a 60-day negotiating period neared its end without a comprehensive agreement, which the framework deal was meant to facilitate. The deadline stems from how the June deal established a window for negotiations toward a broader settlement.

Asked whether the two sides are closer to reaching a final agreement under the framework deal, Trump said Iran is willing to negotiate but is not prepared to accept the terms he believes are required.....

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#Somali troops push militiamen out of #Baidoa after fierce fighting

Somali federal troops drove opposition forces out of ‌one of the country's biggest cities, Baidoa, on Monday, following heavy clashes that left many people dead, residents told Reuters.

Baidoa, which is home to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict and hunger ​in other areas, was shaken by hours of fighting between the federal soldiers ​and opposition forces loyal to the former president of #South_West state, ⁠Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen.

Residents said the clashes in the city centre on Monday were the ​fiercest since March, when federal forces seized control of Baidoa after Laftagareen's administration said it was ​severing ties with the federal government. Laftagareen then resigned from office.

Already struggling to contain a two-decade-old insurgency by the al Shabaab militant group and......

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News: #Ethiopia warns of potential El Nino impact on hydropower supply

The Ethiopian government has warned of the potential impact of the anticipated #El_Nino phenomenon on the country's hydropower-reliant energy supply, calling for proactive measures.

Noting that more than 90 percent of the country's electricity is generated from hydroelectric dams, the Ethiopian Electric Power (#EEP) said that in addition to causing extreme weather conditions and agricultural disruptions, El Nino events threaten the stability and security of the national electric grid.

The EEP stressed that El Nino-induced temperature increases often distort global wind and rainfall distribution patterns, causing severe droughts and water shortages. It warned that such events frequently impair energy supplies by reducing water levels in hydropower reservoirs.

Highlighting that reduced rainfall significantly........

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#Sudan, #Saudi_Arabia formally establish ‘Strategic Cooperation Council’

Sudan and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement in Riyadh on 17 August establishing a “High Council for Strategic Cooperation and Coordination” between the two countries, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem signed the agreement at the Saudi Foreign Ministry, formally creating a new institutional framework to oversee and advance bilateral relations.

According to Sudanese MoFA, the council will cover 10 main areas, including political, economic, investment and trade relations, as well as “other fields of mutual interest”. It is intended to coordinate joint initiatives, projects and programmes and provide a more structured mechanism for bilateral cooperation.

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News: 50,600 #Ethiopians left country in first quarter of 2026 amid economic hardship, migrant exploitation

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