#Op_ed: Delayed Rains, Broken Promises: Why political choices could turn #Tigray’s drought into famine yet again

Tigray’s worsening drought threatens an already fragile population whose economic and humanitarian safeguards were severely eroded by war, writes Emnet Negash. He explains that while farmers continued planting despite soaring input costs and scarce cash, delayed rains have already shortened the growing season.
The author emphasises that with hundreds of thousands of people remaining displaced, military escalation renewing, and a massive humanitarian funding gap, the region risks severe catastrophe.

According to Negash, preventative action—such as restoring basic services, opening trade corridors, and ending forced recruitment—is urgently needed before the drought triggers mass starvation, because "the rain cannot be negotiated, but nearly everything that determines whether drought becomes famine is political."

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News: #Ethiopia to regulate dam water use as rain deficit raises power-generation concerns

Ethiopia will implement strictly regulated water usage and integrated dam water management to compensate for the rain deficit recorded during the summer season, the Ethiopian Electric Power (#EEP) said.

The measures will be implemented during the 2019 Ethiopian fiscal year as the state power utility targets the generation of 32,134 gigawatt-hours of electricity, according to Engineer Eyayehu Hundessa, Executive Director of Power Plants Operation at EEP.

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#South_Sudan vice president challenges #Kenya’s claim over Ilemi Triangle

South Sudan Vice President Taban Deng Gai has renewed tensions over the disputed #Ilemi_Triangle 14,000 square kilometre territory, warning Kenya over its possession.

While speaking during a Cabinet meeting  in #Juba on August 29, he could not hide his dissatisfaction with Kenya, stating that he was not happy with the map, openly rejecting the version of #East_Africa's boundaries that was presented before him, insisting it wrongly excluded key South Sudanese territory.

According to him, the map failed to show important areas, including what he described as the ‘two horns of the bull’, referring to specific northern regions.

“That section, it is the land of South Sudan. Now the Kenyans are almost agreeing on taking Ilemi,” VP Taban stated.

He also pointed out that other locations, which he identified as Kafia....

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News: #Ethiopia's Abiy could consolidate power as 'executive president'

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister #Abiy_Ahmed could consolidate power under a proposed new presidential system that would merge the offices of prime minister and the largely ceremonial presidency into an “executive presidency,” AFP reported.

The proposal emerged from a weeks-long national dialogue that concluded on 22 August, with around 4,000 delegates overwhelmingly backing constitutional changes. The recommendations could be presented to parliament when it reconvenes in October.

Abiy, who has governed Ethiopia since 2018, was absent from the dialogue. However, critics and analysts cited by AFP said he would be the likely beneficiary of the proposed system, given that the president would be selected by a parliament dominated by his #Prosperity_Party following its landslide victory in June elections..........

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#Ethiopia to regulate dam water use as rain deficit raises power-generation concerns

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News: #MIDROC_Gold strikes deal for machinery to build 1.25-million-ton annual processing plant in #Metekel

MIDROC’s planned processing plant in Metekel follows more than a decade of exploration in the area. In August 2013, the company announced the discovery of a gold deposit in #Jilaye, #Metekel_Zone, estimated at approximately 33,000 kilograms.

The planned expansion also comes against the backdrop of longstanding environmental, health and regulatory controversies surrounding MIDROC’s previous operations, particularly the Lega Dembi gold mine near Shakiso in Guji Zone, #Oromia.

More recently, in August 2025, MIDROC’s mining licenses featured in a broader regulatory review by the Oromia Mineral Development Authority examining licensing and compliance issues involving dozens of mining companies in the region.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=59149

#Kenya airport staff strike delays thousands of passengers

Flight delays at Kenya's main international airport on Monday affected thousands of travellers as airport workers' go-slow strike action continued into its second day, with ​the main union saying negotiations were ongoing.

The Kenya Aviation Workers' Union (#KAWU) said ‌the strike at the #Jomo_Kenyatta International Airport was due to a range of grievances, including the inability to conclude a collective bargaining agreement with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and lack of ​cooperation from the Kenya Airports Authority (#KAA) and #Kenya_Airways (KQNA.NR), opens new tab subsidiary Jambojet.

KAA on ​Sunday said some flights were experiencing delays without disclosing reasons for the ⁠delays. It did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. The ​Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and Jambojet did not respond to requests for comment.

Rwanda's national carrier ​RwandAir said in an......

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#In_Memoriam: Liben Jaldesa, the 69th Abbaa Gadaa of the Borana Oromo

The passing of #Liben_Jaldesa, the 69th #Abbaa_Gadaa of the #Borana_Oromo, marks the end of an era for an ancient, egalitarian democratic system rooted in community trust rather than hereditary rule, writes Guyo Wariyo.

Remembered as a courageous leader who "did not bend easily" and stood firm against political pressure, Liben fiercely defended his people's customary rights. His life embodied the principle that "an Abbaa Gadaa does not merely occupy an office like politicians; he inherits a trust." 

Though Liben is gone, the living #Gadaa tradition he protected endures across generations, proving that "the institution must survive the individual."

https://addisstandard.com/?p=59153

#AU backs #Sudan-based dialogue initiative, drawing fire from civilian opponents

The African Union on Monday endorsed a new Sudanese dialogue initiative aimed at ending the country’s civil war, drawing swift condemnation from civilian and political groups who dismissed the effort as a military-backed attempt to legitimise the conflict.

A #Khartoum-based preparatory committee of public figures launched consultations on Sunday to coordinate talks with political and civil society actors, with security guarantees from the army-led government.

The African Union Commission said it welcomed the dialogue led by an “independent committee of Sudanese elders”, adding that the move complements international mediation tracks under the AU-led Quintet Mechanism, which includes the U.N., the #EU, #IGAD, and the #Arab_League.

The AU reiterated that any political process must remain fully inclusive.....

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News: #Indian National Defence College delegation visits #Ethiopia to deepen strategic ties

A multinational delegation from India’s National Defence College has arrived in Ethiopia for a study visit aimed at strengthening military and strategic ties between the two countries, according to the Ethiopian National Defence Force (#ENDF) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (#MFA).

The delegation, led by Major General Pawanpal Singh, Senior Directing Staff at India’s National Defence College, was received by State Minister for Defence Finance #Martha Luigi at the Ministry of Defence, the ENDF said in a statement issued on 31 August.

Martha welcomed the delegation, saying the visit demonstrated India’s commitment to strengthening military relations with Ethiopia through professional exchanges, sharing of experience and enhanced mutual understanding.

https://addisstandard.com/?p=59160

#Op_ed: #Türkiye’s #Somalia Gamble: How #Ankara’s strategic bet on #Mogadishu could deepen crisis

Türkiye’s expanding role in Somalia has evolved beyond security cooperation into a broader strategic partnership encompassing defence, maritime resources, and hydrocarbons, argues Adam Daud Ahmed.

While acknowledging Ankara’s contribution to strengthening Somali institutions, he contends that its close relationship with Mogadishu has raised concerns among some Federal Member States that Turkish-backed security and economic initiatives could further deepen existing political divisions.

The author notes, “The question is whether Ankara is strengthening Somalia as a federal state or strengthening the federal executive at the expense of the political balance that keeps the federation together.”

https://addisstandard.com/?p=59156

News: #Saudi_Star’s multi-billion-dollar #Ethiopia farm project leaves vast tracts of land idle: Report
 
A new investigative report has raised fresh questions about the performance and human costs of Saudi Star Agricultural Development Plc’s large-scale rice investment in Ethiopia, finding that much of the company’s 14,020-hectare land portfolio in #Gambella remains idle more than 15 years after the project was launched.
 
From the outset, the project has been dogged by allegations of land grab and displacement among indigenous communities in the Gambella region.
 
A community representative from Abobo Wereda told Premium Times that residents had lost access to ancestral lands and natural resources following the establishment of the agricultural concession.
 
“Fifteen years later, we are locked out of our own lands by fences,” the elder was quoted as saying, adding that communities had received no fair compensation while large areas of the concession remained unused.
 
https://addisstandard.com/?p=59164

#Saudi_Arabia, #Türkiye and #Pakistan move to institutionalize trilateral defence pact

Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have agreed to deepen and institutionalize their military and security cooperation following the first meeting of a strategic committee established under a new joint defence agreement, according to the Saudi government.

Foreign ministers, defence ministers, commanders of defence forces and chiefs of general staff from the three countries met in Istanbul on 31 August 2026 for the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the three governments reaffirmed their commitment to using the agreement to promote lasting peace and stability in the region. They pledged to support de-escalation, restraint and the peaceful resolution of regional crises.

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