Edmonton: Eritrea’s role in chairing this year’s Social Forum of the United Nations Human Rights Council has drawn criticism amid concerns over the country’s human rights record. Habtom Zerai, chargé d’affaires at Eritrea’s permanent mission, has been appointed chair-rapporteur of the 2026 Social Forum, scheduled for Oct. 29 and 30. Eritrea’s selection has prompted criticism over its authoritarian government and alleged human rights violations in the country. Critics have raised concerns about the absence of elections, rape and torture, forced labor, slavery, and the imprisonment of criti...
Addis Ababa: The 12th edition of the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa, one of the continent’s pioneering high-level platforms on peace and security, started Friday in Bahir Dar, the capital of Ethiopia’s Amhara region. This year’s forum, held under the theme “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation,” runs from Oct. 23 to 25, 2026. Ahead of the official opening, several side meetings and a special envoy dialogue were held in Bahir Dar. Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, along with former African heads of state, ambass...
Addis Ababa: Russia has expressed interest in helping restore relations between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announcing Moscow’s willingness to support efforts to ease tensions between the two countries. The Russian government has previously called on the two countries to take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions and restore relations. On Oct. 27, during the third Russia-Africa Summit, Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s interest in promoting peace between the two countries. Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov said Moscow wa...
Addis Ababa: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone conversation on Wednesday, Oct. 14, amid rising tensions between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea. The U.S. Department of State said the call focused on ways to de-escalate tensions between the two countries and reaffirmed Washington’s support for the process. Rubio also stressed that countries in the Horn of Africa should respect their neighbors’ territorial integrity and sovereignty. Diplomatic tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea have worsened, with both countries closing their respec...
September 30, 2026
September 28, 2026
By Kirubel Tesfaye The wars in Sudan and Ethiopia are increasingly connected by allegations of cross-border military involvement and competing political narratives circulating on social media, which risk deepening mistrust and heightening tensions in the region. Posts, videos and images have been used to allege that Ethiopia is supporting Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), while other claims accuse Sudanese actors of backing Tigrayan fighters. Some of these posts present images of military camps, armed personnel and aircraft as evidence of foreign involvement. But how much do these clai...
September 27, 2026
Edmonton: Eritrea’s role in chairing this year’s Social Forum of the United Nations Human Rights Council has drawn criticism amid concerns over the country’s human rights record. Habtom Zerai, chargé d’affaires at Eritrea’s permanent mission, has been appointed chair-rapporteur of the 2026 Social Forum, scheduled for Oct. 29 and 30. Eritrea’s selection has prompted criticism over its authoritarian government and alleged human rights violations in the country. Critics have raised concerns about the absence of elections, rape and torture, forced labor, slavery, and the imprisonment of criti...
Addis Ababa: Russia has expressed interest in helping restore relations between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announcing Moscow’s willingness to support efforts to ease tensions between the two countries. The Russian government has previously called on the two countries to take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions and restore relations. On Oct. 27, during the third Russia-Africa Summit, Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s interest in promoting peace between the two countries. Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov said Moscow wa...
Addis Ababa: The 12th edition of the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa, one of the continent’s pioneering high-level platforms on peace and security, started Friday in Bahir Dar, the capital of Ethiopia’s Amhara region. This year’s forum, held under the theme “Pathways to Peace in Africa: Economic Sovereignty and Geopolitical Transformation,” runs from Oct. 23 to 25, 2026. Ahead of the official opening, several side meetings and a special envoy dialogue were held in Bahir Dar. Former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, along with former African heads of state, ambass...
Addis Ababa: Severe funding and resource shortages are forcing mobile health and nutrition teams to shut down services in Ethiopia’s conflict-affected Amhara region, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. OCHA reported that the number of operational teams has fallen from 57 to 16, with 10 of the remaining 16 teams set to shut down by the end of October. Humanitarian access remains severely limited in the region as the conflict intensifies and spreads to additional areas. According to OCHA, humanitarian partner organizations are preparing to ass...
Addis Ababa: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone conversation on Wednesday, Oct. 14, amid rising tensions between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea. The U.S. Department of State said the call focused on ways to de-escalate tensions between the two countries and reaffirmed Washington’s support for the process. Rubio also stressed that countries in the Horn of Africa should respect their neighbors’ territorial integrity and sovereignty. Diplomatic tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea have worsened, with both countries closing their respec...
By Kirubel Tesfaye The wars in Sudan and Ethiopia are increasingly connected by allegations of cross-border military involvement and competing political narratives circulating on social media, which risk deepening mistrust and heightening tensions in the region. Posts, videos and images have been used to allege that Ethiopia is supporting Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), while other claims accuse Sudanese actors of backing Tigrayan fighters. Some of these posts present images of military camps, armed personnel and aircraft as evidence of foreign involvement. But how much do these clai...