By Eskinder Firew An Ethiopian humanitarian worker who was abducted has been killed in the volatile Amhara region, aid groups said. In a statement, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, in Ethiopia reported that Yared Melese was kidnapped for ransom and later killed by an unidentified criminal group operating in Dawunt Woreda of the North Wello...
May 4, 2025
Homes and jobs lift poor Hargeisa families relocated from swampy dam area
Abdiaziz Omar Osman, 24, is running a successful water trucking service with the three-wheeler tanker vehicle he was given by Hargeisa authorities, delivering water to restaurants and households in the city. Since starting his venture on 25 June has been earning $18 a day. It’s enough to support his wife and three children, as well as his parents and three...
Puntland, Barrier and Blockage by President Hassan: A Critical Analysis of the case of Puntland State of Somalia
By Mohamed Ali (Geelmaal) The development landscape in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia, has been significantly hampered by what many observers describe as deliberate barriers and blockages orchestrated by the federal government under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. This approach, coupled with an indifferent attitude from international donors despite widespread corruption and the politicization of aid, has led to a...
US Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive ‘Squad,’ wins Democratic primary in Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of the progressive House members known as the “Squad” and a sharp critic of how Israel has conducted the war in Gaza, has won her primary race in Minnesota. Omar successfully defended her Minneapolis-area 5th District seat against a repeat challenge from former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, a more centrist...
Why Ethiopia Ended Half a Century of Currency Control
(Bloomberg) — For the past half-century, Ethiopia tightly controlled the official value of its currency, the birr. That changed in July, when unmanageable debts and dwindling foreign reserves forced the government in Addis Ababa to liberalize the exchange rate regime. The decision, which followed similar moves by Egypt and Nigeria, allowed the Horn of Africa nation to clinch $3.4 billion...
Press Statement: Somalia expects a definitive resolution that reinforces Somalia’s unity and sovereignty
Press Release: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation The Federal Republic of Somalia extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of the sisterly Republic of Türkiye for its invitation to the talks in Ankara, where the Somali delegation, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E. Amb. Ahmed Moallim Fiqi Ahmed, participated with a genuine spirit,...
Sierra Leone’s president uses UN Security Council presidency to urge more seats for Africa
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — After decades of seeking a bigger voice in the United Nations ‘ most powerful body, Africa “cannot wait any longer,” Sierra Leone’s president told the Security Council on Monday. Chairing a meeting that his country convened, President Julius Maada Bio pressed a longstanding bid for African countries to get more council seats, including two permanent and potentially veto-wielding spots....
Turkish FM hosts counterparts as Somalia, Ethiopia renew talks
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday separately met his Ethiopian and Somali counterparts as two African countries seek to iron out their differences in Ankara-mediated talks. Fidan first met Ethiopia’s Taye Atske Selassie before a meeting with Somalia’s Moallim Fiqi. No further details were provided by the officials regarding the meetings. Ties between Ethiopia and Somalia have worsened since Ethiopia...
Price instability rocks Ethiopia as it reels from foreign exchange rate reforms
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — The prices on the menu have been erased at a small hotel in a suburb of Ethiopia’s capital. That was no mistake, the waiters said, as businesses in Addis Ababa struggle to keep up with spiraling inflation since the government implemented a flexible exchange rate policy late last month. Since then, the Ethiopian birr has lost 60%...
Al-Shabaab vs. Boko Haram: A Comparative Analysis of Origins, Ideologies, Tactics, and Impact
By Abdullahi Ahmed Nor Introduction Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram are two of the most notorious terrorist organizations operating in Africa, with one based in one of the continent’s strongest military power and prosperous nation in Africa, Nigeria, and the other is based in one of the unstable and poorest country in Africa, Somalia. Both countries have called for international military assistance...