NEWS IN A Week in the Horn 20.06.2025
Ethiopia
President Taye Atske-Selassie inaugurated 22 new projects at the University of Gondar on Sunday (June 15) as part of the university’s 70th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of its teaching hospital. The event, held in Gondar, was attended by Speaker of the House of Federation Agegnehu Teshager, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, and other senior officials.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received General Michael Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), on Friday (June 20) for discussions on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.
Prime Minister Abiy officially inaugurated the Permanent Exhibition Section at the Ethiopia Museum of Art and Science, marking the completion of establishing a fully interactive, permanent science venue in Addis Ababa. The event also featured the unveiling of Ethiopia’s first-ever Planetarium Dome expanding the country’s scientific and educational landscape. (See article)
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed shared on Monday (June 16) that Ethiopia will host the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) from September 8-10, 2025, in partnership with the African Union. The summit, themed “Green Talks and Green Actions,” will promote Nature-Based Solutions as key to Africa’s climate strategy, focusing on re-greening the continent and fostering African solidarity.
Prime Minister Abiy held a series of stakeholder consultations this week, meeting political party leaders on Tuesday (June 18) to address constituency concerns and reaffirm commitment to peaceful political competition. On Saturday (June 15), he also met with representatives of Ethiopia’s arts community to discuss sector challenges and encourage greater artistic engagement in national development.
Minister of Defense Aisha Mohammed held a three-day working visit to Morocco on Tuesday (June 17). During the visit, she met with Morocco’s Minister of National Defense, Abdellatif Loudiyi, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation in military training, cybersecurity, and other defense and security areas.
The Fourth Annual Forum for Regional Integration and Reasonable Utilization of the Nile (AFRIRUN IV) was held at the Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (June 17) under the theme “Regional Power Connectivity for Inclusive and Sustainable Development.” The annual gathering, organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs in partnership with the Ethiopian Electric Power and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, brought together government officials, policy experts, think tanks, academics, and representatives from the private sector from Ethiopia and around the world. (See article)
The African Evaluation Association (AfrEA) celebrated its 25th anniversary on Monday (June 16) in Addis Ababa. Planning and Development Minister Fitsum Assefa opened the event, reaffirming Ethiopia’s commitment to strengthening national evaluation frameworks to improve development outcomes.
The inaugural Ethiopia-Armenia Political Consultation was held on Monday (June 9) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. The meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador Hadera Aberra, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, and Vahan Kostanyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. (See article)
A photography exhibition titled “Ethiopia Through the Eyes of Diplomats” was officially inaugurated on Wednesday (June 12) at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Addis Ababa. Co-organized by the diplomatic corps, the Culture Club, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, the exhibition showcases the country’s vibrant cultural heritage, breathtaking variety of landscapes, and the strong sense of unity that characterizes its people. (See article)
State Ministers for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Hadera Abera and Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye held a meeting on Tuesday (June 17) with Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Chen Hai, to discuss the implementation of outcomes from the FOCAC Beijing Summit and address shared priorities. The meeting reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to strengthening its longstanding partnership with China and advancing mutual growth and cooperation.
Ambassador Hadera met with Michael Upton, Ambassador of New Zealand to Ethiopia, on Thursday (June 19) to discuss strengthening bilateral relations, with a focus on trade and investment. The discussions highlighted opportunities for collaboration in Ethiopia’s livestock sector, and Ambassador Hadera encouraged New Zealand businesses to explore investment prospects in Ethiopia.
On the same day, Ambassador Hadera also met with Evgeny Terkhn, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Ethiopia to reaffirm the longstanding partnership between the two countries. Ambassador Hadera called on Russian companies to invest in Ethiopia’s agro-industry, agriculture, manufacturing, and steel sectors.
Ambassador Hadera received Jeanne Crauser, Luxembourg’s non-resident Ambassador to Ethiopia, at his office on Wednesday (June 18). They agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, financial sector capacity building, and capital market development.
Ambassador Hadera met with Irish Ambassador Olivia Leslie on Tuesday (June 17) in Addis Ababa. The two sides discussed strengthening bilateral relations through regular political consultations and expanding economic cooperation. They also exchanged views on regional peace and security, expressing mutual interest in enhancing collaboration within regional and multilateral platforms.
Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye held a discussion on Thursday (June 19) with Stefano Gatti, Director General of the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation at Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Ethiopia finalizes preparations to host the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa in July 2025.
On Tuesday (June 17), Ambassador Berhanu held a meeting with Antonio Pedro, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), to further enhance cooperation.
Ethiopia participated in the 15th BRICS Health Ministers’ Meeting held in Brasília, Brazil, on Tuesday (June 17). Ambassador Leul Tadesse, Ethiopian Ambassador to Brazil, emphasized the importance of building resilient global health systems to address pandemics and emerging diseases.
Somalia
The National Dialogue, called by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, officially commenced on Monday (June 16) in Mogadishu. The dialogue aims to address key national issues, including governance and security.
Sudan
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Hadera Abera met with Sudanese Ambassador to Ethiopia Elzein Ibrahim Hussein on Tuesday (June 17) at his office. The two sides discussed the longstanding and deeply rooted ties between Ethiopia and Sudan. Ambassador Hadera reaffirmed Ethiopia’s unwavering support for a Sudanese-owned peace process and expressed strong solidarity with the Sudanese people.
Africa and the African Union
The Africa Conference on Childcare opened in Addis Ababa on Wednesday (June 18), emphasizing the urgent need to invest in children for Africa’s future. UNICEF Representative Laila Gad highlighted the challenges faced by over 400 million children in Africa, including poverty, malnutrition, and lack of access to quality education and healthcare.
The African Union marked the Day of the African Child 2025 on Monday (June 16), emphasizing the theme “Planning and Budgeting for Children’s Rights: Progress Since 2010.” The AU called on Member States to mainstream children’s issues into national budgets to uphold their rights, stressing that today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) also commemorated the Day of the African Child 2025, highlighting the importance of integrating children’s rights into national budgets to ensure their protection and development.
Note: For detailed reports, please check out the rest of this week’s news published in separate posts