April 04, 2025
NEWS IN BRIEF
Ethiopia
President Taye Atske Selassie, together with officials from the African Union Commission, officially opened the annual Pan African Youth Leadership Summit (PAYLS) on Thursday (03 April). The three-day youth gathering was held from 03 to 05 April this week under the theme “Unlocking the Power of Youth for a Prosperous Africa” and aims at empowering the youth of the continent to actively participate in the economic and political affairs of Africa in the collective efforts to forge the Africa We Want as per Agenda 2063.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Gedion Timothewos on Wednesday (02 April) met with incoming Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti Abdoulkader Houssein Omar and expressed Ethiopia’s readiness to work in close coordination with Djibouti to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. He also extended heartfelt congratulations to the latter, on his appointment.
On Tuesday (01 April), Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos received United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Singh Gill and affirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to actively engaging as a key member of the newly launched initiative.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Gedion Timothewos met officials of Amhara National Regional State on Thursday (03 April) and discussed preparations to host the 11th Edition of Tana High-Level Forum in Africa, which will be held later in 2025.
The Government of Ethiopia and the European Union (EU) announced the signing of the Annual Action Programme (AAP) 2024 on Thursday (03 April) providing further impetus to ensuring sustainable development, peace, and prosperity in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia signed a financing agreement amounting to USD 50 million in the form of a loan from International Development Association Country Performance Allocations and a grant agreement of USD 46.367 million from the Global Partnership for Education Fund; in total, USD 96.367 million (approximately ETB 12.5 billion) with the World Bank (also acting as grant agent for the Global Partnership for Education Fund) to support the government in increasing equitable access and improving learning outcomes in pre-primary and primary education on Monday (31 March). Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide and World Bank Country Director for Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan Maryam Salim signed the agreements on behalf of the Ethiopian Government and the World Bank, respectively.
Deputy Chairperson of Foreign Relations and Peace Affairs Standing Committee at the House of Peoples’ Representatives, Fethi Mahdi, during an interview with Ethiopian News Agency on Tuesday (01 April), said that Ethiopia has implemented a series of diplomatic reforms in recent years that prioritize national interests and benefit its citizens.
A delegation led by the Director General of the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority, Lelise Neme, took part in the 11th BRICS Environmental High-Level Senior Officials Meeting in Brasilia, Brazil.
Ethiopia on Friday (28 March) participated in the BRICS meeting of deputy foreign ministers and special envoys on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) that deliberated on the peace, security,, and humanitarian situation in the region, including the Israel – Palestine conflict, the situation in Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Lebanon, Syria, and the security situation in the Red Sea (see article).
A three-day (01-03 April) International Floriculture and Horticulture Trade Fair was held at the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa under the theme “Horticulture for Sustainable Ethiopia.” During the opening ceremony, Minister of Agriculture Girma Amente stated that the government is taking policy and sectoral reforms to create a better enabling environment for the private sector operators.
Ethiopia officially commenced its three-year tenure as a newly elected member of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) at a welcoming flag ceremony held on Tuesday (01 April) at the AU Headquarters (see article).
Ethiopian Ambassador to China, Ambassador Tefera Derbew, during in an interview that featured in China Daily on Wednesday (02 April) lauded the “deep-rooted, multifaceted” ties between Ethiopia and China in light of the commemoration of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations.
The National Bank of Ethiopia, through a statement published on Monday (31 March), announced that it will be commencing a regular and biweekly series of foreign exchange auctions in a bid to provide the private sector with some portion of the foreign exchange accumulation that has been taking place at the bank and aid in helping NBE meet its monetary policy objectives as part of the macroeconomic reforms.
Djibouti
President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh through a Presidential Decree No. 2025-082 issued on Tuesday (01 April) announced the appointment of Abdoulkader Houssein Omar as the next Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti, replacing outgoing foreign minister and Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.
Eritrea
A delegation led by Presidential Adviser Yemane Ghebreab on Wednesday (02 April) met with President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan and delivered a message from President Isaias Afwerki, at State House Juba.
Kenya
President William Sameoi Ruto during a high-level meeting at Sagana State Lodge in Nyeri County on Wednesday (02 April) disclosed that Kenya is set to co-host the headquarters of the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA), an international institution focused on accelerating climate change action, that is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
During a Senate appearance on Wednesday (02 April), Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi disclosed the government’s plans of repatriating 4,993 Kenyan refugees in Ethiopia’s Dillo and Megados towns of the Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia.
Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces (CDF), General Charles Kahariri, on Tuesday (01 April) received Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard of the United States of America, Major General Gary Keefe, at Defence Headquarters in Nairobi for the renewal of the State Partnership Agreement (SPA) between the two countries instituted under the auspices of the State Partnership Program (SPP).
Somalia
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday (02 April) held talks with Djiboutian counterpart Ismaïl Omar Guelleh on bilateral and regional issues of shared interest.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, on Tuesday (01 April) held a telephone conversation with the newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Djibouti, Abdoulkader Houssein Omar, on strengthening bilateral relations, advancing collaboration in regional and international forums, and promoting strategic partnerships on top of extending his heartfelt congratulations on the latter’s new role.
South Sudan
President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Thursday afternoon (03 April) received his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who was on a state visit to South Sudan to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries on top of addressing the current political developments in the country.
President Salva Kiir Mayardit, on Wednesday (02 April) received the Panel of the Wise of the African Union led by Former Burundian President and Head of the AU Panel of the Wise Domitien Ndayizeye and discussed the progress of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.
Sudan
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through a press release dispatched on Tuesday (01 April), expressed the Sudanese government’s continued efforts with UNESCO, Interpol, and all organizations concerned with the protection of museums, antiquities, and cultural property in the conflict-affected areas of the country.
Africa and African Union
Chairperson of the African Union Commission Mahmoud Youssouf Ali on Monday (31 March) held talks with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit and announced that the AU is dispatching a high-level delegation of the AU Panel of the Wise to Juba to engage with all stakeholders to de-escalate tensions and promote dialogue and to enhance mediation efforts and support the full implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
AUC Chair Mahmoud Youssouf Ali together with AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Lerato Mataboge and AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene on Thursday (03 April) presided over the official launch of the inaugural Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali, Rwanda under the theme: “AI and Africa’s Demographic Dividend: Reimagining Economic Opportunities for Africa’s Workforce” to advance discussions on innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable growth in Africa.
African Union Commission (AUC) Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications Program Coordinator Jolly Wasambo, in an interview featured in Ethiopian News Agency on Tuesday (01 April) lauded Green Legacy Initiative as a critical undertaking in the efforts to address issues of desertification and carbon sequestration on the continent.
The validation meeting for the Africa Union Ocean Governance Strategy (AOGS) and Implementation Plan took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from 01 to 04 April with the aim of strengthening regional cooperation and governance mechanisms for Africa’s marine and freshwater ecosystems.
Note: For detailed reports, please check out the rest of this week’s news published in separate posts.