NEWS IN BRIEF
March 28, 2025
Ethiopia
President Taye Atske Sselassie bade farewell to the outgoing Ambassador of Bangladesh to Ethiopia, Sikder Bodiruzzaman on Wednesday (March 26). On the occasion, the President extended his gratitude for Ambassador Bodiruzzaman’s contributions dedicated to strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed responded to various questions raised by Members of the House of People’s Representatives last Thursday (March 20). The Prime Minister addressed issues pertaining to the economy, sectoral priorities, service delivery, revenues, inflation, the state of political culture, Ethiopia’s continued commitment to good neighborliness and Pretoria Peace Agreement, among others.
Prime Minister Abiy and First Lady Zinash Tayachew traveled to the Afar Region on Saturday (March 22), where they explored major development projects highlighting the area’s expanding agricultural and industrial capabilities. Their visit included a tour of an iodized salt manufacturing plant that started operations six months ago and is now producing 15 tons per hour. They also visited the Ayrolaaf animal feed bank development center and a wheat farm, where the region has successfully initiated summer wheat cultivation. On the occasion, the Premier noted that the region has made notable progress in wheat production through irrigation.
Prime Minister Abiy on Monday (March 24) encouraged young innovators to create solutions in service of their country. The Premier underscored that Ethiopia’s national aspirations for self-sufficiency and import substitution can only be achieved through continuous innovation and hard work. He said, “I am pleased to see our ambitious youth channeling their talents and ideas into meaningful and practical innovations through the Skill Ethiopia challenge.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gedion Timothewos on Tuesday (March 25) held discussions with the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Claver Gatete. The two sides exchanged views on ways of further strengthening cooperation between Ethiopia and the UNECA.
Ethiopia, after long hiatus, has resumed its WTO accession negotiations with the convening of the 5th Working Party meeting held in Geneva last week. An Ethiopian delegation led by Minister of Trade and Regional Integration and WTO Chief Negotiator Kassahun Gofe Balami, which also included senior government officials from the Steering Committee on Accession and experts drawn from ministries and government agencies.
The Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Ethiopian Seed Platform convened a discussion forum for regional and national seed coordination committees in Adama on Saturday (March 22). Speaking at the forum, Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amente highlighted that digitizing the agricultural sector is a top priority, with the complete rollout of the Ethiopian Seed Platform anticipated in the coming years.
An Ethiopian delegation led by Minister of Planning and Development, Fitsum Assefa took part in Petersberg Climate Dialogue (PCD) 2025 on Wednesday (March 26) in Berlin. The Minister expressed Ethiopia’s commitment to fully implement the outcomes of the 1st Global Stocktake (GST) against the Paris Agreement. She further stressed the need for enhanced and renewed commitment to address the increasing impacts of climate change.
An Ethio-UK Investment Forum Kicked off on Wednesday (March 26) in London, co-facilitated by the Ethiopian Embassy in the United Kingdom and the Institute of Directors (IoD) Africa Group. The event brought together business leaders and stakeholders to discuss investment opportunities and foster stronger economic ties between Ethiopia and the UK. Ambassador Mesganu Arga, State Minister of Foreign Affairs, led the Ethiopian delegation and delivered a keynote address on Ethiopia’s growing and favorable business environment, encouraging UK companies to explore the country’s potential.
A high-level delegation from Algeria led by Mohamed Arkab, Minister of State, Minister of Energy, Mines, and Renewable Energies, visited Ethiopia from March 24-25, 2025.
The Ministry of Finance and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) signed a financial agreement to support Ethiopia’s economic reform agenda on Tuesday (March 25). State Minister of Finance, Eyob Tekalign and AFD Country Director Louis-Antoine Souchet signed the grant for technical assistance. During the signing ceremony, State Minister Eyob said “the partnership represents another milestone in the longstanding collaboration between Ethiopia and France, reinforcing their shared vision in advancing key economic reform initiatives. It also comes at a crucial time as Ethiopia continues its structural reform efforts”.
State Minister of Finance, Semereta Sewasew, on Tuesday (March 25) met with State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Diana Janse, along with the Swedish Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ambassador Hans Henric Lundquist to discuss enhanced development cooperation and economic ties between the two countries. The dialogue focused on adapting to global financial constraints and geopolitical shifts while exploring innovative strategies to maximize development impact.
State Minister Semereta held a meeting with John Tomaszewski, Senior Professional Staff Member for Africa Policy on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, last Friday (March 21), to discuss ways to strengthen economic cooperation and partnership. The State Minister offered a warm welcome and stressed the mutual commitment to creating focused strategies that will boost both economic and political collaboration between the two countries, especially given the shifting global economic environment. She also underscored the United States as a vital strategic partner, with whom Ethiopia has built a strong and enduring relationship.
A high-level Ethiopian delegation led by State Minister of Urban and Infrastructure, Fenta Dejen took part in the 1st Session of the UN-Habitat Executive Board Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on Wednesday (March 26). The State Minister emphasized that Ethiopia’s ongoing projects, supported by UN-Habitat, align with the national urban development policy and the 10-Year Development Plan. In such score, he urged UN-Habitat to scale up efforts in supporting initiatives aimed at improving urban livelihoods and infrastructure.
An Ethiopian delegation led by Ambassador Hirut Zemene, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the AU and UNECA is taking part in an induction program of the peace and Security Council of the African Union in Arusha, Tanzania on Tuesday (March 25). During the program, Ambassador Hirut expressed her gratitude for the union’s confidence in electing Ethiopia as the member of the Peace and Security Council (PSC). She also underlined Ethiopia’s contribution and commitment to the collective security of Africa and the world at large, both in the diplomatic field and in peacekeeping operations.
A delegation led by Mekonnen Gossaye, Director General for Strategic Planning and Monitoring of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took part in the 10th BRICS Foreign Policy Planning Dialogue in Brasilia on Tuesday (March 25), as part of the programs of Brazil’s BRICS Chairship in 2025. The dialogue created a platform for BRICS members to share best practices on their policy planning strategies. On the occasion, Mekonnen addressed the meeting and presented Ethiopia’s perspective on the current global and regional situations.
Ethiopia participated at the 2nd BRICS Energy Senior Officials meeting held in Brasilia on March 20 and 21, 2025. The meeting chaired by Brazil, the 2025 BRICS Presidency, deliberated on the roadmap for BRICS energy cooperation. (See article)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia on Wednesday (March 26) hosted an Iftar dinner for members of the diplomatic community based in Addis Ababa.
Eritrea
President Isaias on Monday (March 24) received the Foreign Minister of Oman, Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi. The minister conveyed a message from the Sultan of Oman, HM Haitham bin Tariq, where the two sides explored ways of enhancing cooperation on bilateral, regional and global issues of common interest.
Foreign Minister Osman Saleh on Sunday (March 23) conveyed President Isaias’ message to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt. The meeting covered ways of further strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation on issues of mutual interest.
Kenya
Kenya and the Netherlands signed a trio of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and a Letter of Intent (LoI) aimed at boosting bilateral trade cooperation last week. The agreements were made following the state visit of King Willem Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to Kenya. During the signing ceremony, President William Ruto said, “The Netherlands’ global leadership in sustainable agriculture, water management, and renewable energy aligns seamlessly with Kenya’s Vision 2030.” King Alexander on his part commended the strong bilateral ties which cover a span of over 60 years.
Somalia
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud paid a working visit to Türkiye on Thursday (March 27). President Hassan Sheikh met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and held discussions focusing on ways of strengthening the longstanding bilateral ties between the two countries and enhancing cooperation on the fight against terrorism.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf paid a two-day visit to Somalia earlier this week. The Chairperson made an urgent appeal to the international community, drawing attention to significant funding shortages for the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and urged renewed dedication to the country’s peace and stabilization efforts. In a joint press briefing with Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, at Villa Somalia, the Chairperson pledged to engage with Somalia’s international partners and emphasized the importance of sustained support.
The AU Commission Chairperson also visited the African Union Stabilization Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) base on Monday (March 24). He praised AUSSOM peacekeepers for their courage and sacrifices in bringing peace to Somalia, acknowledging their crucial role in furthering Africa’s stability goals. He reaffirmed the AU’s steadfast commitment and promised to tackle operational challenges and enhance troop welfare to bolster the mission’s effectiveness.
South Sudan
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) expressed alarm over the house arrest of First Vice President, Riek Machar following renewed political tensions in the country. IGAD’s Executive Secretary, Workneh Gebeyehu called on parties to the 2028 agreement to exercise “maximum restraint, prioritise dialogue, and resolve differences through inclusive and peaceful means.”
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom on Monday (March 24) called on all parties to exercise restraint and adhere to the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement. He said, “Tonight, the country’s leaders stand on the brink of relapsing into widespread conflict or taking the country forward towards peace, recovery and democracy in the spirit of the consensus that was reached in 2018 when they signed and committed to implementing a Revitalized Peace Agreement.”
Africa and the African Union
The Second East Africa Art and Culture Festival was held from March 20 to 24, 2025, at the newly inaugurated Addis International Convention Center under the theme “Arts and Culture for Regional Integration”. The festival featured a variety of activities designed to promote regional integration and unity through the rich cultural diversities shared among the East African nations. (See article)
The 3rd African Forum (AFM) on Mines was held in Addis Ababa last week under the theme: “The Africa Mining Vision at 16: Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities”. The forum which was organized by the African Minerals Development Center (AMDC) brought together representatives of member states of the African Union and various continental and international stakeholders in the mining sector.
Note: For detailed reports, please check out the rest of this week’s news published in separate posts.