NEWS IN A Week in the Horn 06.06.2025
Ethiopia
President Taye Atske Selassie received the credentials of nine new ambassadors from Australia, Cuba, Algeria, Gambia, Georgia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cyprus on Tuesday (June 3) and held discussions on strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, and other areas.
President Taye received Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar on Thursday (June 5) at his office. President Pirc Musar is on a state visit to Ethiopia aimed at further strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
Earlier the same day, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received President Pirc Musar at his office for discussions on matters of mutual interest.
Prime Minister Abiy awarded Ethiopia’s highest national honor, the Grand Order of Merit, to Bill Gates on Sunday (June 1) at the National Palace in Addis Ababa. The award recognizes 25 years of transformative support through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in areas such as health, agriculture, and innovation.
Prime Minister Abiy launched on Tuesday (June 3) a goodwill development project that is underway as part of Ethiopia’s rural corridor initiative. A pilot project to establish a model rural village is being implemented, aimed at improving the quality of life for local farmers and supporting their agricultural activities.
Speaker of the House of People’s Representatives Tagesse Chaffo received an Indian parliamentary delegation on Sunday (June 1) and discussed ways to strengthen Ethio-India relations, emphasizing growing cooperation in economic, political, and people-to-people spheres.
A delegation of ten Belgian companies visited Ethiopia from June 1 to 4 to explore potential economic opportunities. The group, which included representatives from sectors such as agriculture, renewable energy, and information technology, expressed interest in identifying areas for investment and collaboration. (See article)
Ethiopia and Brazil have solidified their commitment to bolstering the agriculture and livestock sectors through the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This agreement aims to significantly enhance collaboration and knowledge exchange between the two nations. (See article)
The first Ethio-Morocco Coffee Traders Partnership Forum was successfully held on Tuesday (May 27) in Casablanca, aimed at enhancing trade relations between Ethiopia and the Kingdom of Morocco. (See article)
The third Ethio-Slovenian Joint Political Consultation took place in Addis Ababa on Wednesday (June 4). State Minister Ambassador Hadera Abera highlighted Ethiopia’s reform progress and called for deeper economic cooperation in sectors including AI, energy, and tourism. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to advance political dialogue.
Ambassador Hadera met with WIPO Director General Daren Tang on Tuesday (June 3) to discuss cooperation on capacity building and training.
Ethiopia participated in the African Union Peace and Security Council field mission to Guinea on May 30-31, aiming to support Guinea’s political transition and promote peace and stability, with Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador Nebiyu Tedla representing Ethiopia in discussions with Guinean authorities and AU member states.
Ethiopia participated in the 11th BRICS Communications Ministers Meeting in Brasilia on Monday (June 2), where Ambassador Leulseged Tadesse, Ethiopian Ambassador to Brazil, highlighted Ethiopia’s digital transformation and called for stronger BRICS partnerships to advance inclusive and sustainable ICT development. Ethiopia also took part in the BRICS Sports Ministerial Meeting, reaffirming its commitment to use sport as a powerful vehicle for social integration, cultural exchanges and sustainable development.
Eritrea
Foreign Minister Osman Saleh held talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Sunday (June 1) in New Delhi to strengthen bilateral relations. The discussion focused on cooperation in health, education, trade, and investment, as well as regional developments in the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean.
Djibouti
President Ismail Omar Guelleh received Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barreh on Monday (June 2) at the Palace of the Republic. The visit aims to strengthen cooperation and solidarity between the two countries.
Kenya
UN-Habitat resumed assembly in Nairobi ended Monday (June 1) with the adoption of a strategic plan for 2026-2029 aimed at tackling the global housing crisis. Kenyan President William Ruto praised the plan’s focus on climate-smart, inclusive cities.
Somalia
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barreh and his delegation left for Djibouti on Sunday (June 1) for an official visit to discuss strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
Sudan
Ethiopia reaffirmed its unwavering support for Sudan’s efforts to achieve peace and stability on Monday (June 2), as a high-level delegation led by NISS Director General Redwan Hussein and Prime Minister’s Advisor Getachew Reda delivered a message from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Port Sudan.
Sudan’s new Prime Minister, Kamil Idriss, was sworn in on Saturday (May 31) before Sovereign Council head Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Africa and the African Union
On Monday (June 2), African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf met with Bill Gates, Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to discuss strengthening collaboration between the AU and the Foundation. Their discussions focused on enhancing Africa’s health systems, expanding local vaccine and medicine manufacturing, and improving food security.
Bill Gates announced on Monday (June 2) at the AU headquarters that he will donate most of his $200 billion fortune over 20 years to support health, education and innovation in Africa. He also met AUC Chairperson Youssouf to discuss collaboration on health systems, vaccine production, and climate resilience.
Note: For detailed reports, please check out the rest of this week’s news published in separate posts