NEWS IN A Week in the Horn 05.12.2025
Ethiopia
President Taye Atske-Selassie bade farewell on Thursday (December 4) to New Zealand Ambassador Michael Upton and Kenyan Ambassador George Orina, expressing appreciation for their service and the strengthened bilateral relations during their tenure.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed held a discussion with the Executive Secretary of UN ECA Clave Gatete on Thursday (December 4) on the needs and modalities of working together to deliver an African COP in 2027.
A permanent peace agreement was signed between the Amhara National Regional State and the Amhara Fano Popular Organization (AFPO) on Thursday (December 4). The agreement was signed by Arega Kebede, Chief Administrator of the Amhara Regional State, and Captain Masresha Sete, representative of the Amhara Fano Popular Organization, in the presence of officials from the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Ethiopia will host the 2027 UN Climate Change Conference (COP32) in Addis Ababa. The decision, endorsed at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, with unanimous support from the African Group, underscores Africa’s expanding role in shaping the future of international climate policy. Following this decision, Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos was appointed as COP32 President-Designate on Wednesday (November 26), immediately after Ethiopia secured the hosting rights. (See article)
A national validation and dissemination program examining Ethiopia’s readiness for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was held on Tuesday (November 25), at the Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa. The event, organized by the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) in partnership with UNDP Ethiopia, focused on the study titled “Policy and Regulatory Harmonization of SME Competitiveness: Ethiopia’s Journey towards AfCFTA Implementation.” (See article)
State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Hadera Abera, met with Wang Lixin, Director-General of the Department of External Security Affairs at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with her delegation on Thursday (December 4). The discussion provided a valuable opportunity to review the ongoing partnership and advance key aspects of security cooperation.
Later that day, the State Minister also met with Nicolas Simard, Canada’s new Ambassador to Ethiopia. They held discussions on deepening long-standing and productive bilateral ties, expanding collaboration in trade and investment, and enhancing cooperation on peace and security issues.
On the same day. Ambassador Hadera met with Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra, Personal Envoy of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to Sudan, to discuss the situation in Sudan and areas of mutual interest.
Ambassador Hadera received at his office on Tuesday (December 2) Miroslav Kosek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ethiopia, and Henrik Orrling, vice president for business development at Škoda Transportation, a leading Czech company recognized for its cutting-edge and innovative transport technologies. The State Minister emphasized Ethiopia’s rapidly growing population, expanding market opportunities, and ongoing economic reforms, along with the investment prospects created by the country’s commitment to smart city development.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye, met with Mohamed Abdi Ware, Deputy Secretary-General of IGAD, on Tuesday (December 2) for a productive exchange of views on avenues to further deepen cooperations. Ambassador Berhanu stated that Ethiopia will continue its strong cooperation with IGAD, a vital platform for regional diplomacy and collective decision-making.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a Press Statement on Wednesday (December 3) that recent remarks by Egyptian officials rejecting dialogue and invoking colonial-era claims reflect an outdated approach to Nile issues, noting that such positions overlook contemporary regional realities and have contributed to destabilizing policies in the Horn of Africa, particularly toward Ethiopia.
Ethiopia was unanimously elected as a member of the World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Board during the 179th Session of the Council of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) on Thursday (December 4).
Ethiopia took part in a two-day international conference in Algeria from November 30 to December 1, aligned with the AU theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparation” and the AU General Assembly resolution to criminalize colonialism.
Kenya
President William Ruto met with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday (December 4) on broadening avenues of collaboration to bolster Kenya’s reform agenda.
On the same day, President ruto witnessed the signing of the Kenya–US Health Cooperation Framework, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi In Washington, D.C., in the United States.
Sudan
President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Republic of Sudan Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met on Sunday (November 30) with Ramtane Lamamra, the personal envoy of the U.N. Secretary-General, for talks to end the conflict in Sudan.
Africa and the African Union
The third round of the annual IGAD Media Awards ceremony was held on Sunday (November 30) at the Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa. This year’s IGAD Media Awards is themed “Storytelling for Climate Action: For a Secure, Resilient, and Stable Region.” (See article)
The Ethiopian Delegation, led by Ambassador Hirut Zemene, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the AU and UNECA, participated at the 12th High Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa (Oran Process) held in Algiers, Algeria, from December 1 to 2. (See article)