NEWS IN A Week in the Horn 14.11.2025
Ethiopia
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited Bahir Dar city on Saturday (November 8) to assess ongoing development projects aimed at enhancing the city’s tourism potential. He inspected the Bahir Dar International Stadium, the Fellege Ghion Resort, and the Ethio-Ferries branch office under construction along Lake Tana, projects expected to accelerate Bahir Dar’s transformation into a modern tourism hub.
Prime Minister Abiy inaugurated the newly restored Fasil Palace Compound in Gondar on Friday (November 7), accompanied by First Lady Zinash Tayachew and senior federal and regional officials. The Prime Minister officially reopened the historic Fasil Ghebbi following an extensive restoration that revived the site’s grandeur while preserving its authenticity. (See article)
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gedion Timothewos, delivered an extensive address at the Foreign Policy Forum co-organized by Horn Review and Addis Ababa University on Thursday (November 13). The event brought together representatives of the international community, civil society organizations, academia, and the media for an in-depth conversation on Ethiopia’s foreign policy, regional dynamics in the Horn of Africa, and the state of relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea. (See article)
A high-level Chatham House conference on “Africa’s Rising Influence: Advancing Agency in Foreign Policy and Global Governance” was held in Addis Ababa from November 5 to 6. The event, organized in collaboration with Amani Africa and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), brought together African and international stakeholders to explore ways for Africa to strengthen its strategic influence on the global stage. (See article)
The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30) opened in Belem under the theme “Collective Global Effort.” The Leaders’ Meeting, held from November 6 to 7, brought together 57 heads of state and government. The leaders’ segment is followed by two weeks of formal negotiations, continuing until November 21. (See article)
State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Hadera Abera, held discussions on Thursday (November 13) with Patricia Llombart Cussac, Managing Director for Africa at the European Union External Action Service (EEAS), at his office. During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on ways to strengthen their strategic engagement and discussed regional issues of mutual concern.
Ambassador Hadera received Namibia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Mbapeua Muvangua, on Monday (November 10). The two sides discussed strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing shared goals.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye, met with Aboubakri Diaw, Chief of Staff of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, on Wednesday (November 12). Ambassador Berhanu reaffirmed Ethiopia’s strong support for UN institutions and commitment to the effective implementation of their missions.
Ethiopia is intensifying efforts to accede to the World Trade Organization (WTO), aiming to conclude the process at the WTO Assembly in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in March 2026. Significant progress has been made over the past year during the 5th and 6th rounds of multilateral negotiations. (See article)
The Second World Summit for Social Development convened in Doha from November 4 to 6, building on the 1995 First World Summit for Social Development and its Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action. The Doha Summit aimed to take stock of social progress over the past three decades. (See article)
The first Africa-Bangladesh Trade Forum was held in Addis Ababa on Thursday (November 13), under the theme, “Africa’s Gateway, Trade and Development”. The forum, co-organized by the Bangladesh Embassy in Ethiopia and the Africa-Bangladesh Business Forum, brought together business leaders, investors and policymakers from Bangladesh, Ethiopia and the African continent.
Ethiopia participated in the 17th Annual Retreat of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) held in Abuja, Nigeria, from November 6–7. The delegation, led by Daniel Tenkir, Director for Peace and Security at Ethiopia’s Permanent Mission to the African Union and UNECA, reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to the AU’s zero-tolerance policy on Unconstitutional Changes of Government (UCGs).
Djibouti
President Ismail Omar Guelleh was officially nominated on Saturday (November 8) as the candidate of Rassemblement Populaire pour le Progrès (RPP) for the April 2026 presidential election during an extraordinary congress at the Palais du Peuple attended by senior officials and supporters.
Somalia
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria in Algiers on Wednesday (November 12) to discuss strengthening cooperation across key sectors and advancing shared regional goals. He was also welcomed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune at Al-Muradiya Palace in Algiers on Tuesday (November 11).
Africa and the African Union
The inaugural Africa Biodiversity Summit was held from November 2 to 5 in Gaborone, Botswana, marking a historic moment in Africa’s environmental diplomacy. Convened by the African Union Commission (AUC) under the theme “Leveraging Biodiversity for Africa’s Prosperity,” the summit elevated biodiversity from a conservation concern to a strategic development priority. (See article)
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, co-chaired the Ninth African Union–United Nations Annual Conference at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday (November 13). The two leaders reaffirmed the AU–UN partnership as vital to global peace, security, and sustainable development, expressing concern over armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, and the erosion of international law.
Earlier, Deputy Chairperson of the AUC, Selma Malika Haddadi, and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed co-chaired the Fifth AU–UN High-Level Strategic Dialogue on Sustainable Development at the UN Headquarters on Monday (November 10).
At the Leaders’ Summit in Belém, Brazil, AUC Chairperson Youssouf addressed participants at COP30 on Thursday (November 7), underscoring Africa’s role as an agent of transformation and highlighting its leadership in building a just, inclusive, low-carbon future.