Something extraordinary is happening in Ethiopia. Under new prime minister Abiy Ahmed, authoritarianism and state brutality appear to be giving way to something resembling democracy. A country that began the year crippled by anti-government protests is now being lauded as a model for the region. One of Africa’s most autocratic ruling parties, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), is today led by a man who professes to believe deeply in freedom of expr

Leymah Gbowee, a Nobel Peace laureate said on Friday that the 2018 edition of World Peace Day had to be dedicated to Ethiopia and Eritrea. She said in a tweet that the two countries deserved credit “for putting their political differences aside and daring to invite peace back into their midst.” Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki met on July 9, 2018 in Asmara to sign a historic peace deal that ended decades of hostilities following a dea

Arbegnoch Ginbot 7 is reportedly split not long after returning home for a peaceful struggle. A report by pro-government media outlet says that Arbegnoch Ginbar disclosed today that it has ended its relationship with Ginbot 7. Chair of the Front, Mengistu Woldeselassie, is cited as saying the reason for the break up is related to leadership difference and financial matters. No further detail is given about incompatibility within the leadership of the coalition on issues regar

The Somali regional state in Ethiopia has officially announced the closure of its main prison facility, located in the capital, Jijiga. The Jijiga Central Prison also referred to as ‘Jail Ogaden,’ has been at the center of a Human Rights Watch, HRW, report that exposed massive rights abuse of inmates held in the facility. Reports by local media indicates that the facility will now be turned into a museum. Jail Ogaden was reported to be one of the tools of repression used by t

Addis Abeba, September 18/2018 – Ethiopian officials led by Ahmed Shide, Federal communication minister & Chairman of the Somali People’s Democratic Party (SPDP), and representatives of the the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) led by its Chairman Admiral Mohamed Omar have discussed “modalities of peace talks in Asmara [Eritrea] today,” according to Yemane G. Meskel, Eritrea’s Information Minister. The discussion, which was also attended by Mustafa Omer, the newly appoi

Ethiopia's stunning political reforms are now threatened by long-standing ethnic tensions that have roared back to life since a young prime minister took power just five months ago and promised greater freedoms. While exiled groups once banned as terror organizations are welcomed home to join political dialogue, deadly violence erupts on the fringes of celebrations. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people gathered peacefully in Addis Ababa's Meskel Square to cheer one group'

Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed has called on political parties in the Oromia region to refrain from trading in the name of the Oromo people and the region’s struggle, state affiliated Fana BC reported on Wednesday. Abiy, who is an ethnic Oromo, was speaking at the delegates conference of the Oromo People Development Organisation party (OPDO), which he heads and represents in the ruling coalition. Recent events in the capital and the Burayu town in the Oromia region tha

Opposition political parties in Ethiopia have condemned the recent violence that erupted in the capital Addis Ababa and the Oromia town of Burayu, leaving several people dead. Police on Monday said at least 23 people were killed in a weekend of violence targeting minorities in the ethnic Oromo heartland near Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. State-affiliated Fana Broadcasting said so far police had detained 200 people over the violence. The violence escalated on Saturday, the d

Sporadic ethnic clashes took place in Oromia regional state, 25 kilometers west of capital Addis Ababa, since early on Sunday, local media reported. According to FANA, a local broadcaster, police say they are trying to put under control the clash being caused by an organized group who vandalized property belonging to people residing in the town after having come to the area from Southern Ethiopia regional state. The Addis Ababa city administration also confirmed that lives ha

The Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is in a tense mood due to a disagreement over the use of specific flags across the city, state and private news portals have reported. The Addis Standard news portal said the standoff which has already led to scuffles and confrontations in the capital was between youth from the Oromia region and city dwellers. “The confrontation is over the hoisting of flags symbolizing the Oromo resistance movements and painting of road pavements, roads, fen