Addis Abeba – On World Press Freedom Day being observed today, a group of Western diplomatic missions including EU member states and the US that are based in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia called for advocacy for the release of Ethiopian journalists “unjustly detained for doing their jobs.” The call was made in a joint statement released today in connection with World Press Freedom Day, observed every year on 03 May. “May 3rd is World Press Freedom Day, a reminder of the importance of press freedom and the need to protect journalists and the media who work tirelessly to report the facts,” the group sa ..read more

Clergyman Belay Mekonnen, the main suspect, and two others are facing criminal and corruption charges. Photo: Screenshot Addis Abeba – The Federal First Instance Court, Arada Division in the capital Addis Abeba, has given a green light to the federal prosecutors to initiate criminal charges against Clergyman Belay Mekonnen and two others suspected of involvement in a failed fraudulent attempt to withdraw over $6M from the African Union (AU) bank account at the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), located inside AU headquarters in the capital. On Wednesday, the AU issued an official statement ad ..read more

Recently, a vessel carrying 636,600 quintals of NPS Boron fertilizers docked at the port of Djibouti (Photo: EABC) Addis Abeba – The Ethiopian Agricultural Businesses Corporation (EABC) has reported the arrival of just over half the soil fertilizer ordered for the ongoing “Bega” dry season and the upcoming “Mehir” main harvesting season at the Port of Djibouti. In September 2023, Girma Amente, Minister of Agriculture, unveiled the government’s robust plan to procure 23 million quintals of fertilizer for the current harvest, signaling a marked increase from the previous seasons. This ..read more

Lt. General Tadesse Werede. Photo: Dimtsi Woyane Addis Abeba – The Tigray Interim Administration Vice President, Lt. General Tadesse Werede told local media in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray region, today that an agreement was reached with the federal government and the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) on the timeline to address the impasse in southern and western Tigray zones and return the internally displaced civilians according to the Pretoria agreement of November 2022. Lt. General Tadesse said the agreement on the timeline was reached after a two-day discussion between the two s ..read more

Addis Abeba – The African Union (AU) has admitted that a fraudulent attempt was made to withdraw over $6M from its account at the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) located inside the premises of its headquarters in Addis Abeba but has failed due to “the vigilance and swift action of the CBE staff and our finance department.” This is the first official statement by the AU admitting reports of the failed attempt. The AU said it was “disconcerting that such an attempt was made,” and that it was “treating this matter with utmost seriousness.” On 15 April, “…a series of Payment Transfer Orders wer ..read more

Ethiopia and EU flags. Collage by Addis Standard Addis Abeba – The Ethiopian government said it was “dismayed by the decision of the Council of the European Union to temporarily suspend certain elements of the EU law that regulates issuing of visas to Ethiopian nationals.” In a statement issued by Ethiopian Embassy in Brussels, the government also said the decision was “made at a time when both sides are closely working for the return of Ethiopians who have been denied legal permit to stay in the European Union member states in a dignified, orderly, and safe manner.” #EU is a strong partner ..read more

In a press conference convened today, leaders of the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions urged the government to resolve ongoing conflicts through peaceful negotiations and provide economic support to workers grappling with the burden of increasing living costs (Photo: CETU) Addis Abeba – The Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU) has called upon the government to address persisting conflicts through peaceful negotiations and offer economic assistance to workers facing the challenges of escalating living expenses. In a statement issued today, ahead of the forthcoming obse ..read more

As per the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission, an amount totaling 11 billion birr is deemed necessary to furnish aid to more than eight million citizens affected by natural disasters such as drought and man-made crises like conflict until June 2024 (Photo: Tigray TV) Addis Abeba – The Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC) has declared that an estimated amount of 11 billion birr will be necessary to furnish humanitarian aid until June 2024. Commissioner Shiferaw Teklemariam has elucidated the commission’s goal to provide assistance to over eight million citi ..read more

Addis Abeba – The Council of the European Union decided today “to temporarily suspend certain elements of the EU law that regulates the issuing of visas to Ethiopian nationals.” The Council said that the decision was based on regular assessment by the EU Commission on “the cooperation of third countries on readmission” of nationals who are “illegally staying in the EU.” The suspension decision is temporary but does not come with a specific end date. “These assessments may lead to the conclusion that a given third country does not cooperate sufficiently. In such cases, the EU may decide to sus ..read more

(Photo: Amhara Public Health Institute) Addis Abeba – Amid reports of a cholera outbreak in the Bati district within the Oromia special zone of the Amhara region, health authorities are swiftly responding to contain the spread of the disease. Belay Bezabhi, Director General of the Amhara Public Health Institute, addressed the situation in a recent briefing, emphasizing concerted efforts to curb the outbreak and minimize its impact by coordinating with stakeholders. Belay noted that it has been nearly two years since Ethiopia last faced a cholera outbreak, with the previous incident o ..read more