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In Focus | Ethiopia
Abiy purged his military high command to prepare for his war against the TPLF

As soon as he arrived in power in 2018, the Ethiopian prime minister announced that he planned to reform the Ethiopian army high command, which he saw as a Tigrayan leadership stronghold. The reform, which was carried out quietly over two years, enabled Abiy to remove officers too closely linked to the Tigray People's Liberation Front. As a result, the high command currently leading the military offensive in Tigray has been largely purged. [...]

Published on 22.02.2021 at 05:00 GMT Reading time 8 minutes Antoine Galindo

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. © Annegret Hilse/SVEN SIMON/picture alliance/SvenSimon/Newscom/MaxPPP

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Defence, Politics

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Abadula Gemeda
Abdi Iley
Abebaw Tadesse
Abiy Ahmed Ali
Adbi Mouhoumed Omar
Adem Mohammed
Agazi
Al-Shaabab
Alemshet Degife
Bacha Debele
Belay Seyoum
Berhanu Jula Gelelcha
Demeke Mekonnen
Derg
Diriba MekonnenHateu
Eritrean People's Liberation Front
Ethiopian National Defense Forces
Getachew Gudina Welbena
Isaias Afwerki
Kindu Gezu Tegegn
Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mesele Meseret Tegegne
Mola Hailemariam
National Intelligence and Security Service
Se'are Mekonnen
Solomon Itefa Lemu
Special Forces
TPLF
Yilma Medersa
Yohannes Gebremeskel
Zewdu Belay

Ethiopia, Somalia
Abiy-Bihi memorandum of understanding puts Paris in awkward position

Landlocked Ethiopia is counting on France to speed up the training of its currently fleetless navy. But the prospect of an Ethiopian naval base being established in the secessionist territory of Somaliland risks upsetting the two countries' military cooperation.

Subscribers only Politics, Diplomacy 29.01.2024

Ethiopia
Ethiopian government fails to reinstate officers purged during Tigray war

More than a year after a peace deal that ended [...]

Subscribers only Politics 05.12.2023

Spotlight | Ethiopia
Addis lays groundwork for transitional justice

The Ethiopian Ministry of Justice yesterday published a discussion paper on how to deal with perpetrators of war crimes in the country's civil war. The report, drafted in September, follows last week's agreement to set up a ceasefire monitoring body, and aims to meet the expectations of Brussels and Washington, whose budgetary aid to Ethiopia is still frozen.

Subscribers only Politics 04.01.2023

Ethiopian justice minister Gedion Timothewos in Addis Ababa on November 2021.

Spotlight | Ethiopia
Abiy steps up fight against OLA in Kenya

The presence of Oromo activists and fighters in Kenya has become a cause for concern for the Ethiopian prime minister, who in August stepped up efforts against the outlawed Oromo Liberation Army.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 08.12.2022

Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.

Ethiopia
Another Russian marine officer lands in Ethiopia's still waters

First, Admiral Alexander Ostrikov was appointed by the Kremlin at [...]

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 05.10.2022

Ethiopia, Somalia
Abiy irked by choice of Somalia's new PM

Appointed on 15 June by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre is a new thorn in the side of his Ethiopian counterpart.

Subscribers only Politics 27.06.2022

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud (right) appointed Hamza Abdi Barre as Prime Minister on 15 June.

In Focus | Africa, Palestine
Palestine quietly rebuilds African networks to counter overwhelming Israeli activism

From its heyday in the 1980s, Palestine's diplomatic presence in Africa - a 24-embassy strong network - has lost its lustre while Israel continues to gain ground. Wanting to counter Tel Aviv's push across the continent, Ramallah has taken steps to overhaul its strategy and build new networks.

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Tunisia's President Kais Saied and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas inaugurating the new Palestinian embassy headquarters in Tunis on December 8, 2021.

Ethiopia
Moscow makes moves to replace France for navy training

Russia is making increasing overtures to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. Since the suspension of military cooperation with France, Ethiopia needs outside help to organise a national navy.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 25.03.2022

Ethiopia
Few signs of hope for meaningful peace talks between Abiy and TPLF

The parties in the conflict ravaging Ethiopia are sending out very different signals about their willingness to sit down and talk peace. Prime Minister Abiy for his part has shown no intention of talking to the Tigray People's Liberation Front after eleven months of civil war.

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Ethiopia
Afar Region left licking its wounds after Tigray clashes

The Afar, who are very economically dependent on their neighbours in Tigray, have been hard hit by the civil war ravaging northern Ethiopia.

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Northern Afar on front line of Addis-Mekele war

Horn of Africa
Regional expert Annette Weber appointed EU special envoy for Horn

The German academic Annette Weber, who takes on her new role on 1 July, will have her work cut out for her as she surveys a region marked by the conflict in Tigray, a complex election in Somalia and Sudan's fraught transition.

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EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber.

Ethiopia
Eritrea leaves Ethiopia's ambassador in limbo

Like his predecessor, Mihretab Mulugeta is finding it extremely difficult to present his credentials to the Eritrean head of state.

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Ethiopia
Ousted General Adem Mohammed reemerges as Turkey ambassador

General Adem Mohammed, former chief of the general staff of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces, has been appointed ambassador to Turkey and presented his credentials in Ankara on 25 March.

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Ethiopia
Abiy tries to attract international aid by opening up telecommunications

Ethiopia's eagerly awaited privatisation of its telecommunications sector is not just the keystone of its digital development strategy. It is also intended to open the way to numerous digital development projects for which international lending institutions are showing real appetite.

Subscribers only Business 16.03.2021

Spotlight | Ethiopia
Abiy and Sisi spar over GERD in Washington through opposing lobbyists

Addis Ababa has followed in Cairo's footsteps and hired a US lobbying heavyweight. Worried his Egyptian rival will take the lead in the Grand Renaissance dam debate and concerned about his declining reputation over the Tigray conflict, the Ethiopian prime minister is working institutions, diplomats, and the media.

Subscribers only Energy, Diplomacy 24.02.2021

Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed with President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Spotlight | Eritrea, UAE
Emirates quits its Assab military base

The Emirati armed forces stationed at the Assab base in Eritrea since 2015 have discreetly been packing their bags in recent days. Their departure, which is connected Abu Dhabi's decision to withdraw from the conflict in Yemen, could have repercussions as far afield as Tigray.

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Inner circles | Ethiopia
Abiy Ahmed Ali's parallel government

The prime minister has over the last three years restricted political decision-making to an increasingly narrow circle of loyal followers. His office is now the core of Ethiopian power, leaving government ministers out in the cold.

Subscribers only Politics 29.01.2021

Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen (left) and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.

Eritrea, Ethiopia
The triggers of Tigray's crisis

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali has for weeks been working on reconciliation with Eritrea in an effort to break the Cairo-Asmara-Abu Dhabi axis. It was fear of having to pay the price for this rapprochement that leaders of the Tigray People's Liberation Front - who have repeatedly clashed with Eritrea - rebelled against the Ethiopian federal army last week.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 10.11.2020

Document | Ethiopia
Besieged by Ethiopian army, Tigray leader asks AU to arbitrate

Breaking news, Monday 9 November 2020, 2:20 p.m. - Worried that they could be attacked by Eritrea to the north and the federal army to the south, Tigray's leaders have appealed for help from the chairman of the pan-African institution, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.

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Ethiopia
Behind the scenes of the army and security appointments

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali has proceeded with the appointments [...]

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Abadula Gemeda
Abdi Iley
Abebaw Tadesse
Abiy Ahmed Ali
Adbi Mouhoumed Omar
Adem Mohammed
Agazi
Al-Shaabab
Alemshet Degife
Bacha Debele
Belay Seyoum
Berhanu Jula Gelelcha
Demeke Mekonnen
Derg
Diriba MekonnenHateu
Eritrean People's Liberation Front
Ethiopian National Defense Forces
Getachew Gudina Welbena
Isaias Afwerki
Kindu Gezu Tegegn
Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mesele Meseret Tegegne
Mola Hailemariam
National Intelligence and Security Service
Se'are Mekonnen
Solomon Itefa Lemu
Special Forces
TPLF
Yilma Medersa
Yohannes Gebremeskel
Zewdu Belay

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In Focus | Ethiopia
Abiy purged his military high command to prepare for his war against the TPLF

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Indigo Publications' websites

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In Focus | Ethiopia Abiy purged his military high command to prepare for his war against the TPLF

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create a free account

Set up email notifications for these topics

Ethiopia, Somalia Abiy-Bihi memorandum of understanding puts Paris in awkward position

Ethiopia Ethiopian government fails to reinstate officers purged during Tigray war

Spotlight | Ethiopia Addis lays groundwork for transitional justice

Spotlight | Ethiopia Abiy steps up fight against OLA in Kenya

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Set up email notifications for these topics

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

Guinea
Behind the scenes of Mamadi Doumbouya's offensive on Russian miner Nordgold

DRC
Dan Gertler's billions of dollars in royalties at heart of huge legal battle

In Focus | Ethiopia
Abiy purged his military high command to prepare for his war against the TPLF

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Abiy-Bihi memorandum of understanding puts Paris in awkward position

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Ethiopian government fails to reinstate officers purged during Tigray war

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Addis lays groundwork for transitional justice

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Abiy steps up fight against OLA in Kenya

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Another Russian marine officer lands in Ethiopia's still waters

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Palestine quietly rebuilds African networks to counter overwhelming Israeli activism

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