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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. [...] (1835 words)

Issue dated 22/02/2021 Reading time 8 minutes

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

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Defence

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ETHIOPIA
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

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. [...]

ETHIOPIA 25/03/2022

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. [...]

ETHIOPIA 01/10/2021

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. [...]

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. © Twitter/@PMEthiopia

ETHIOPIA 13/07/2021

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. [...]

Northern Afar on front line of Addis-Mekele war © Indigo Publications

HORN OF AFRICA 01/07/2021

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. [...]

EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber. © Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

ETHIOPIA 02/06/2021

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. [...]

ETHIOPIA 01/04/2021

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. [...]

ETHIOPIA 16/03/2021

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. [...]

Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed with President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. © STR/EFE/Newscom/MaxPPP

Spotlight

ETHIOPIA 24/02/2021

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. [...]

Spotlight

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ERITREA 11/02/2021

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. [...]

Inner circles

ETHIOPIA 29/01/2021

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. [...]

ERITREA ETHIOPIA 10/11/2020

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. [...]

Breaking newsETHIOPIA 09/11/2020

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. [...]

ETHIOPIA 05/07/2019

Behind the scenes of the army and security appointments

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

Receive free prompts for these topics

ETHIOPIA
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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