April 12-18, 2025
ET applies to join NDB; Parliament rules against press freedom; Brigade N'hamedu opens Addis Ababa HQ; Holy water sparks cholera outbreak in Europe; NRC resumes DDR in Tigray.
Business & Finance
The Ethiopian Investment Commission issued 40 investment permits to unnamed foreign companies in the export, import, retail, and wholesale sectors as part of ongoing economic liberalization efforts. Learn more about the liberalization efforts here.
Ethiopia signed deals with over 2 dozen crypto mining companies & earned over $10 million in foreign currency from crypto mining within the last year.
Ethio Engineering Group (EEG) reported that its production capacity has declined by 17% over the last 5 years due to chronic forex shortages. EEG achieved only 51% of its target in its latest 8-month performance report.
The Ethiopian Deposit Insurance Fund (EDIF) announced that it has collected ETB 5.2 billion in premiums over the last 9 months during an April 15 press conference, marking an 11.1% increase from the previous year.
A prospectus by Wegagen Bank submitted to the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX) last month identified the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE)’s credit growth cap, liquidity crunches & security threats as among the key threats to banking profits.
The Ministry of Revenue suddenly demanded retroactive VAT on soybean cakes, entrapping manufacturers in a web of back taxes, interest & penalties.
The Ministry of Transport & Logistics (MOTL) announced a ban on the import of fuel-powered cars & bajajs amidst fuel shortages during an April 10 inauguration of local electric vehicle (EV) producer Ahud Business Group. Meanwhile, the government’s push to adopt EVs nationwide is facing challenges in rural areas. Learn more here.
Economy & Development
The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) conducted a forex auction on April 17, offering $70 million to 26 commercial banks at a weighted average rate of ETB 131.49 per dollar.
The Ethiopian Economics Association (EEA) reported that the Birr has depreciated by 11.5% since the macroeconomic reform & called for better transparency in the forex market to prevent excessive depreciation, warning that this could worsen food insecurity.
The Ministry of Trade & Regional Integration (MOTRI) projected that export revenues will reach $7 billion this fiscal year, with $4.5 billion already secured in the first 9 months. Gold exports accounted for $2.1 billion and coffee exports for $1.5 billion of the total.
The new 10% tariff imposed by US President Trump on Ethiopia will apply to a wide range of imports, including coffee and flowers, with serious implications for both sectors. Learn more about the tariffs here and here.
Ethiopia has formally applied for membership in the BRICS’ New Development Bank (NDB) with the support of all BRICS member states.
Ethiopia is struggling to reach a debt restructuring agreement with bondholders as private creditors have refused to participate, highlighting the need for structural reform of the current international debt restructuring system.
A draft NBE directive introduces a lagged reserve system in a bid to bolster financial stability & reshape how commercial banks manage liquidity.
Merkato traders and representatives of the petroleum sector have highlighted mounting tax pressures and the resulting negative impacts.
Society & Human Rights
Parliament approved the controversial revised media bill in an April 17 closed session, despite serious criticisms from various stakeholders. Learn more about the bill here.
Amnesty International urged the government to immediately halt ongoing urban corridor development projects in an April 14 report, citing the forced eviction of thousands of households without proper consultation, notice or compensation.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) reported that displaced Tigrayans returning to disputed areas in Southern & Northwestern Tigray zones continue to face security risks, including targeted violence & unstable humanitarian conditions.
Human Rights First urged the Tigray Interim Administration (TIA) to prioritize resolving political divisions among various groups in the region so as to prevent human rights violations.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCo) urged the federal government to prioritize negotiations to resolve ongoing armed conflicts across Ethiopia, & especially in the Amhara region.
Governance & Corruption
The Ministry of Labor & Skills (MOLS) revealed that foreign currency earnings from the expatriation of domestic workers fell 76% short of the target when presenting a 9-month report to Parliament on April 17.
The Addis Ababa City Administration continues to struggle with financing public housing projects, having repaid only 1.9% of the ETB 25.85 billion due to the CBE over the first 3 quarters of this fiscal year.
The Addis Ababa City Administration announced plans to replace queue administrators (tera askebari) at taxi stations with organized youth unions.
The Islamic Affairs Supreme Council issued an April 13 statement criticizing the “illegal” demolition of a fence belonging to Tebarek Mosque “under the cover of darkness” in Addis Ababa.
Farmers in the Amhara region are facing a severe shortage of fertilizer - now priced at double last year’s cost - as escalating clashes with the Fano militia disrupt agriculture supply chains, threatening crop yields and livelihoods.
Residents of Bahir Dar, Amhara region criticized a new residential land provision plan, saying it excludes private sector workers & others who have been saving through housing cooperatives for the last 3 years.
A regional High Court in Tigray ruled in favor of teachers who have been demanding payment for 17 months of delayed salaries during the 2020-22 war.
A recent report by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) highlighted barriers to artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in Ethiopia. Learn more in this op-ed.
Humanitarian Needs
Thousands of ex-combatants from the 2020-22 war are still suffering from untreated injuries due to a lack of specialized medical care and destroyed health facilities in the Tigray region. Meanwhile, girls with disabilities are facing education exclusion in post-war Tigray amidst significant economic challenges.
Thefts targeting high-voltage metal electric poles in the Amhara region have caused power outages in major cities including Dessie, Kombolcha & Weldiya, forcing factories to halt operations. Electricity related thefts have cost the country over ETB 50 million in just the last 7 months.
The 2016 E.C annual Road Safety report presented on April 10 revealed 401 fatalities, marking a 7% decline from the previous year, as well as a 3% reduction in the incidence of severe injuries.
The South Regional Disaster Risk Management Bureau reported that 70 kebeles in the region are prone to land erosion, landslides & recurrent droughts.
The Central regional Health Bureau raised concerns over the alarming rise in HIV cases within the region, with 6.7% of tested individuals testing positive.
Health officials in Germany and the UK have reported an outbreak of superbug cholera traced back to tainted holy water sourced from the Bermel Giyorgis holy well in the Amhara region, which has recently witnessed a cholera outbreak.
Politics
The TPLF accused the federal government of “violating” the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement (PPA) and making “unilateral decisions” that affect the people of Tigray in an April 12 statement following the conclusion of a 5-day TPLF Central Committee meeting.
TPLF Chairman Debretsion G/Michael has called for a meeting of the AU High-Level Panel to assess the implementation of the PPA.
The Tigray Interim Administration (TIA) accused the Amhara regional government of undermining the PPA and violating the constitutional framework after a broadcast by Amhara TV depicted disputed areas in the Tigray region as part of the Amhara region.
Opposition party Salsay Woyane urged the government to take immediate action to remove unlawful and violent settlers occupying disputed areas in Tigray and facilitate the safe return of IDPs to avert a looming humanitarian disaster.
Opposition ONLF accused Somali regional authorities of intimidating and attacking its members, targeting its offices & banning peaceful gatherings in an April 15 statement, urging international partners and human rights organizations to pressure the government to cease its undemocratic actions.
The National Rehabilitation Commission (NRC) resumed its DDR program in Tigray on April 17. So far, the NRC has reintegrated over 20,000 ex-combatants from the Tigray, Amhara, Oromia & Afar regions as part of the first phase of the DDR process.
The National Dialogue Commission (NDC) reported that a militant group unaffiliated with the Fano submitted agendas during the NDC’s agenda-gathering activities in the Amhara region. Representatives from the government and opposition parties, including Agew Shengo Party, also submitted agendas.
Conflict & Security
The National Security Council reported a “significant improvement” in peace & security & asserted that regional security structures have been fortified, sparking skepticism from analysts & opposition figures.
Gunmen reportedly from the Amhara region abducted several people in the North Shewa zone of the Oromia region in an April 6 cross-border attack.
A surprise attack by the Fano militia in the East Gojjam zone, Amhara region reportedly resulted in the deaths of several government security personnel & sparked a series of retaliatory civilian killings by the ENDF.
Residents of the East Wollega zone, Oromia region reported a series of attacks by the OLA, resulting in at least 29 civilian deaths since April 7. The attacks are reportedly in retaliation for the killing of a “close associate” of OLA’s leader, by the ENDF.
Geopolitics
Eritrean opposition group Brigade N’Hamedu has established an Addis Ababa that it says will operate as its headquarters, especially after “military bases are established in the future”. Learn more about escalating Ethio-Eritrean tensions here and here.
The 2025 Global Firepower Index has ranked Ethiopia as among the top 5 military powers in Africa and 52nd globally. Eritrea has been ranked 26th in Africa and 120th globally while Somalia has been ranked 36th in Africa & 142nd globally. Find the full index here. Learn more about security risks in the Horn of Africa here.
Recent devastating floods in Egypt have reignited discussions about the GERD and its impacts on Egypt’s water management. The GERD is now 98.66% complete, with 6 power units already operational.
PM Abiy Ahmed visited Hanoi, Vietnam this week to attend the Partnership for Green Growth & Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit upon the invitation of the Vietnamese government. Following the meeting, Ethiopia and Vietnam signed 2 MOUs focused on trade and educational cooperation.