July 13-19, 2025
Deputy resigns from EHRC; Parliament passes income tax bill; High-grade copper found in Wollega; Central & Oromia go tit-for-tat; USA resumes food aid; MSF confirms "deliberate" ENDF executions.
Business & Finance
Australia’s Askari Metals identified significant high-grade copper mineralization at its newly acquired Nejo gold project in the West Wollega zone, Oromia region. Learn more here.
China’s BIT Mining announced the completion of the 2nd phase of its acquisition of crypto mining data centers & Bitcoin mining machines in Ethiopia on July 14.
Germany’s Bavaria Beverages announced plans to acquire full ownership of Habesha Beer Brewery at ETB 5,900 per share.
Nigeria’s Dangote Group revealed plans to construct 2 new cement plants in Shaggar City, Oromia region.
Safaricom revealed plans to grow its Ethiopian customer base by as much as 70% in the current fiscal year as part of its efforts to break even.
Yusra Home announced a landmark partnership with Ashley Furniture Industries, with an exclusive signing ceremony scheduled for July 11.
A July 16 Ethiopian Airlines (ETH) flight skidded off the runway shortly after landing at Alula Aba Nega International Airport in Mekelle, Tigray region. Meanwhile, ETH launched new daily flights to Abu Dhabi.
ETTA Solutions, Dashen Bank & Ethio Telecom officially launched a business automation platform known as “Zoorya” on July 12.
NIB International Bank reported a gross profit of ETB 1.7 billion this fiscal year & launched its digital banking platform, NIBtera.
CBE reported a gross profit of ETB 32.7 billion this fiscal year, marking a 14.2% increase from the previous year.
Economy & Development
The IMF identified key challenges facing the country’s macroeconomic reform & debt restructuring, including declining donor support, chronic insecurity, & renewed pressure in the parallel forex market.
The World Bank attributed Ethiopia’s omission from its annual income classification to fluctuating forex rates resulting from the macroeconomic reform & deployed numerous teams to conduct performance evaluations.
Addis Ababa approved a fully independent record budget of ETB 350 billion for the upcoming fiscal year, marking a 45.1% increase from the previous year.
A new Addis Ababa City Revenue Bureau (AACRB) directive aims to reshape how over half a million property owners report & pay taxes. Meanwhile, AACRB has exempted raw vegetables from VAT, although fruits are still taxable.
Parliament amended the Income Tax Bill to exempt reinvested dividends used to settle unpaid subscribed capital from income taxation.
The Ethiopian Deposit Insurance Fund requested tax-exempted status for the revenue it earns from interest payments made by other financial institutions.
Society & Human Rights
Two senior officials, including the Deputy Chief Commissioner, have resigned from the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), citing unilateral decisions made by the recently appointed Chief Commissioner Birhanu Adelo.
An MSF investigation found that the 2021 murder of 3 of its on-duty humanitarian staff members in the Tigray region during the 2020-22 war was a deliberate & targeted execution by ENDF soldiers.
Exiled opposition politician Lidetu Ayalew accused Oromia forces of ordering him to vacate his private residence in Bishoftu within 10 days, without a court order.
Opposition politician Yohannes Bwayalew & co-defendants warned that they will no longer appear at hearings if their petitions to the court are not addressed.
Butcher shops and clinics have been prohibited from using the Red Cross logo on their premises.
Governance & Corruption
Parliament passed the controversial draft Income Tax Bill on July 16 with only 5 votes against despite significant criticism from various stakeholders.
Parliament passed a controversial draft amendment to the Election Bill despite significant criticism from political parties and other observers.
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) ratified a new bill requiring excise tax labels on goods subject to excise taxation, such as alcohol and cigarettes.
The Addis Ababa City Administration is cracking down against traditional alcohol houses (ጠላ ቤት), closing several licensed outlets after citing “security concerns.
The Addis Ababa City Administration warned against unnamed foreign refugees who are “a danger to the city’s security” in a July 11 statement.
A new PSI study warned of a “sharp rise” in informal settlements across cities, driven by rapid urbanization (5.4% annually) and a shortage of affordable land.
Humanitarian Needs
The USA resumed food aid deliveries to northern Ethiopia on July 15 but transferred food aid distribution operations to the Joint Emergency Operations Program (JEOP) run by Catholic Relief Services (CRS).
A July 18 UNHCR report revealed that up to 11.6 million refugees risk losing access to direct humanitarian assistance this year following major cuts to humanitarian budgets.
A new UN OCHA report revealed a deepening humanitarian crisis in the Amhara region, where ~500,000 IDPs face severe shortages of food, clean water & more.
Tigrayan refugees in Sudan staged a July 17 peaceful protest calling for urgent international intervention in response to deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
6 IDPs have died of cholera in the East Shewa zone, Oromia region amidst a shortage of clean water & a sharp decline in humanitarian assistance to the area.
Politics
Opposition Tigray Democratic Solidarity Party (SIMRET), recently founded by former TIA President Getachew Reda, opened its first office in Mekelle and received a temporary registration certificate from the NEBE.
PM Abiy announced that the government had engaged in a “fruitful” dialogue with a delegation from the Tigray Orthodox Church (TOTC) in a July 18 social media post amidst rising tensions & fears of a return to war in the region
Conflict & Security
Oromia special forces & militias reportedly killed at least 8 people and abducted 20 in the Abeshge woreda, Central region on July 11.
OLA reportedly killed at least 16 people, including local officials & militia members, in a grenade attack in the North Shewa zone, Oromia region this week.
Fano militias reportedly killed at least 9 farmers & abducted 6 others in a July 14 attack in Chilga woreda, Central Gondar zone, Amhara region.
Geopolitics
US President Trump caused anger after repeating false claims that the US had financed the GERD during a July 14 meeting. The Ethiopian Embassy in Tel Aviv criticized the “misleading” remarks while the US Ambassador to Ethiopia declined to comment.
The National Intelligence & Security Service (NISS) announced the arrest of 82 people suspected of affiliation with a Somalia-based ISIS group, marking the most extensive counterterrorism operation targeting ISIS networks inside Ethiopia to date.
Ethiopian officials ruled out the possibility of joining the East African Community (EAC) in the near future, citing a lack of preparation & potential economic consequences.
Egypt welcomed US President Trump’s July 14 remarks on the GERD, where he called for a “fair agreement” to be reached regarding the dam.
The Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization, an Eritrean opposition insurgent group based in Ethiopia, held its General Conference in Semera, Afar region on July 13.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Ambassador Haile Menkerios, warned that another Ethio-Eritrean war would be disastrous for both countries.
Kenya is preparing to deploy troops and police along the Ethiopian border to address chronic cross-border attacks.
The Ministry of Labour and Skills (MOLS) announced a July 4 joint agreement between Ethiopia and South Sudan focused on employment collaboration.