Eritrea

Ethiopia

Somalia

Egypt

Military & Security

Politics

Egypt, Eritrea and Somalia agreed to advance joint security cooperation at a trilateral summit of the three countries' heads of state, Reuters reported on Oct. 10.

Africa: Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia Advance Tripartite Security Partnership

Economics

A government spokesperson announced that the Ethiopian government had increased the price of diesel and gasoline by around 8% and 10%, respectively, due to the birr's devaluation but that the government would continue to cover 75%-80% of the price difference caused by the birr's depreciation through subsidies, Addis Standard reported on Oct. 9. 

Ethiopia: Government Hikes Fuel Prices as Ethio Telecom Prepares To Sell Stake 

The president of Somalia's Jubaland state, Ahmed Madobe, rejected proposals by federal President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to attach a term extension to a planned electoral reform, Garowe Online reported on Oct. 7.

Somalia: Tensions Rise Between Federal Government and Jubaland Over Electoral Reform

Clashes between Ethiopia's federal military and Amhara militias, also known as Fano, killed at least 20 people between Sept. 29 and Oct. 2 in the city of Gondar, Addis Standard reported on Oct. 3.

Ethiopia: Heavy Fighting in Gondar Between Amhara Militias and Government Forces 

Islamic State in Somalia, or ISS, has doubled in size over the past year, according to U.S. Africa Command commander Gen. Michael Langley, Voice of America reported on Oct. 1.

Somalia: Islamic State Doubles in Size in Northern Region, U.S. Military Says

Sagni Nagasa, a commander in Ethiopia's rebel Oromo Liberation Army, or OLA, defected from the group after criticizing its lack of bylaws and authoritarianism, Addis Standard reported on Sept. 30. 

Ethiopia: Rebel Group Denies Split Amid Reports of Defection

Egypt delivered a new consignment of heavy weapons to Somalia, including anti-aircraft guns and artillery, Reuters reported on Sept. 23.

Somalia: Egypt Proceeds With New Heavy Weapons Shipment to Mogadishu  

Ethiopia's Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, expelled Tigray interim regional administration leader Getachew Reda and 15 other senior party officials, citing embezzlement of public funds, Addis Standard reported on Sept. 17.

Ethiopia: TPLF Expels Leader of Tigray Interim Administration as Internal Rift Widens

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The Geopolitics of Water

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Population growth, security vacuums, bad governance and climate change will increasingly strain the desert region's already scarce water supplies, raising the risk of social unrest, interstate conflict and violence from non-state actors.

In the Middle East, Water Will Increasingly Become a Weapon and Driver of Conflict

Internally displaced people walk past the Tigrayan flag at the Tsehaye camp in Ethiopia's Shire, Tigray region, on July 16, 2024. 

Factionalism within the Tigray region's ruling party raises the prospect of resurging clashes in the region, threatening to undermine Ethiopia's recent peace and economic gains.

Tigray's Leadership Tussle Bodes Ill for Ethiopia

The skyline of the western section of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is seen on Dec. 28, 2020. 

Multilateral support will facilitate the country's debt restructuring, but the enactment of painful economic and monetary reforms could see more Ethiopians join ethnic militias in the short-to-medium term.

Ethiopia's IMF Deal Presages Long-Term Gains but Risks Fueling Security Challenges

Snapshots

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Europe

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India

A map illustrating Turkey (in red) and the BRICS countries (in blue).

Joining BRICS would underscore Turkey's balancing act between the West and the Global South, but the organization's weaknesses will limit its potential for economic growth.

For Turkey, BRICS Is Far From a Political and Economic Panacea

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ghana

Kenya

Malawi

Tanzania

Zambia

Zimbabwe

South Korea

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) speaks as Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (L), chair of the African Union, listens during a joint press conference following the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit in Goyang, South Korea, on June 4, 2024.

Energy

A recent summit highlights South Korea's commitment to expanding its role in Africa as Yoon looks to strengthen his country's technological future and geopolitical influence.

In South Korea, Yoon's Desire for Supply Chains and Prestige Points to Africa

A photo of the Somali flag.

As Somalia’s president moves to strengthen the country’s fragile state institutions, disputes over constitutional reforms threaten to deepen domestic and regional challenges.

Somalia's Constitutional Changes Widen Rifts at Home and Abroad

Senegal

Taiwan

Germany

Displaced Palestinians camp near the fence separating the Gaza Strip from Egypt on Feb. 16, 2024, in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Egypt will continue to prepare a contingency plan in case Palestinians cross the Egypt-Gaza border amid growing signs that the Rafah offensive could start as early as this week.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

U.S.-China Relations

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Egypt Plans for a Palestinian Influx, African Union Heads of State Meet

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attends a press conference in Rome, Italy, on Feb. 6, 2023. 

The implementation of the deal, which will grant land-locked Ethiopia access to the Berbera port in exchange for recognizing Somaliland's independence, could reshape the politics of the Horn of Africa.

The Drivers and Risks of Ethiopia's Historic Pact With Somaliland

Saudi Arabia

Belgium

Leaders at the closing day of the BRICS Summit on Aug. 24, 2023, in Johannesburg. On Jan. 1, BRICS will admit Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia after agreeing at an August summit to expand its membership.

The Weekly Rundown: Taiwan's Election Media Blackout, BRICS Expansion

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (left) addresses lawmakers in parliament in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 28, 2023. 

Even if Ethiopia's failure to pay a Eurobond coupon doesn't lead to a default, the country will likely still face a long and painful economic recovery as it seeks an IMF bailout and external debt restructuring.

A Missed Coupon Payment Fuels Fears of an Ethiopian Default

A view of the city of Bahir Dar, the capital of the Amhara region in northern Ethiopia, on June 19, 2021.

Renewed conflict between Amhara special forces and the Ethiopian military is endangering the country's fragile peace and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's mandate.

Unrest in Amhara Threatens to Destabilize Northern Ethiopia's Tenuous Peace

Ethiopian military forces transport a Saeer KS-19 automatic 100 mm anti-aircraft gun Dec. 5, 2021, in Shewa Robit, Ethiopia.

A successful peace deal would facilitate humanitarian aid flows, increase regional access to services and spur the eventual return of foreign investment.

Tigrayan Rebels Begin Surrendering Their Heavy Weapons, a Hopeful Sign for Ethiopia

Ethiopia is an ancient African country bordered by Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, South Sudan and Sudan. Ethiopia's relatively large population of 100 million people has helped the country establish itself as a regional heavyweight in East Africa. Its extensive mountain system, which surrounds the fertile lowland core of the country, is key to understanding Ethiopia's diverse ethnic composition and how it relates to its neighbors. Invasion is not a major concern for Ethiopia, as the northern Ethiopian Plateau and the Ahmar Mountains almost completely surround the lowlands. In the northeast, the Awash River Basin opens to the coastline, but even this area gains a certain measure of protection from its extreme desert conditions. The country's capital, Addis Ababa, sits at an elevated position overseeing the lowlands, where the majority Oromo and Amharic peoples merge with several less populous mountain cultures. Ethiopia's greatest challenge is uniting these disparate groups. Financially, Ethiopia's export and import costs are high because neighbors Djibouti and Eritrea block its sea access. North of the lowland core, the Ethiopian Plateau serves as the country's breadbasket, growing wheat, barley, corn and the staple crop teff. These highlands form an extensive drainage system that creates the most fertile land in the region. Within this region lies Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile River, which is the largest tributary of the greater Nile River. Much of Ethiopia's coffee is grown at the fertile apex of the Ahmar Mountains, which are south of the lowlands. Those mountains descend into the arid Ogaden desert, which was acquired in the 19th century and remains disconnected from the core. While it provides Ethiopia with strategic depth to protect it from the issues of its unstable neighbor Somalia, the desert is also home to separatist and Somali militants, which pose a threat to the Ethiopian state.

SITUATION REPORTS

Africa: Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia Advance Tripartite Security Partnership

Ethiopia: Government Hikes Fuel Prices as Ethio Telecom Prepares To Sell Stake

Somalia: Tensions Rise Between Federal Government and Jubaland Over Electoral Reform

Ethiopia: Heavy Fighting in Gondar Between Amhara Militias and Government Forces

Somalia: Islamic State Doubles in Size in Northern Region, U.S. Military Says

Ethiopia: Rebel Group Denies Split Amid Reports of Defection

Somalia: Egypt Proceeds With New Heavy Weapons Shipment to Mogadishu

Ethiopia: TPLF Expels Leader of Tigray Interim Administration as Internal Rift Widens

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