Commentary | Oct 20, 2026

Steering the Leviathan — What Tariku Demissie’s Rise Means for Ethio Telecom and Ethiopia’s Digital Future

Tariku Demissie's nomination as Acting Chief Executive Officer brought an end to Ethio Telecom's two-week administrative void. After Frehiwot Tamiru left to join Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Cabinet as Minister of Innovation & Technology, Tariku assumed control of one of the most influential, politically sensitive, and commercially significant positions in the Horn of Africa. This leadership change is much more than a straightforward business handoff for an organization that is both the nation's digital backbone and a significant source of governmental money. It marks a critical turning point in Ethiopia's navigation of its quickly changing digital transformation, market liberalization, and telecoms ecosystem....

Read More Share

Opinion | Oct 19, 2026

Why Tsegaye Ararsa Is Wrong About Ethiopia’s Right to the Sea

I was impressed by how skillfully Tsegaye Ararsa's legalistic framing avoids the hard realities that more than 140 million Ethiopians face when I listened to him on Tghat. Tsegaye views our country's quest for direct sea access as little more than a political ploy, a stage show put on by the current government to divert attention from internal conflict....

Read More Share

Opinion | Oct 09, 2026

Ethiopia–Eritrea Tensions Threaten to Turn Tigray Conflict Into Regional War

The renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia is evolving beyond a domestic conflict, raising the prospect of a direct confrontation between Ethiopia and Eritrea and threatening to destabilise the wider Horn of Africa. ...

Read More Share

Commentary | Sep 15, 2026

The Illusion of Clemency: How Ethiopian Executive Discretion Sabotages the Rule of Law

The recent release of over 600 prisoners on the eve of the Ethiopian New Year was publicly framed as a grand gesture of reconciliation—a bridge toward national healing. Yet, behind the official rhetoric lies a deeply alarming practice: the executive branch’s manipulation of judicial processes under the guise of "clemency." Rather than demonstrating political goodwill, forcing pre-trial political detainees to request pardons and sign self-incriminating conditional documents exposes a troubling erosion of procedural integrity, institutional independence, and constitutional governance....

Read More Share

Commentary | Jul 28, 2026

Navigating Ethiopia’s Cross-Roads Through National Dialogue

The ongoing Ethiopian National Dialogue in Addis Ababa marks a historic juncture as delegates grapple with foundational questions surrounding the nation's identity, governance, and institutional framework. ...

Read More Share

Opinion | Jul 20, 2026

Washington–Cairo–Asmara Alignment: Strategic Realignment or Dangerous Calculation?

A recent diplomatic exchange on social media has ignited fresh debate over shifting geopolitical alignments along the Red Sea corridor. The discourse erupted following a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Massad Boulos, the U.S. Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs, who announced a productive meeting with Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh in Cairo. Boulos highlighted discussions aimed at expanding bilateral relations, trade, regional security, and economic cooperation, while acknowledging the complex dynamics of the region. ...

Read More Share

Commentary | Jul 16, 2026

Beyond the Numbers: Why Real Peace on the Ground is the True Test of Dialogue

The launch of the National Dialogue Commission’s final conference in Addis Ababa marks a highly anticipated moment in Ethiopia’s modern political history. For more than four years, the Commission has gathered agendas and selected representatives across a deeply fractured nation. Now, as four thousand delegates gather at the Addis Convention Center, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has used the opening stage to signal a profound shift: the potential dismantling or heavy modification of the country’s thirty-year-old constitution....

Read More Share

Commentary | Jul 09, 2026

A rare, bruising debate in the Parliament exposes the vast, destabilizing chasm between state-sponsored growth statistics and the brutal reality of inflation and active conflict

The atmosphere inside the House of Peoples' Representatives in Addis Ababa this week was far from the choreographed rubber-stamping that often characterizes state reviews. Instead, the chamber became a political fault line, witnessing a bruising collision between official triumphalism and the lived reality of a population pushed to its absolute limits....

Read More Share

Editorial | Jul 04, 2026

The 15-Billion-Birr Disarray: State Treasury Leakage and the Death of Accountability

The FY 2024/25 (2017 EFY) audit report recently presented by the Office of the Federal Auditor General to the House of Peoples' Representatives has unveiled a deeply shocking and disheartening reality for every patriotic citizen. ...

Read More Share

Commentary | Jul 03, 2026

A Ballot Forged in Resilience: June 1st as a Testament to National Grit

On June 1st, 2026, polling stations across the capital city of Addis Ababa and various regions of the country were bustling with long, orderly lines of voters. Under calm skies, blue ballot boxes, digital fingerprint scanners, and millions of citizens holding their voter cards stood as symbols of hope and democratic decorum. Rather than being defined by the multifaceted security and political challenges facing the nation, this historic day went down in the books as a triumph of democratic enthusiasm and institutional resilience....

Read More Share

Commentary | Jul 03, 2026

The "Solidarity" Mirage: Why Andargachew Tsige’s Horn of Africa Blueprint is a Dangerous Illusion

At the recent Horn of Africa Peace Conference, aptly titled “Tsimdi” (Solidarity) and hosted in Sudan, prominent political figure Andargachew Tsige delivered a virtual keynote address that was quickly swallowed by his supporters as a masterclass in regional statesmanship. ...

Read More Share

Opinion | Jul 03, 2026

Farcical Secrecy, Banning the Press While Debating a "Freedom of Information" Law

In a democratic system, parliament is the ultimate sanctuary of the people, a place where the public voice is heard, government operations are scrutinized, and transparency reigns supreme. ...

Read More Share

Opinion | Jul 03, 2026

Assab: The "Red Pond" Ethiopia Can No Longer Ignore

Being landlocked does not inherently condemn a nation to poverty, nor does possessing a coastline guarantee prosperity. Eritrea, for instance, boasts more than three islands and two major ports, yet where does Eritrea stand today? Nevertheless, the maritime question raised by the government is fundamental; it is beyond doubt that we require such access. Assab is inhabited by the Afar people; indeed, it was founded by them. In the Afar language, “Assab-uy” translates to “Red Pond.” Crucially, Ethiopia’s maritime history predates even the pre-Aksumite civilisations....

Read More Share

Editorial | Jul 04, 2026

Economic Myopia, The Flawed Case Against the Awash–Mekelle Railway

The assertion that the Awash to Mekelle railway constitutes a “loss making investment” by Abiy Ahmed may carry rhetorical force, yet it does not withstand rigorous scrutiny when examined through the lens of long term economic strategy, state continuity, and the fundamental logic of infrastructure development. Indeed, when one takes into account that the project was launched by the previous regime shortly before the incumbent administration assumed office, the critique becomes not only analytically weak, but politically evasive....

Read More Share

Commentary | Jun 30, 2026

Tax-Free Deals: Growth Engine or Risky Bet?

The recent decision by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Finance to grant income tax exemptions to investors operating within free trade zones marks a significant policy shift—one that is as ambitious as it is consequential. At its core, this reform seeks to alleviate financial pressures on investors while catalysing industrial growth. Yet, beyond the optimism that accompanies such fiscal incentives lies a deeper question: does this policy represent a sustainable pathway to economic transformation, or merely a temporary reprieve from structural constraints?...

Read More Share

Opinion | Jul 04, 2026

Suffering as the Architect of the Self

By Staff Writer...

Read More Share