News in Brief A friend in Need: Ethiopia Accompanying South Sudan in Peaks and Valleys “Dine for the Nation”: A call to the Diplomatic Community to Engage in Gorgora, Koysha, Wonchi Projects SM Redwan Urges International Community to address external debt of Landlocked Developing Countries Stakeholders establish a Joint Forum on tourism promotion and marketing in Ethiopia Africa and the African Union The AU Commission announced on Wednesday (September 23) that the Director of the African Union’s Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC, Dr. John Nkengasong, has been awarded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) 2020…

News in Brief Floods in Sudan: What Lesson to Take? FM Gedu says Least Developed Countries need to recommit for the 2030 Development Agenda Africa and the African Union The AU Commission celebrated on Tuesday (September 15) the International Day of Democracy under the theme “COVID-19: A Spotlight on Democracy”. This theme is pertinent given that COVID-19 is an unprecedented public health emergency in contemporary times. A statement issued by the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, H.E. Minata Samate Cessouma, reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the African Union and its 55 Member States to the noble goals of Agenda…

News in Brief Africa’s Peace and Prosperity Begin at Home, says PM Abiy Ahmed U.S. House Democrats call to reconsider decision to cut aid for Ethiopia Africa and the African Union Heavy rainfall is expected in Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan over the coming week, the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) warned. According to a statement issued on Monday (September 8) by IGAD’s Climate Prediction and Applications Center, heavy rainfall above 200 mm is expected in parts of western Ethiopia, south-western Sudan and north-western South Sudan that might result in flooding. A meeting convened by the African Union Commission on…

News in Brief Sudan’s Peace Deal: a good example of home-grown African solutions to African problems Press Release on the Tripartite Negotiation on the GERD Press Release on Ethiopian Migrants in Beirut Press Release on Ethiopian Migrants in Saudi Arabia State Minister Redwan Hussien Briefs African Ambassadors on current situations in Ethiopia Africa and the African Union The Ministers for Internal Security and Ministers in charge of Migration Issues of the Member States of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) held a virtual ministerial meeting on the Impact of COVID-19 on People on the Move in the IGAD Region on…

News in Brief Joint Press Communiqué of the meeting between Ethiopia, Sudan Prime Ministers Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed meets with Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in Khartoum, Sudan Annual Meeting of Ambassadors and Mission Leaders  Underway Abay River: a Kaleidoscope of Literature, History, Law, Political-Economy and Philosophy   Africa and the African Union The World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday (August 26) warned that millions of refugees across Eastern Africa, who rely on the agency to survive, will face serious hunger and malnutrition. This is due to vital donor funding being reduced due to the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.…

News in Brief Ambassador Dina Mufti delivers Ministry’s bimonthly Press Briefing Shared Consensus on GERD is absolute, says Gedu Andargachew   Africa and the African Union The UN on Thursday (August 20) reported that in a survey conducted in sub-Saharan Africa by WHO, the survey has found that schools are fully open only in 6 of the 39 countries surveyed.  As a result, WHO and UNICEF are urging governments in Africa to promote the safe reopening of schools while taking measures to limit the spread of the virus.  They say the impact of extended education disruption is significant.  Poor nutrition,…

News in Brief Press Release on the Tripartite Negotiation on the GERD “We do not have a problem for Egypt is utilizing it. The problem arises when it tries to claim a monopoly on the Nile River,”- Ambassador Dina Mufti   Africa and the African Union Economic Commission for Africa’s Executive Secretary, Vera Songwe, has called on China to honour the pledge made by President Xi Jinping on his country’s participation in the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI), which she said, “would go a long way towards supporting Africa’s liquidity needs during this difficult time.” Songwe said: “Time is…

News in Brief Spokesperson Ambassador Dina Mufti Delivers Ministry’s Bimonthly Media Briefing South Africa Says the Spirit of Pan-African Solidarity and Fraternity Should Continue to Guide GERD Talks Press Release on the Resumption of the Tripartite Negotiation on the GERD (August 03) Press Release on the Resumption of the Tripartite Negotiation on the GERD (August 04) Correcting Misinformation   Africa and the African Union   Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa Major General Dagvin R.M. Anderson on Thursday (August 06) said the US continues partnerships with African nations to reduce extremism, combat terrorist organizations. In a press conference held…

News in Brief UK Foreign Minister for Africa pays a three-day visit to Ethiopia UK Foreign Minister for Africa calls on the Deputy Chairperson of the AUC Joint AU-IGAD Statement on the Recent Developments in Somalia   Africa and the African Union The African Union’s Labour Migration Advisory Committee (LMAC) last week convened a virtual conference where health policy experts discussed ways to better manage the labour market for health workers in Africa. This was the last of three online meetings in which LMAC examined changes in labour migration governance in Africa in the context of disruptions caused by the…

News in Brief ‘African solutions to African problems’ is the way to go, say African Leaders following Latest Negotiation over GERD The Bureau of the African Union Assembly Convened a follow-up Extraordinary Meeting over GERD Ethiopia Celebrates the first phase of the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam PM Abiy Ahmed pays a two-day visit to Eritrea The Government of Ethiopia reaffirms commitment to assist and support Ethiopian citizens residing abroad and endangered by the COVID- 19 pandemic Africa and the African Union The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Monday (July 20) said that locusts continue to be a…