Eritrea

Ethiopia

Somalia

Egypt

Military & Security

Politics

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

Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi warned that Somalia might consider supporting Ethiopian rebel groups if Ethiopia moves forward with its Somaliland agreement, which Somalia perceives as a threat to its sovereignty, Garowe Online reported on Sept. 15.

Ethiopia, Somalia: Somalia 'Open' To Supporting Ethiopian Rebels

South Sudan

Sudan

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Ethiopia informed the U.N. Security Council that it had submitted a ratified version of the Nile Basin Initiative's Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) to the African Union on Aug. 14, Addis Standard reported Sept. 9.

Ethiopia: Country Submits Ratified Nile Basin Cooperation Deal to the African Union 

The Ethiopian federal government released seven members of the Oromo Liberation Front party, or OLF, from various prisons after over four years, Addis Standard reported on Sept. 5.

Ethiopia: Federal Government Releases Seven Senior OLF Members From Prison

Djibouti

Economics

Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf said he expected Ethiopia to respond positively to Djibouti's proposal to offer Ethiopia "100% management" of the port of Tadjourah, located in northern Djibouti, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 4.

Ethiopia: Djibouti-Ethiopia Port Deal May Not Break Deadlock Over Somaliland

In a letter to the United Nations, Egypt accused Ethiopia of violating international law and multilateral agreements by unilaterally proceeding with a fifth filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and threatened to take "all necessary measures" to protect its water security, Addis Standard reported on Sept. 2.

Ethiopia, Egypt: Cairo Threatens Action Over Addis Ababa's Fifth GERD Filling

Two C-130 Egyptian military aircraft arrived at Mogadishu International Airport on Aug. 27, reportedly carrying equipment and personnel, Garowe Online reported the following day.

Africa: Ethiopia Condemns Arrival of Egyptian Military Equipment in Somalia

Egypt and Somalia signed a defense pact to strengthen security cooperation during Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's visit to Cairo, Egypt, Garowe Online reported on Aug. 14.

Somalia, Egypt: Defense Agreement May Bolster Security as African Union Forces Depart

Assessments

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

South Africa

Brazil

United States

Iran

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

China

Europe

Russia

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

Israel

Palestinian Territories

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

Columns

On Geopolitics

Sub-Saharan Africa

Burundi

Central African Republic

Cote d'Ivoire

Mali

Mozambique

Nigeria

Women sit under U.N.-branded cardboard boxes in Semera, Ethiopia, on Feb. 14, 2022, as they wait to be registered by the authorities at a hotel compound hosting civilians fleeing violence. 

Social Issues

GBV is often primarily seen as a women’s and human rights issue. But in sub-Saharan Africa, it is also a key constraint to stable (and democratic) governance, economic growth, and lasting peace.

The Geopolitics of Gender-Based Violence in Africa

Argentina

Hong Kong SAR, China

France

Ukraine

Belarus

In this scorecard, we take a critical look at our successes and slip-ups in forecasting geopolitical events over the past year.

Grading Our 2022 Annual Forecast as 2023 Approaches

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

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

Ethiopia, Somalia: Somalia 'Open' To Supporting Ethiopian Rebels

Ethiopia: Country Submits Ratified Nile Basin Cooperation Deal to the African Union

Ethiopia: Federal Government Releases Seven Senior OLF Members From Prison

Ethiopia: Djibouti-Ethiopia Port Deal May Not Break Deadlock Over Somaliland

Ethiopia, Egypt: Cairo Threatens Action Over Addis Ababa's Fifth GERD Filling

Africa: Ethiopia Condemns Arrival of Egyptian Military Equipment in Somalia

Somalia, Egypt: Defense Agreement May Bolster Security as African Union Forces Depart

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