Addis Standard

News: No crude oil export left #Kuwait in April for first time since 1991, tanker tracker reports Although #Ethiopia does not import crude oil due to the absence of domestic refining capacity, its fuel supply is closely tied to Kuwait’s refining sector. The Al-Zour Refinery, Kuwait’s largest refinery, reached full production capacity of 615,000 barrels per day in February, shortly before the outbreak of war, marking four years since test runs began in 2020. Its average refining rate had already reached about 507,450 barrels per day during the 2024/25 fiscal year. Shortly after the conflict began, three vessels carrying 120,000 metric tons of gas oil and 60,000 metric tons of jet fuel destined for Ethiopia were stranded in the Arabian Gulf, with no official update on whether they have since departed. https://addisstandard.com/?p=56758

#Ethiopia: New bank credit regulation to ensure industry receives fair share of financing in the making, PM Abiy PM Abiy said the regulation, expected “within the next few weeks, perhaps in less than a month”, aims to correct what he described as imbalance in credit allocation. Beyond the credit gap however, Ethiopia’s industrial sector has been grappling with layers of challenges including conflicts. In its December 2025 assessment, Africa Risk Control (ARC) has warned that conflict-related pressures continue to shape Ethiopia’s operating environment heading into 2026, despite signs of gradual improvement in national stability indicators. https://addisstandard.com/?p=56750

#Ethiopia: VOX Tigray report warns of “severe deterioration” of media environment in #Tigray A new report by #VOX_Tigray has documented what it describes as a “severe deterioration” of the media environment in Tigray over the past year, with conditions worsening sharply since early 2026 amid growing political pressure, arrests, and displacement of journalists. The report, sent to #Addis_Standard, based on interviews with media professionals and cross-checked accounts, paints a picture of a sector under strain from “physical threats, arbitrary arrest, surveillance, smear campaigns, editorial coercion, economic hardship, and displacement.” It situates the crisis within broader national trends of declining press freedom and heightened political polarization, both at federal and regional levels. https://addisstandard.com/?p=56747

#UAE charity pledges $300,000 to #Ethiopia Cardiac Center for pediatric heart care Addis Abeba - The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has pledged $300,000 in financial support to the Ethiopia Cardiac Centerto expand life-saving treatment and surgeries for children with heart conditions, according to the WAM. The funding announcement was made during an official visit to the center in Addis Abeba by a UAE delegation, including Mohamed Salem Al Rashdi, Mohammed Hilal Al Kaabi, and Ahmed Sari Al Mazrouei. The visit took place on the sidelines of the Zayed Charity Run, scheduled to be held in the capital. Al Mazrouei said the contribution is aimed at strengthening the center’s capacity to treat children and aligns with the humanitarian mission of the charity run, inspired by the legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. https://www.facebook.com/AddisstandardEng/posts/pfbid02fmQxPKzGWQaMRRzwLbUkZRXf473x8QuFpJcMDZnZWWXHCXY668BXSaQBvNzzb9uxl

#World_Press_Freedom_Day: #Ethiopia slums to 148th in 2026 Global Index amid conflicts, crackdowns against independent media Independent media environment in Ethiopia has suffered yet another setback, falling to 148th place in the 2026 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index. Ethiopia’s score declined to 34.66 from 36.92 the previous year. Nowhere is this mounting pressure more evident than in the sustained #security and #administrative actions targeting #Addis_Standard. Over the past year alone, the outlet’s tri-lingual publication has been subjected to multiple crackdowns. https://addisstandard.com/?p=56743

#Commentary: #Ethiopia’s Policy Realignment: From #Pan_African Beacon to Client State On 31 March 2026, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution condemning #Israel’s actions in the occupied #Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan Heights. Thirty-one countries supported it; Ethiopia was among only three in opposition. Sidoc Haytu describes the move as “a profound betrayal of the Pan-Africanist and anti-colonial principles that once defined the Ethiopian state.” While officials frame the vote as pragmatic, he argues it serves elite interests, noting “the calculation was not performed on behalf of the 120 million Ethiopians.” Contrasting Ethiopia’s past stance, he claims, “When Ethiopia votes at the #UN… it is voting as a client of…Tel Aviv,” urging a reversal: “Ethiopia will not stand with colonizers.” https://addisstandard.com/?p=56716

News: ‘A humanitarian catastrophe for up to 3.1 million… is anticipated’: #US Senator warns of #Ethiopia food aid collapse as #JEOP funding scheduled to end Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has warned of an impending “humanitarian catastrophe” in Ethiopia as U.S. funding cuts threaten to halt the Joint Emergency Operation Program (JEOP), a major food assistance mechanism supporting millions across Ethiopia’s war-torn regions of Afar, Amhara and Tigray. In an email sent to #Addis_Standard containing the letter, Senator Jeanne said, “due to funding cuts and the restructuring of U.S. food assistance programs… key programs for life saving food assistance… will come to an end in June 2026,” warning that “a humanitarian catastrophe for up to 3.1 million acutely food insecure people is anticipated, including over a million internally displaced in Ethiopia.” https://addisstandard.com/?p=56729

News: #Iran conflict disrupts global aid supply chains, increasing humanitarian pressure in #Africa including in #Ethiopia Ethiopia is among African countries increasingly affected by disruptions to global humanitarian supply chains as the ongoing Iran crisis drives up transport costs and delays aid deliveries, the United Nations has warned. Countries including Ethiopia, #Sudan, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of #Congo are among those facing mounting challenges as humanitarian agencies struggle to maintain supply lines. https://addisstandard.com/?p=56721

News: #EU calls for immediate de-escalation amid rising tensions in #Tigray Addis Abeba – The European Union has expressed “great concern” over the latest developments in #Ethiopia’s Tigray region, urging all parties to immediately de-escalate and avoid actions that could undermine the fragile peace agreement signed in 2022. In a statement issued on 30 April by its foreign affairs spokesperson, the EU called for restraint and emphasized the need to preserve the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement reached in #Pretoria in November 2022. The bloc warned against any moves that could jeopardize the deal, stressing that preventing a return to conflict is “imperative.” The EU further underscored that differences between the parties must be resolved through political dialogue, reiterating that a renewed conflict would have devastating consequences for a region still recovering from a two-year war that ended with the Pretoria agreement. https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1C4h5wziN2/

Tigray tensions rise again as TPLF reinstates its council, challenging the post-war order. With leadership disputes growing, elections remain the key unresolved issue. As Semhal Meles noted in this November 2025 podcast – “the international community underwrote a genocide in order to overturn Tigray’s democratic will” - despite the trauma and fear tied to the last local elections, a return to the ballot remains, for many, the only path toward restoring constitutional order and lasting stability. Watch full: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEHuTiHnQNg&t=1s #Tigray#Ethiopia#Elections

#Op_ed: Shifting Alliances, Growing Threats: #Eritrea’s shadow over #Tigray, rising risks across northern #Ethiopia Over the past five years, Ethiopia has faced persistent instability, from the Tigray war to unrest in #Amhara and #Oromia, writes Zerihun Hailu. He argues that these crises have left the country fragile, while Eritrea under Isaias Afwerki continues to exert influence beyond its borders. Zerihun describes Isaias Afwerki’s approach as one of “strategic flexibility,” shifting alliances to maintain leverage. During the war in Tigray, Eritrean forces were a key ally of the federal government. However, post-war, reports suggest renewed engagement between Eritrean officials and #TPLF factions, threatening national stability. He emphasizes that preventing renewed conflict requires prioritizing federal cooperation over external alliances. https://addisstandard.com/?p=56703

News: #Ethiopian community members in #South_Africa accuse home government of inaction as embassy says engaging authorities Members of the Ethiopian community in South Africa have criticized what they describe as a lack of adequate protection and diplomatic response following recent killings of Ethiopian nationals in Johannesburg, even as #Ethiopia’s embassy in #Pretoria said it is engaging authorities and calling for stronger security measures. The criticism follows a recent shooting in #Johannesburg in which four Ethiopians were killed, with Ethiopian officials saying they are awaiting the outcome of investigations by South African authorities. Speaking to #Addis_Standard on condition of anonymity, a member of the Ethiopian Community in South Africa said the killings of Ethiopians, #Eritreans and #Somalis in South Africa are not new, but warned both the frequency and nature of the attacks appear to be worsening. https://addisstandard.com/?p=56694