Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. Its capital is Addis Ababa. With a population exceeding 120-million, it is the second most populous nation on the continent after Nigeria. The economy is primarily agricultural, with coffee as the leading export, though manufacturing and services sectors have expanded in recent years. The Ethiopian birr is the national currency. Ethiopia operates under a federal parliamentary republic, with power shared among regional states including Oromiya, Amhara, Tigray and others. The country is a member of the African Union, whose headquarters are located in Addis Ababa, and belongs to regional blocs including the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Ethiopia has pursued ambitious infrastructure development, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile, and has positioned itself as a hub for light manufacturing and horticulture exports. Political tensions, including conflict in Tigray from 2020 to 2022 and ongoing unrest in Amhara and Oromiya regions, have affected stability and economic growth. The country has a long history as one of the few African nations never colonised, with a distinct cultural and religious heritage. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, leader of the Prosperity Party, has driven economic reforms and regional diplomacy, including normalising relations with Eritrea in 2018.
Ethiopia Updates
Millions of Africans are displaced without crossing a border – and their needs are often overlooked
19th August 2026 The eruption of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo in May 2026 sparked a major crisis.... →
Will Kenya investigate and prosecute Sudan’s RSF?
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 12th August 2026 Prosecuting Rapid Support Forces members in Kenya won’t be easy, but will ultimately depend more on politics than on law or capacity. In June, two... →
How Sudan’s war is destroying its development future
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 11th August 2026 Modelling shows that the civil war is pushing an already fragile development trajectory towards systemic collapse. Over 150 000 people have been... →
Climate change set to redraw Africa’s malaria map, study finds
By: Bloomberg 4th August 2026 Climate change is poised to expose more people to malaria in cooler parts of Africa by the end of the century, with cases potentially rising as... →
How Ethiopia can make COP32 the summit that actually delivers
30th July 2026 The world’s governments will arrive in Addis Ababa in late 2027 for COP32, the first African-hosted climate summit in five years. Ethiopia’s... →
Rethinking the AU's Somalia peace mission after US funding cuts
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 29th July 2026 Ending the military-heavy AUSSOM gives the AU space to develop a political mission focused on long-term stabilisation. After nearly 20 years of... →
2026 African Youth Survey
29th July 2026 The newly released 2026 African Youth Survey reveals a massive economic and political divide: while youth optimism across Africa has bounced back... →
South Africa unexpectedly holds rates as it flags growth risks 
By: Bloomberg 23rd July 2026 The South African Reserve Bank defied expectations and held interest rates steady to support economic growth after revising its inflation forecasts... →
SA: Bantu Holomisa: Address by Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, at the Defence Industry Lekgotla (21/07/2026)
21st July 2026 What must we do, together, to ensure that South Africa retains a capable, sustainable and sovereign defence capability in an environment of limited... →
Global hunger declines across continents but climate, trade risks loom, UN says
By: Reuters 21st July 2026 Global hunger declined for a third consecutive year in 2025, with improvements recorded across every continent, although mounting risks from... →
