Browsing: Abiy Ahmed

Since November 2020, Tigray’s rebel forces have been fighting Ethiopia’s military forces, leaving hundreds in humanitarian crises and with countless deaths. This poses a threat to the rest of the region and to Ethiopia’s development initiatives. Ethiopia’s two neighbouring countries, South Sudan and Somalia, are also in deep civil conflict.
The World Bank (WB), one of Ethiopia’s close development partners, argues that its location gives this nation of more than 112 million people a strategic dominance as a “jumping-off” point in the Horn of Africa, close to the Middle East and its markets.
The second most populous country with the fastest growing economy in the region has impressed the globe with its development pace, from enhancing its aviation power to increasing infrastructure to make the country more accessible and up to speed. …

Kenya’s exports to Ethiopia in 2019 were valued at US$67 million, while Ethiopia’s exports to Kenya were valued at US$52.05 million and it is expected to increase significantly with the operationalisation. The OSBP and the LAPSSET corridor are expected to enhance this trade. 

During the launch, PM Abiy hailed deepening economic ties between the two nations as one that would lead to mutual benefit for the people and economies of the neighbouring nations. …

Over a long period of time, landlocked Ethiopia has been forced to rely on neighboring Djibouti for most of its trade.  The country with about 100 million people has been carrying out is import and export trade through Djibouti which has a population of less than 1 million people.

Ethiopia lost access to its coastline, impeding its economic growth and limiting the nation’s ambitions of becoming a regional hegemon when Eritrea seceded in 1993.

Ethiopia’s overdependence on Djibouti is also as a result of her strained relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara. However, Ethiopia is set to get a major trade gateway after the completion of Berbera port.

Berbera Port

A new container terminal opened at Berbera port in the semi-autonomous Somaliland region is expected to be a major trade gateway for the landlocked country. The port, according to reports, will further enhance trade relations among East African and Gulf …

While Kenya’s foreign affairs minister, Monica Juma, said she wasn’t aware of the incident, President Farmaajo on Friday avoided Nairobi for a connection flight to South Africa for Cyril Ramaphosa’s swearing-in ceremony.…

AfCFTA, when fully ratified, will cover more than 1.2 billion people with a combined GDP of USD2.5 trillion.…