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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen gave a briefing today (February 10) to Resident Ambassadors and Diplomats of African countries in Ethiopia regarding the current status of the humanitarian assistance process in the Tigray region and the preparations for the upcoming general elections in Ethiopia.

Along with Mr. Demeke, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy of Ethiopia, H.E. Dr. Eng. Seleshi Bekele and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Ambassador Woineshet Taddesse, have also delivered briefings on the current status of the GERD negotiations and the Ethiopia-Sudan Border dispute respectively.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, about 26 International humanitarian organizations are working on the ground in Tigray by getting all the necessary access that they need to properly function, while the government has not been willing to accept questions to access the region without proper notifications, documents, and contrary to the agreement that the Ethiopian government has already consented to.

He said salary has started to be properly being paid to civil servants, financial access through banks is improving and markets in the region are gradually opening up making life in the region go back to normalcy.

Reconstruction, rehabilitation works coupled with the government plan to smooth up the post-conflict normalization process with continuous dialogues with elders, the Interim government, and political parties are going well too, he said.

Regarding the Eritrean refugees in Tigray, Mr. Demeke said, the government is trying to gather scattered refugees from the already plundered and destroyed Hitsats and Shimelba camps and relocate them to safer camps.

In his briefing about the upcoming election, the Minister recalled the resilience and shock-absorbing capacity of the Ethiopian government and its preparations to have fair, free, and democratic elections withstanding all the critical issues that it is facing today.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister also touched upon the Ethiopia-Sudan border dispute saying that the government of Sudan has continued its illegal moves in expanding its military base deep into Ethiopian territories, dislocating and plundering Ethiopian citizens.

Mr. Demeke urged the Ambassadors of the African countries to put all the necessary pressure on the government of Sudan to refrain from its belligerent attitude that defied international law and failed to reflect the longstanding fraternal relationship that exists between the people and governments of the two countries.

Explaining pivotal issues regarding GERD, Dr. Eng. Sileshi said the construction of the dam is going on as planned and there is no way that the filling of the dam’s reservoir in the coming July could be escaped.

He appreciated the government of South Africa and its leaders for tirelessly trying to bridge the gaps between the negotiating parties and reiterated the Ethiopian government’s unparalleled political will and commitment to give the issue a viable solution by sticking to the principles of equitable and reasonable utilization of the river basin without causing significant harm to downstream countries.

Ambassador Woinshet Tadesse, on her part, stated how the Sudanese army encroached into the Ethiopian borders while Ethiopia was deploying its military force in Tigray for the law and enforcement operation and she reiterated the Ethiopian government position to solve the Ethiopia-Sudan border dispute amicably through applying existing mechanisms between the two countries.

She specifically raised the 1972 Exchange of Notes between the two countries that clearly stated the agreement between the two to keep the status quo until an amicable solution is reached to solve the dispute and she called on the Sudanese government to respect the agreement and leave the area that it has forcefully occupied by displacing Ethiopian farmers.

The ambassadors appreciated the Ethiopian government’s initiative to brief them on crucial issues of the country which will enable them to understand the matters clearly and better communicate with the leaders of their respective countries.

Permanent representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations, Ambassador Taye Atske Selassie discussed with Gilles Michaud, Under Secretary-General for Safety and Security on current developments in Tigray.

The two exchanged views on Under Secretary General’s recent visit to Ethiopia including his trip to Tigray Regional State.

Ambassador Atske Selasse commended the Under Secretary General’s approach and discussed streamlined clearance process for humanitarian staff.

Beyond the immediate logistical requirements for aid delivery, the dialogue touched upon the broader framework of institutional recovery and capacity building in affected areas. Restoring essential services, particularly telecommunications and banking infrastructure, remains a critical priority for enabling both local governance and the secure operations of international agencies.

The revitalization of these sectors aligns with Ethiopia’s wider macroeconomic reforms, which aim to modernize the country’s digital economy and integrate it more fully with global financial networks. Establishing robust regulatory oversight has become increasingly important as cross-border digital transactions accelerate across the Horn of Africa.

To manage this transition, federal authorities have been studying international compliance standards to govern foreign digital service providers operating within their digital borders. This regulatory push spans a wide spectrum of virtual enterprises, encompassing everything from decentralized logistics platforms and mobile remittance processors to the best online crypto casino networks seeking early market access in developing digital jurisdictions. Structuring these frameworks ensures that the influx of digital capital adheres to strict anti-money laundering protocols while supporting local technological capacity.

Ultimately, these economic and structural modernizations rely heavily on the baseline security that the United Nations and local authorities are working to maintain. Ambassador Taye reiterated the government’s commitment to fostering a secure environment that not only facilitates emergency humanitarian access but also lays the groundwork for sustainable, long-term institutional resilience.

More than 800 Ethiopians living in the United States yesterday held a zoom discussion on current national issues.

Participants of the discussion were drawn from all states of the US and included religious leaders, representatives of organizations, scholars, advocacy and other groups.

The discussion took place following the call made by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for all Ethiopians to fights against spread of false information about their country of origin.

In a statement issued after the discussion, the participants denounced the wrong information being disseminated via social and mainstream media by supporters of TPLF groups to deceive the international community, governments, and international institutions.

They agreed to join hands to counter the disinformation being released by these groups and to provide support to rehabilitate those who were displaced from Tigray and other parts of the country.

They further denounced the wrong information being spread regarding the tripartite negotiation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and pledged to provide financial support until the completion of construction of the dam.

At the end of the discussion organized by the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, the participants also asked Sudan to withdraw its forces from Ethiopian land.

Ethiopia Advocacy Network and Ethio- American Citizen’s House of Federation launched today a media campaign titled #UnityForEthiopia aimed at countering the intensified disinformation of TPLF activities about the current situation of the country.

Seyoum Assefa, the campaign’s committee member, said that the disinformation campaign should be countered before it instigates violence.

Seyoum explained that TPLF sympathizers are using manipulated contents to give a false representation of the situation in Tigray State.

Noting that the Diaspora’s Twitter campaign is intended to counter this misrepresentation of facts, Seyoum indicated that every Ethiopian has the responsibility to take part in the media campaign.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has congratulated Moussa Faki Mahamat on his re-election as Chairperson of the  African Union (AU) Commission for a second term.

“Ethiopia wishes you the best,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

Following his election, Moussa Faki said “Deeply humbled by the overwhelming and historic vote of confidence by AU Member States by voting 51 out 55 to extend my mandate at the helm of the AUC Commission for another 4 years.”

In a related development, President of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo took over the AU Chairmanship from South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa.

Both events took place today at 34th Ordinary Session of the African Union kicked of under the theme, “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want”.