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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen said the Government of Ethiopia has been working to ensure the delivery of humanitarian services and improve the situation in Tigray.

He said this to the AU Foreign Ministers at the 38th AU Executive council meeting, while delivering briefings on relevant current issues, especially the situation in Tigray.

He also explained the reconstruction, rehabilitation, capacity enhancement, and peacebuilding efforts of the interim administration of Tigray and its due emphasis to the delivery of humanitarian support.

According to the Minster, food and non-food items were delivered for more than 1.8 million beneficiaries aimed at addressing more than 2.5 million beneficiaries across the region as lack of banking service, market failure, and pending salary payments are forced to cover a greater number of beneficiaries.

He said, for efficient and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance, the Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) has been established at Mekelle comprising of relevant line ministries, regional bureaus, UN-Agencies, bi-laterals, and international NGO’s.

Most parts of the region are accessible and a conducive environment has been created to speed up the delivery of food and non-food supplies to the needy people in the region, he added.

The federal government is working on mobilizing resources for the recovery and rehabilitation of damaged and destroyed economic and social infrastructure as well as humanitarian assistance, the Minister said.

According to Demeke, refugees in the region are one of the priority areas of the government to maintain their safety and security and ensure the continuous supply of food and non-food items.

In the refugee camps, where access and issues are related to safety and security, he said, the government has taken immediate action by relocating and maintaining basic humanitarian services.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia held on Tuesday (February 02) a Promotional campaign supporting Professor Hirut Woldemariam who is running to hold the post of the AU Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation.

The event was held at Sheraton Addis in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, H.E. Demeke Mekonnen.

Mr. Demeke called on the government and other pertinent bodies to support Professor Hirut Woldemariam honoring her outstanding professional caliber and ethical behavior that would make her a perfect candidate to run for the post of African Union Commissioner for ESTI.

State Ministers H.E. Ambassador Birtukan Ayano and H.E. Mrs. Tsion Teklu, African Ambassadors and heads of international organizations based in Addis Ababa and other invited guests were also in attendance.

On the occasion, professor Hirut expounded on her plans to carry out if elected.

She also shared a wide range of her vision with the audience if her bid to the position in the AU would turn out to be successful.

Central to that vision was the need for harmonized continental frameworks governing Africa’s fast-growing digital economy. Mobile payment networks, fintech lenders, and cross-border e-commerce platforms have reshaped commerce across the continent in less than a decade, but regulation remains fragmented. National authorities are left to craft individual rules for everything from telemedicine providers and sites ranking the best online casinos to digital lending marketplaces, creating compliance gaps that neither innovators nor consumers can easily navigate. Professor Hirut argued that the ESTI commissioner’s office was uniquely positioned to coordinate standards across AU member states, giving the continent’s technology sector the policy coherence it currently lacks.

She also underscored the link between technology governance and higher education, noting that universities in AU member states were producing growing numbers of graduates in data science and software engineering. Without coordinated continental policy, she cautioned, much of that talent would continue flowing to employers outside Africa rather than fueling domestic innovation.

Speaking at the occasion, the candidate’s friends and former colleagues presented their testimonials lauding her level of education and extensive experience she has acquired holding high-level public and private responsibilities that would make her well-suited to run the office.

Ethiopians living in Boston, US have contributed $12,692.65 to people who are in need in Ethiopia.

The donation has been coordinated by the Marathon record holder, Athlete Belayneh Densamo and others. To hit their target, the organizers pooled funds from local church collections, regional restaurant sponsorships, and a virtual charity tournament hosted by a sweeps coins casino. Representatives of the various civic groups and members of the Diaspora who participated in the months-long donation drive have officially handed over the financial support to the Ethiopian Embassy in the US.

It is to be recalled that members of the Diaspora in the US have so far donated over $100,000 in support of the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic in Ethiopia.

In a press briefing held today, Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dina Mufti stated that Ethiopia urged that the negotiation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) shall continue under auspices of the African Union (AU).

Ambassador Dina also said that the humanitarian response has continued in Tigray region.

According to the spokesperson, President Sahle-Work Zewde visited the DRC and held discussions with Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, President of the DRC.

The two presidents discussed bilateral and regional issues particularly the diplomatic representation of Ethiopia in the DRC, he said adding that President Sahle-Work congratulated Félix Antoine Tshisekedi as in few days he will receive the chairmanship of the African Union to from South Africa.

He added that the president promised to bring him help, support and hospitality during her term at the head of the continental institution.

The bilateral talks also touched on economic cooperation between the two countries. Ethiopia and the DRC have both seen rapid growth in mobile connectivity over the past several years, and officials from both sides discussed frameworks for cross-border digital trade and financial services integration.

Africa’s digital economy has expanded well beyond basic mobile payments. Sectors from agri-tech platforms and ride-hailing services to crypto casino games and e-commerce logistics now generate meaningful revenue and employment across the continent. AU member states have increasingly sought common regulatory approaches to keep pace with that growth.

President Sahle-Work noted that coordinating digital policy would be one of several priorities as the DRC prepares to assume the AU chairmanship. Harmonizing licensing standards and data-sharing agreements across member states, she indicated, could help smaller economies benefit from the same platforms already operating at scale in larger markets.

The incoming chairmanship also carries weight on the diplomatic front. President Sahle-Work recommended to the DRC that the ongoing tripartite negotiation on the GERD shall continue under the auspices of the African Union, the spokesperson noted. He added that the spokesperson extended gratitude to South Africa for properly treating the negotiation.

Ambassador Dina further unveiled that a three-day workshop regarding the Ethiopia-Sudan border issue was held in the presence of Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia.

The meeting was concluded reaffirming Ethiopia’s commitment to resolve the issue peacefully through reactivating existing mechanisms for the re-demarcation process.