Ethiopia Insight published on 12 September 2025 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Federal Future Tested in Western Tigray" by Batseba Seifu, co-founder of GEMTigray.
Western Tigray has become the fault line that will decide whether Ethiopia holds together as a federal state, or fractures following the divisions left by the war between Tigray Region and the central government. This commentary focuses on history, cartography, and demography related to the issue of Western Tigray.
The International Crisis Group reposted on 5 September 2025 a commentary titled "South Sudan's Day of Reckoning Is Nigh" by Daniel Akech.
President Salva Kiir has taken steps to consolidate his power, including setting up Benjamin Bol Mel as his eventual successor. The result is growing political instability. The author called on the leaders of key African governments to urge restraint and push for a broad political forum to discuss the future of South Sudan.
Newsweek posted on 9 September 2025 an article titled "This Aspiring Nation Wants to Be Trump's New Weapon Against China in Africa" by Tom O'Connor.
The author examines the arguments for and against recognition of the breakaway Somaliland government, which now hosts almost a dozen liaison offices but has not been officially recognized by any country. One theme in the argument favoring US recognition of Somaliland is that it would provide an ally for Washington in its competition with Beijing in Africa.
IntelliNews published on 7 September 2025 an article titled "Ethiopia Set to Inaugurate $4bn Mega-Dam as Egypt, Sudan Renew Strong Objections" by Brian Kenety.
Ethiopia is inaugurating on 9 September the $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the largest hydro dam in Africa. Downstream Sudan and Egypt continue to oppose construction of the dam, arguing it undermines their historic rights to Nile water flows guaranteed under colonial-era treaties to which Ethiopia was not a party.
The UN Human Rights Council published on 5 September 2025 a report titled "Sudan: A War of Atrocities."
An Independent Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan compiled this report, which documents widespread violence against individuals and communities, including killings, mass displacement, detention, enforced disappearance, and sexual violence. Medical centers, schools, markets, food production systems, electricity stations, and displacement camps suffered extensive damage.
Both the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces perpetrated war crimes, but the RSF and their allies generally were the most criticized of the two sides.
Ethiopia Insight published on 5 September 2025 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Debt: When Reform Becomes Punishment" by Eyob Yohannes, a writer based in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is caught between a history of reckless borrowing and foreign imposed belt tightening, resulting in price volatility and diminished purchasing power. The painful economic reforms occur during a period of internal political conflict.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) published on 1 September 2025 an analysis titled "Succession Fever Deepens South Sudan's Malaise."
As the health of South Sudan's President Salva Kiir declines, there is growing disquiet in the country over Kiir's effort to have inexperienced Benjamin Bol Mel succeed him. The ICG argues there needs to be a forum where key South Sudanese elites can discuss the political future, including the question of who will replace Kiir.
Ethiopia Insight published on 30 August 2025 a commentary titled "Education Under Siege in Ethiopia" by Aemro Worku, former lecturer at Injibara University.
COVID-19, periodic conflict and insecurity, and regional educational differences have done serious damage to higher education in Ethiopia.
World Politics Review published on 28 August 2025 a commentary titled "In Post-War Ethiopia, Tigray's Female Veterans Fear Being Left Behind" by Mehret Berhe and Hilary Matfess.
Women comprised 20 to 30 percent of the Tigrayan Defense Forces during the recent civil war. Female veterans are concerned that they will not receive help in reintegrating into civilian life while victims of sexual violence doubt the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
Ethiopia Insight published on 28 August 2025 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's National Dialogue Seeks to Smooth the Path to Constitutional Reform" by Leul Estifanos.
The commentary discusses the status of Ethiopia's three-year-old National Dialogue Commission with a focus on the prospects for amending the constitution.
The Sentry published in June 2025 a report titled "Power and Plunder: The Eritrean Defense Forces Intervention in Tigray."
The war in Ethiopia's Tigray Region resulted in a humanitarian crisis of immense proportions. War crimes were perpetrated by all parties to the conflict, but the nature of atrocities and war profiteering carried out by the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) was unmatched in scale and premeditation. The EDF engaged in massacres, widespread sexual violence, and systematic looting, including of Tigrayan factory machinery, medical supplies and equipment, and cultural antiquities.
Ethiopia Insight published on 26 August 2025 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Press Is Manufacturing Compliance" by Eyob Yohannes, data analyst based in Ethiopia.
The commentary discusses the erosion of press freedom in Ethiopia, which has always operated with significant limitations on the media. The author concludes: "The question is not whether Ethiopia has a free press. The question is whether Ethiopia can reclaim one before too much memory, and too much of its future, is gone."
Ethiopia Insight published on 20 August 2025 a commentary titled "Strategic Reversals: Abiy's Miscalculation and the Tigray-Eritrea Realignment" by Yonas Nigussie, political economist.
The author argues that Tigray Region, sidelined by the collapse of the Pretoria Agreement, is fighting for survival. Eritrea, haunted by fears of Ethiopian expansionism, seeks a strategic buffer. Internal power struggles have fractured the Tigray People's Liberation Front. One Tigrayan faction has signaled its willingness to align with Eritrea in an unholy alliance against the federal government of Ethiopia. This could spark another bloody civil war.
The Committee to Protect Journalists posted on 20 August 2025 an article titled "Ethiopian Journalist Abducted by Masked Men; 2 Others Detained."
Masked men abducted the editor of the privately-owned Ethiopian newspaper, Reporter. Officials also detained a reporter with the state-owned Somali Regional Television and another with the privately-owned Ahadu Radio in Addis Ababa.
The International Crisis Group posted on 18 August 2025 remarks titled "Briefing to UN Security Council on the Situation in South Sudan" by Murithi Mutiga.
The 2018 peace accord, which ended a civil war in South Sudan, appears to be collapsing and the ongoing civil war in neighboring Sudan is extending instability by driving over 1.2 million people into South Sudan.
Ethiopia Insight published on 19 August 2025 a commentary titled "The Gedo Stratagem: Ethiopia's High-Stakes Proxy Politics" by Muktar Ismail, regional analyst.
Straddling the tri-border area of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, the Gedo region has become the epicenter of proxy wars, clan rivalries, and al-Shabaab resurgence, threatening to destabilize the entire Horn of Africa.
Ethio Negari posted on 16 August 2025 an article titled "Ethiopia Bans Entry of China-Made Sinotruk Vehicles."
Ethiopia's Ministry of Transport and Logistics has banned the importation of Sinotruk vehicles citing serious quality and technical defects that pose risks to public safety.
The Diplomat published on 8 August 2025 an article titled "Amid US Tariffs, Africa's Fashion Industry Looks to China" by Laura Katia Machavane and Oluwaseyitan Oyewumi Adiat, both with Development Reimagined.
The sudden imposition of tariffs and suspension of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act by the United States have exposed the challenges of exporting textiles to the US. Asia and especially China are becoming more predictable markets.
Ethiopia Insight published on 13 August 2025 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Tigray Must Rebuild Before It Considers Breaking Away" by Mohammedawel Hagos, Worabe University.
The author concluded that the secession of Tigray Region "undertaken hastily, without a democratic mandate or the requisite civic institutions, cannot be regarded as an authentic realization of freedom."
Ethiopia Insight published on 11 August 2025 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Sovereignty Illusion: Who Really Pulls the Strings?" by Eyob Yohannes, data analyst in Ethiopia.
The author argues that true economic power in Ethiopia lies in institutions outside the country such as the International Monetary Fund. He says the solution is reducing dependence on Western lenders and pivoting to alternative partners such as the BRICS, African regional banks, and South-South trade blocs.
