Eritrean Foreign Minister Blames Ethiopia for Maritime Ambitions and Internal Conflict
Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh has accused Ethiopia of outdated and misguided ambitions for maritime access, either through diplomacy or military force. In a briefing to the diplomatic community in Asmara on March 18, Saleh urged the international community to pressure Ethiopia to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors. He also rejected accusations that Eritrean forces were operating inside Ethiopia’s territory, attributing such claims to former members of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Saleh dismissed accusations of Eritrean involvement in the ongoing internal conflict between the Tigray regional Interim Administration and the TPLF, asserting that these were attempts to shift blame for Ethiopia’s internal issues onto Eritrea.
Ethiopian Government Drafts Revised National Disaster Risk Management Bill
The Ethiopian government has drafted a revised national disaster risk management bill aimed at raising disaster response funds locally amid a shift in global aid dynamics. The bill proposes the establishment of a Disaster Risk Response Fund, which would receive contributions from both public and private sector institutions. Institutions failing to meet their required contributions on time would face an additional 10% penalty. The funds would be allocated for national disaster mitigation, response, rehabilitation efforts, as well as to purchase emergency humanitarian aid, produce food and non-food supplies for the national strategic reserve, and enhance the capacity of national reserve warehouses. The Federal Government, along with the Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa City Administrations, will be required to contribute funds from their annual budgets. The bill also seeks contributions from donors, relief agencies, and individuals, as well as public and private sector employees, who will be asked to contribute a portion of their salaries.
Tigray Regional Administration Allocates 8 Billion Birr for Former Combatants
Tigray Interim Regional Administration (IRA) President, Getachew Reda, has announced the allocation of 8 billion birr from May 2024 to February 2025 to support Tigrayan former combatants awaiting the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program. Getachew stated that the IRA has been unable to pay salaries to public workers or carry out developmental projects due to the significant budget allocated for the DDR program. A total of 274,000 former combatants are registered for the program, with the IRA currently supporting 110,000 of them. The Federal Government allocated 13 billion birr as a federal subsidy for Tigray for the 2024/25 fiscal year. However, the national Rehabilitation Commission has yet to resume the DDR process in Tigray, which was halted several weeks ago due to political and technical challenges.
Human Rights First Reports Continued Abductions and Detentions in Tigray
Human Rights First, a local rights group, has reported ongoing abductions, unlawful detentions, and harassment in Tigray. The group stated that a local militia member and a Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) soldier were killed, while another militia member was injured during a confrontation in Mehoni town of the Southern zone. This occurred amid attempts by the TPLF faction led by Debretsion Gebremichael to seize control of the local administration. The rights group called on all parties to refrain from violent actions, including killings and arbitrary detentions, and to resolve political differences through peaceful dialogue.
Oromo Liberation Army Confirms Abduction of Civilian Passengers
The rebel group Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) has confirmed the abduction of several civilian passengers in North Shewa zone, Oromia region, earlier this week. The group pledged to investigate the incident, which took place in Wore Jarso district, and promised to release the findings of its investigation to the public. Dozens of passengers traveling on a public bus from Addis Ababa to the Amhara region were taken by gunmen. Both the Federal Government and the Oromia regional administration have yet to comment on the incident. The region has seen multiple abductions by the OLA in recent months.
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