Tadesse Accuses TPLF of Pressuring Him Over Tenure Extension
Addis Standard Managing Editor Reportedly Abducted in Addis Ababa
Tadesse Accuses TPLF of Pressuring Him Over Tenure Extension
Tigray Interim Regional Administration President Tadesse Worede said the Tigray People’s Liberation Front had pressured him to reject a possible extension of his mandate before his recent trip to Addis Ababa.
Speaking in Mekelle, he dismissed calls for his resignation, insisting that any leadership change must follow legal and institutional procedures.
He also noted that the TPLF had not proposed an alternative candidate.
During discussions with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, he said Abiy accused the regional leadership of preparing for war, linking the fuel embargo on Tigray to alleged stockpiling of fuel by regional officials.
Addis Standard Managing Editor Reportedly Abducted in Addis Ababa
Addis Standard said its Managing Editor, Million Beyene, was taken by unidentified individuals in plain clothes from the newsroom in Addis Ababa on April 15, 2026.
Publisher JAKENN Publishing PLC said the individuals told staff he was wanted for questioning.
However, the Addis Ababa Police Commission, Federal Police Commission, and Lemi Kura Sub-City Police have all confirmed that Million is not in their custody.
The publisher has called on authorities, including the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, to launch an immediate and transparent investigation and ensure his safe return.
The incident comes months after the Ethiopian Media Authority revoked Addis Standard’s operating license.
Islamic Council Sends Inquiry Team to Axum Over Alleged Abuse
The Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council has deployed an inquiry committee to Tigray to investigate alleged human rights violations against Muslim worshippers in Axum.
The move follows accusations by the Tigray Muslim Affairs Council that regional security forces assaulted worshippers, confiscated megaphones, and desecrated copies of the Qur’an.
On April 15, the inquiry team met with Tadesse Worede, who reportedly condemned the incident as unacceptable.
Muslim residents in Axum have also been demanding permission to build a mosque in the historic city.
Abiy Criticizes Costly Railway Project as Talks Resume
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the $1.7 billion Awash–Kombolcha–Hara Gebeya standard gauge railway project has caused significant financial losses for the country.
He stated the 392-kilometer project, launched in 2015, lacked sufficient feasibility studies and may not recover its costs for 40 to 50 years.
Ethiopia secured $2.6 billion in loans for the project, which was later abandoned by Turkish contractor Yapi Merkezi citing security concerns during the northern Ethiopia conflict. The company subsequently sought $1 billion in damages, though most claims were rejected by a London arbitration court in 2025.
The government has since signed a framework agreement with Italian firm COIPA Italia to revive the project.
Prosecutors Charge Suspects in Major Human Trafficking Case
Ethiopian federal prosecutors have charged eleven suspects, including Yitbarek Dawit, for operating an international human trafficking network.
According to the charge sheet, the group trafficked approximately 3,000 individuals from Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia through Sudan to Libya, where 3,887 migrants were held in detention warehouses.
The suspects allegedly extorted between 750,000 and 1.5 million birr per victim’s family over the past four years.
Prosecutors also linked the network to the deaths of 133 migrants and the rape of 76 women, highlighting the scale and severity of the operation.
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