Addis Standard

Statement on the release of journalist #Million_Beyene After two weeks in undisclosed, informal detention facilities in Addis Ababa and outside the city, following his abduction from the #Addis_Standard newsroom, Million Beyene has been handed over this afternoon to his family, as well as JAKENN’s legal team and colleagues. Further details will be shared to the public as appropriate and in a manner that does not compromise Million’s safety and security. JAKENN Publishing PLC, the publisher of Addis Standard, unequivocally rejects the abduction by intelligence officers and the subsequent ordeal suffered by Million. This incident underscores the urgent need to uphold freedom of the press and protect journalists from intimidation, unlawful detention, and coercion. A free and independent press is essential to safeguarding the public’s right to information and the rule of law. JAKENN Publishing PLC

News: Four #Ethiopians killed in #Johannesburg shooting, at least ten detained; Ethiopian officials await probe findings Dessie Alebachew, chargé d’affaires at Ethiopia’s embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, told #Addis_Standard that the killings are part of a broader pattern of violence affecting foreign nationals. “The killings didn’t just start now; they’ve been going on for a while. However, from time to time, the level and scale of the killings have been increasing,” she said. “The day before yesterday, one person was killed, making it a total of four people.” Ten others, aged between 19 and 35 were also detained by local police in an operation targeting “spaza” shops in Mokwakwaila, Ga-Mokgwathi, and Ga-Ramotshinyadi villages. addisstandard.com/?p=56661

#Ethiopia: Repackaged into water bottles Police in Takusa Woreda, Central Gonder Zone in Amhara region, have announced the seizure of “1,232 liters” of gasoline that was being transported illegally. Assistant Inspector Getaneh Teka, head of the Woreda Police Office, said the fuel was taken into custody following a tip-off from local residents about its illegal movement. The images released accompanying the announcement show hundreds of small plastic bottles appeared to have been repackaged gasoline into used water bottles, an indication of how gasoline is often broken down into small, portable units for sale in informal rural markets in rural Ethiopia. The pattern reflects a wider practice across several parts of Ethiopia, where fuel shortages and limited formal distribution channels are contributing to the growth of an underground trade. In these settings, fuel is frequently transported and sold without standardized containers, safety measures, or regulatory oversight, posing both safety and economic risks. Inspector Getaneh has called on the public to strengthen cooperation with law enforcement to help curb the illegal trade.

News: Overloaded Isuzu truck carrying dozens atop grain overturns, leaving at least 19 dead in #Amhara region The accident shows the persistent risks associated with the widespread use of cargo trucks for passenger transport in rural Ethiopia, where limited transport options, now exacerbated by chronic fuel shortages across the country, often force residents to travel under dangerous conditions. Many of the victims were residents of the same locality, often traveling together in groups for work between Tsagibji and Ebnat localities. “Yesterday [Sunday] alone, we sent 17 bodies back to one specific area,” the official said, adding that several victims were members of the same families. The Deputy Commander also said the area where the accident occurred has been under the control of Fano fighters for the past three years, preventing authorities from reaching the scene to investigate the cause of the crash. addisstandard.com/?p=56655.

#Sudan - Doctors report ethnic killings and cholera outbreak in #RSF El Fasher detention centers Sudanese doctors have reported systemic, ethnically motivated killings and a devastating cholera outbreak within detention centers run by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher, North Darfur. The RSF seized control of the historic Darfur capital on October 26, 2025, after an 18-month siege. Since the takeover, rights groups have documented widespread abuses, including summary executions, looting, and sexual violence. A report by the Sudan Doctors Network covering January to April 2026 found that hundreds of civilians, including women and children, remain in custody. The group alleged that detainees face torture, interrogation, and execution based on their ethnicity. According to data collected by the network, the RSF is currently holding approximately 907 military prisoners and 1,470 civilian detainees. The civilians include 426 children and 370 women, held at sites including Shala Prison, the pediatric hospital, the land port, and inside shipping containers. Survivors told the network that 16 civilians were executed on an ethnic basis at El Fasher University in February after being accused of links to the regular army. Many detainees are reportedly suffering from untreated wounds caused by shelling. sudantribune.com/article/313225

News: #Ethiopia says #WTO accession talks at ‘decisive juncture’ despite planned completion of March 2026 accession The latest meeting marks the seventh round of Working Party discussions, underscoring renewed momentum in one of #Africa’s longest-running accession processes. Last year in March, Ethiopia announced a “positive outcome” from the negotiations, advancing the government’s plan to complete its accession process by March 2026. addisstandard.com/?p=56652

‘Skilfully’ negotiating #Iran is ‘humiliating’ #US, #German Chancellor warns; says Washington lacks ‘strategic exit’ Addis Abeba – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned that Iran is “humiliating” the United States through “skilful” negotiating, while questioning Washington’s lack of a clear exit strategy in the ongoing war. Speaking in Marsberg, Merz said Iran appeared stronger than expected and accused the US of lacking direction. “The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected and the Americans clearly have no truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either,” he said, according to Deutsche Welle (DW). He added that Tehran was negotiating “very skillfully — or very skillfully not negotiating,” warning that: “At the moment, I do not see what strategic exit the Americans will choose.” Merz further said “an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership,” in a sharp rebuke of Washington’s handling of the conflict, which is taking toll on Germany’s economy, He described the situation as “pretty tangled” and costly. “It is at the moment a pretty tangled situation… and it is costing us a great deal of money. This conflict, this war against Iran, has a direct impact on our economic output,” he said.

#AS_Editorial: #Ethiopia’s “Hormuz” crisis and the cost of silence. Transparency, now! Ethiopia is confronting a rare and dangerous convergence of crises that threatens to unravel the fragile threads holding what remains of its economy together. Across the country, fuel stations are running dry, fertilizer shipments are stalled, trucks are immobilized, and farmers are watching shrinking planting windows with growing anxiety. Yet even as these warning signs multiply, the federal government has opted for silence, ambiguity, and selective disclosure. At a moment that demands transparency and decisive leadership, the public is instead confronted with quiet reassurance disconnected from lived reality. In times of crisis, silence and ambiguity are not signs of prosperity. They are risks waiting to erupt. addisstandard.com/?p=56494

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War and neglect fuel deadly measles epidemic in Sudan’s Darfur Hawa Adam did not expect a childhood illness to kill her son. Ali was two years old when he fell sick on February 25 in Labado, in Sudan’s East Darfur state. He died two days later. “I thought it was one of the ordinary childhood diseases,” the 37-year-old told Al Jazeera. “I never imagined I would lose my child to this epidemic.” Hawa attributes his death to the absence of basic medical care – no vaccination, no qualified doctors. “Most doctors”, she says, “left the area after the war broke out, forcing those with means to seek treatment abroad, in South Sudan or Uganda.” aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/27…

#Ethiopia: Rights group says repeated court delays undermine strategic lawsuit on IDPs’ return Human Rights First has criticized repeated delays in a lawsuit it filed before the Federal High Court over the return of internally displaced persons (#IDPs), saying prolonged adjournments are weakening prospects for legal remedies and exposing broader failures in judicial response to displacement-related grievances. The case, first submitted in November last year, has reportedly been adjourned more than ten times, including delays in issuing summonses, which the rights group described as evidence of judicial inefficiency. Speaking to Addis Standard, Tesfalem Berhe, Human Rights First Director said the lawsuit was conceived as a form of strategic litigation aimed at promoting the use of legal mechanisms, rather than political confrontation, to address grievances linked to displacement. He argued that had the court pursued a more strategic and law-driven approach, the case could have contributed to broader efforts to reduce political conflict and reinforce rule-of-law based solutions. addisstandard.com/?p=56647

#Commentary: #Axum at a Crossroads: Religious coexistence, quest for equal rights in #Ethiopia’s ancient city addisstandard.com/?p=56637 Few cities in the world hold the unique distinction of being sacred to two major faiths like Axum. For Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, it is the revered home of the Ark of the Covenant, believed to rest within the Church of Mary of Zion. For Muslims, it is the site of the First Hijra in 615, when the early followers of Prophet Muhammad found refuge. As Mohammedawel Hagos, the author of this commentary, notes, Axum “possesses the unique distinction of being at once the cradle of both Christianity and Islam in Ethiopia.” The author, born in #Tigray, expresses great pride in Axum’s ancient civilization and its historical record of religious tolerance. However, he argues that this pride is severely tested by the contemporary struggles of Axum’s Muslim population—a community he describes as being “denied a mosque, denied a cemetery, and denied the right for their daughters to wear the hijab to school.” This contradiction, according to Mohammedawel, raises a central question: how did a city once renowned for hospitality become a site of exclusion? The article traces this transition through successive historical and state policies, ranging from forced baptisms and segregation under imperial rule to the continued denial of permission to build a mosque. It highlights a persistent pattern of restriction reinforced by successive regimes, despite the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom enshrined in Ethiopia’s 1995 Constitution. The piece also critically examines and rejects arguments used to justify “exclusion,” including comparisons between Axum and #Mecca and claims that sacred status can supersede constitutional rights, arguing that such positions “lack legal basis” and “selectively distort historical realities.” Read the full commentary to explore the “Two-Zone Solution” proposed by the author as a possible way forward, in which constitutional rights would be fully upheld for all citizens while respecting the sanctity of religious sites.

#Congo plans paramilitary unit for mines with #US, #UAE funding The Democratic Republic of Congo will create a paramilitary unit to police its mines with funding from the US and United Arab Emirates, the country’s General Inspectorate of Mines said. The agency will invest $100 million and deploy as many of 3,000-armed recruits by December, with a goal of 20,000 “mining guards” around the country by 2028, it said in an emailed statement on Monday. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

News: Outreach vaccination, screening campaign reaches conflict-hit, remote communities in #Ethiopia Health teams deployed under the SLL program have identified and vaccinated more than 3,000 zero-dose children in remote areas, with recent campaigns reaching over 40,000 children across #Afar, #Amhara, #Oromia, and #Tigray regions. The intervention is also addressing Ethiopia’s large population of “zero-dose” children, estimated at 3.9 million, who have not received routine vaccinations due to conflict, geographic isolation, and limited healthcare access. addisstandard.com/?p=56643

#Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa sets women-only world record as Yomif Kejelcha posts historic sub-2 marathon debut in #London Addis Abeba - Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa delivered a record-breaking performance at the 2026 London Marathon on Sunday, setting a new women-only world record of 2:15:41 and defending her title in a fiercely contested race. The Olympic silver medalist outpaced Kenyan rivals Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei in a tactical showdown that also saw, for the first time in history, three women finish under 2:16 in the same race. Tigist shaved nine seconds off her previous women-only world record, underlining her dominance in elite marathon running. The landmark event also witnessed a historic breakthrough in the men’s race, where Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha clocked 1:59:41 to finish second, marking the second-fastest marathon time ever recorded and the fastest debut in history. Yomif’s performance came on a day when the two-hour barrier was broken, placing him among the sport’s all-time greats. The race began at an ambitious pace, with a lead group that included top contenders such as Jacob Kiplimo, Tamirat Tola, Amos Kipruto, and Deresa Geleta. Runners passed the 5km mark in 14:14, maintaining a pace projected for a sub-two-hour finish, setting the tone for one of the most remarkable marathon days in history. The combined achievements in both the men’s and women’s races highlighted a new era in long-distance running, according to World Athletics.

#Iran proposes plan to end war with “red lines” on nuclear issues, Hormuz; FM Araghchi arrives in #Russia talks with President Putin Addis Abeba — Iran has offered a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war through Pakistani mediation, outlining key “red lines” on nuclear issues and maritime access. Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that Tehran sent “written messages” to Washington via Pakistan detailing “red lines… including nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz.” Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, traveled from Islamabad to Russia, arriving early today. His weekend itinerary included back-to-back visits to Islamabad and Muscat, Oman, before returning to Islamabad. In Pakistan, he met Army Chief Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar before continuing his trip. Araghchi is now expected to meet President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. Speaking to Iranian media travelling with him, he said the visit aims to continue “close consultations between Tehran and Moscow on regional and international issues.” “As you know, we have always held meetings with Russia to discuss broad issues, especially regional and international matters, and of course many issues have always been raised in our bilateral relations as well,” Araghchi told Iranian state media IRNA shortly after landing in Russia on Monday.

This week on Addis Standard Weekly Recap: From Ethiopia’s shifting political landscape to major global developments, here’s what you need to know. 🎥 Watch now on YouTube youtu.be/iugmn6e_77s?si…

“Politics took journalism away from me.” A powerful reflection on media freedom and political pressure. Watch the full episode of The Standard Signal on YouTube 🔗 youtube.com/watch?v=JCF8w7… #TheStandardSignal #EthiopiaPolitics #Misteresillasie #ElectionDebate #PoliticalVoices #WomenInPolitics

This is a haunting question that cuts to the heart of Ethiopia’s ongoing cycle of political violence. “What are we giving birth to through all this killing?” In this powerful reflection from The Standard Signal EP.16, the conversation confronts the brutal reality of unresolved killings, missing justice, and the human cost of political conflict—from Negele Borena to Harar to Ambo. Two years after the assassination of Bate Urgessa, the questions of accountability and justice remain painfully unanswered. 🎥 Watch the full episode of The Standard Signal on: youtube.com/watch?v=gAXvr9… #BateUrgessa #Ethiopia #JusticeDelayed #HumanRights #PoliticalViolence #TheStandardSignal #NeverForget