The founder and Chief Executive of EBS Television, Aman Fissehatsion, has died following a period of illness, the network has announced. In a statement released on Wednesday, the broadcaster confirmed that Aman passed away while receiving medical treatment. A pioneer in the Horn of Africa’s media landscape, Aman was instrumental in modernising Ethiopian broadcasting, creating a bridge between the country and its vast global diaspora. "Even though we have lost him today—both as a family and as a station—Aman Fissehatsion’s vision will continue," the statement added. A bridge to the diasporaFounded in 2008 and based in Silver Spring, Maryland, with a heavy presence in Addis Ababa, EBS (Ethiopian Broadcasting Service) revolutionized satellite television for Ethiopians worldwide.

The Ethiopian government is implementing a series of tax reforms targeting alcohol, tobacco, and fuel to boost its revenue and stabilize its finances. The government will raise specific excise tax rates on alcohol and tobacco products, with new rates raised “in line with accumulated inflation”. Additionally, as of July 2025, Customs began collecting all federal fuel taxes, including VAT, excise tax, and social welfare duties, at full statutory rates. The IMF estimates that these reinstated fuel taxes will generate revenue equivalent to 0.8 percent of GDP. Furthermore, the administration aims to “substantively eliminate” fuel subsidies by the end of February 2026.

Sources tell Reuters that the site began operations in October and was already training about 4,300 RSF fighters by early January. Kenyan Government Pushes for an End to Russian Military Illegal RecruitmentKenya’s foreign minister, Musalia Mudavadi, has slammed the recruitment of Kenyan nationals into the Russian military as “unacceptable and clandestine.” The minister said the Kenyan government had shut down several illegal recruiters and is looking to urge the Russian government to sign a deal banning the conscription of Kenyans. Ukrainian intelligence estimates that about 1,400 Africans from about 36 countries are fighting on the Russian side in the war. Last year, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla resigned from South Africa’s parliament following allegations that she played a role in luring at least 17 South African men to join the Russian army. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has voiced support for efforts to end the war in Ukraine during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his office said today, Tuesday, February 10.

Tweet URLThe development comes against a backdrop of deadly conflict in Tigray from 2020 to 2022 between Government troops and separatist Tigray forces, following rising tensions between national and regional authorities. Intensifying fightingAccording to the UN human rights office (OHCHR), the latest escalation saw clashes between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and the regional Tigray Security Forces (TSF) intensify on 26 January, close to the Amhara border. “Drones, artillery and other powerful weapons were used by both sides,” Mr. Türk said in a statement. Meanwhile, in Tigray’s south and southeast near the Afar border, clashes between the TSF and the “Tigray Peace Forces”, a rival faction, continue unabated, the High Commissioner noted. The High Commissioner also warned that recent tensions between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea risked worsening the already serious human rights and humanitarian challenges in both countries and across the wider Horn of Africa.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, Mesfin attributed the growth to fleet expansion and increased flight activity. Ethiopian logged nearly 334,000 flight hours and carried 10.64 million passengers over the period. Ethiopian Airlines transported 451,000 tons of cargo, representing a 19 percent year-on-year increase, according to the CEO. The new airport, projected to cost over USD 10 billion, is designed to accommodate up to 110 million passengers annually at full capacity. The first phase, targeting 60 million passengers per year, is slated for completion by November 2029, according to airline executives.

Ethiopian Airlines has reported a revenue of $4.4 billion during the first six months of the 2025/26 fiscal year, exceeding its target by 2%, the airline announced on Tuesday. Speaking in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, the airline's chief highlighted the carrier's expansion, announcing the launch of flights to Porto (Portugal), Hanoi (Vietnam), and Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) during the first half of the fiscal year. The new additions will bring the airline's total international destinations to 145. Passenger traffic remained robust, with 10.64 million passengers transported, marking an 11% increase compared to the same period last year. In cargo operations, the airline carried 451,000 tons of cargo, surpassing its half-year target by 4%.

Russia’s ambassador to Ethiopia Evgeny Terekhin has said that Russian automakers KAMAZ and GAZ are preparing to launch vehicle assembly operations in Ethiopia. Under current rules, the Ethiopian government allows the import of only electric and gas-powered vehicles, making gas-fueled vehicle assembly the most promising option - an area where KAMAZ and GAZ hold strong positions. He said Russian companies are working to ensure their assembly lines become among the first to operate in this emerging segment. Later, Ethiopia’s ambassador Genet Teshome Jirru said AvtoVAZ would begin producing electric cars in Ethiopia by the end of 2025 - a claim the company later denied. KAMAZ and AvtoVAZ revisited plans to build assembly lines in Ethiopia in 2023, though those initiatives were not realized at the time.

Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s biggest commercial carrier, said on Tuesday that its half-year revenue rose 14% from the previous year, helped by the introduction of new destinations, more flights and seven new aircraft. Chief Executive Mesfin Tasew told a press conference that the state-owned airline recorded $4.4 billion in revenue in the first six months of its financial year, which began on July 8. Ethiopian Airlines has a fleet of about 150 aircraft. Last month, it announced an order with Boeing BA.N for nine 787 Dreamliner jets amid growing demand for long-haul travel. The company also officially started construction of a $12.5 billion airport last month that officials say will be Africa’s largest when completed in 2030.

Ethiopia is reportedly hosting a covert camp in its western Benishangul-Gumuz region to train thousands of Rapid Support Forces fighters for Sudan’s civil war, with sources alleging UAE funding and support. Sudan’s war and its human tollThe war in Sudan started in 2023 after a confrontation between the national army and the RSF during a planned transition to civilian rule. The camp is located in the remote Benishangul Gumuz region, close to the border shared by Ethiopia, Sudan, and South Sudan. Numbers and leadershipSecurity documents claim that more than four thousand RSF fighters were undergoing training at the site in early January. An uncertain outlookAs of now, neither Ethiopia’s government nor the RSF has publicly addressed the reports concerning the training camp.

Activity picked up in October at the camp, which is located in the remote western region of Benishangul-Gumuz, near the border with Sudan, satellite images show. A senior Ethiopian government official, as well as four diplomatic and security sources, confirmed Getachew's role in launching the project. New recruits were spotted travelling to the camp in mid-November, two senior military officials said. A senior Ethiopian government official said construction on the camp was ongoing but did not elaborate on future building plans. A senior Ethiopian government official and one of the senior military officials said the Ethiopian military planned to turn the airport into a drone operation centre, in addition to at least five other drone centres they are aware of across Ethiopia.

OHCHRGENEVA - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday called on all parties to take urgent steps towards de-escalation, amid the precarious situation in the Tigray region. Recent fighting between the Ethiopian army and regional forces has highlighted the risk of a deepening human rights crisis in the north of the country. "The situation remains highly volatile, and we fear it will further deteriorate, worsening the region's already precarious human rights and humanitarian situation," said Türk. Clashes between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and the regional Tigray Security Forces (TSF) intensified on 26 January, particularly in the areas of Tselemti and Laelay Tselemti, in the region's north-west, close to the Amhara border. In the south and south-east of the Tigray region, near the Afar border, clashes between the TSF and the "Tigray Peace Forces", a rival faction, continue unabated.

According to the country's environmental protection agency, the measure is aimed at protecting citizens' right to a clean environment and reducing the risk of various pollution-related diseases, including cancer. It is noted that plastic can remain in the soil and other environments for more than a hundred years without decomposing, harming nature, and human health. The Ethiopian authorities have indicated that individuals caught using or storing prohibited plastic bags face fines ranging from US$12.80 to US$32.25. The government has called on citizens to make a personal contribution to reducing plastic pollution. Previously, Qazinform reported the economic damage caused by climate change is almost twice as high as previously believed, after researchers counted the harm done to the world’s oceans for the first time.

Eritrea on Monday (February 9, 2026) rejected accusations by Ethiopia that it was responsible for ‍military aggression and was backing armed groups inside Ethiopian territory ​as “false and fabricated”, calling the claims ‌part of a hostile campaign by Addis ​Ababa. Advertisement AdvertisementEthiopia’s Foreign Minister had accused neighbouring Eritrea over the weekend of military aggression and of supporting armed groups inside Ethiopian territory, where recent clashes between Tigrayan forces and Ethiopian troops have raised fears of a return to war. “The patently ​false and fabricated accusations against Eritrea issued ⁠by Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister yesterday is astounding in its tone and substance, underlying motivation, and overarching objective,” the Ministry of ​Information said in ⁠a statement. The two longstanding foes waged war against each ‍other between 1998 and 2000, signing a peace deal in 2018. They were allies during Ethiopia’s ‍two-year war against regional authorities in the northern Tigray region, but relations between the two nations have plunged into acrimony since then.

The capital-raising share offer aims to raise KES 106.3 billion ($825 million). The offer opened on 19 January and closes at 5pm on 19 February. The share price has been set at KES 9 each (nominal value KES 0.02 each), with over 11.8bn shares on sale. It is a monopoly with an extensive pipeline network linking Mombasa port to major consumption centres across Kenya country, including Nairobi and western Kenya. Since then the Kenyan shilling has depreciated against the USD so the historic Safaricom IPO is still larger than the current KPC IPO when measured in equivalent US dollars.

FILE - Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali attends a session at the World Atomic Week forum at the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNKh) in Moscow. Tensions are rising in the Horn of Africa after Eritrea forcefully rejected Ethiopian claims that its troops are operating inside Ethiopian territory. Eritrea’s Information Minister says the allegations were part of a hostile campaign against his country and insisted Eritrea has no desire to escalate tensions. Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, but the countries later fought a brutal border war that killed tens of thousands. Although Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed once pursued peace, earning a Nobel Prize, the alliance fractured after the Tigray war, which killed at least 600,000 people.