The conflict in Ethiopia's Amhara region reached a critical point on Monday as Ethiopia's federal authorities acknowledge the loss of territories to militia fighters, reports Anadolu Agency. Both Bahir Dar, the regional capital, and the historic city of Gondar have become the epicenters of violent confrontations, leading to deep distress among the local population. The order aimed to merge security forces from Ethiopia's 11 regions into the federal forces, but it resulted in violent protests in Amhara. The uncertainty is haunting, and we don't know what the future holds," remarked Meseret Tekle, another Bahir Dar resident. Amid the escalating violence, the Tabor Medical Center in Bahir Dar has been inundated with cases of injuries.

00:00ANNOUNCER: FROM THE FINANCIAL CENTERS OF THE WORLD, THIS IS "BLOOMBERG MARKETS" WITH ALIX STEEL AND GUY JOHNSON. I THOUGHT THE EUROPE EARNINGS SEASON WOULD BE REALLY HOT. COMING BACK TO EUROPE, EUROPE THAT IS NOT A GREAT ENVIRONMENT. JESS: TALKING ABOUT ENERGY, THE EARNINGS GROWTH IS SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE. I DON'T SEE CHINA LATER THIS MONTH AFTER THEIR BEACH SUMMIT THEY HAVE EVERY YEAR COMING OUT WITH SOME NEW HUGE DEMAND-SIDE CATALYST AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S NEEDED.

Nationwide — Letter From a Plow Nation, a popular children’s book written by Dr. Worku L. Mulat and illustrated by Daniel Getahun, was honored by Gourmand Awards 2023. He has a strong passion to give back to his village and others around Ethiopia by promoting literacy, innovation, and education. This year’s Gourmand Awards Ceremony for the Best in the World took place in Sweden. OHBD-RSG Books program publishes culturally appropriate bilingual books and distributes them to readers in Ethiopia and around the world. Art crosses global boundaries.”Learn more about OHBD Ready Set Go Books at OHBD-RSGBooks.comAlso, be sure to follow the organization on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Ethiopian Airlines is to add a second route from London to Addis Ababa later this year by restarting flights from Gatwick. The African carrier, which already operates daily flights from London Heathrow to Addis Ababa, is due to start Gatwick services from 21 November. Ethiopian, which has not flown from Gatwick since 2006, will offer three weekly services from the UK airport using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The Star Alliance member also flies between Manchester and Addis Ababa five times per week, with the service operating via Geneva in both directions.

Addis Abeba – The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concerns over the ongoing violence in the restive Amhara region where months-long hostilities between government forces and the non-state Fano militia has escalated over the past few weeks leading to the declaration of state of emergency. On Sunday, Director General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom (PhD) said “humanitarian access is difficult due to blockage of roads; communication is difficult due to internet suspension,” stating that “conflicts have an immediate impact on people’s health and can have grave, long-lasting consequences on health systems”. “We call for uninterrupted access and protection of health care in Amhara, so [that] WHO and partners can continue our work. According to the UN, the Amhara region continues to grapple with already dire humanitarian and health situations. An ongoing Cholera outbreak has affected 18 woredas across the region, with a total of 2,343 reported cases, 40 unverified deaths as of 27 July 2023, since it was first reported on 23 July.

Ethiopia’s government has lost control of several districts and towns in the Amhara region to local militia fighters. The informal Amhara militia known as Fano is now in control of the historic towns of Gondar and Lalibela, according to residents who spoke to Daily News Egypt. The Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency on Friday in the Amhara region, following ongoing clashes between government forces and Fano. Last week, Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen described the ongoing security situation in the region as “concerning” and called for a peaceful resolution of the conflicts. Nega, an Ethiopian journalist and leading opposition figure in the Amhara region, who has been detained under several Ethiopian governments, was released from prison in February 2023.

Ethiopian Aviation University, the largest aviation center of excellence in Africa graduates 1,551 aviation professionals in pilot training, aviation maintenance, cabin crew, commercial, and hotel operations professions on August 5, 2023 in a graduation ceremony held at the newly upgraded Ethiopian Aviation University, Commercial Building. “As part of our continental commitment, we will continue to provide Africa with skilled aviation professionals. “We are delighted to see today youths from seven African countries completing one chapter and opening another in their aviation endeavor. “Today the industry welcomes 660 male and 891 female graduates.”Since its formation in 1956, Ethiopian Aviation Excellence Center has been offering various aviation courses, mainly to African youths. Courses being offered at the University include: BSc in Aeronautical Engineering, Aviation Maintenance Engineering, Aviation Management & Operations, BA in Tourism & Hospitality Management, MSc in Data Science, MBA in Aviation Management.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa International) says it has suspended flights from Addis Ababa International to Gondar and Lalibela, two towns in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region, where armed clashes are increasing again between federal forces and the Fano militia, the news agencies Agence France-Presse, Belga, and Reuters reported. Representatives of the carrier said on August 3 that rotations to Lalibela were interrupted two days previously. On August 3, the government of the Amhara region appealed to the federal authorities to “take appropriate measures” following several days of skirmishes. Addis Ababa said in April that it wanted to dismantle all “special forces” - the paramilitary units that many of the country’s regional states have created over the last 15 years. Ethiopian Airlines has cancelled flights to Amhara before, for example to Gondar and Bahar Dar in November 2020 after those airports were targeted by rocket fire during clashes that contributed to triggering the Tigray War.

Clashes between Fano militiamen and the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) continued over the weekend. The conflict has quickly become Ethiopia's most serious security crisis since a two-year civil war in Tigray region, which neighbours Amhara, ended in November. Temesgen Tiruneh, director general of Ethiopia's national intelligence service who was appointed to oversee enforcement of the state of emergency, acknowledged that militia fighters had taken some towns and districts. Fano is a part-time militia that draws volunteers from the local population and was an ally of the ENDF during the Tigray war. Their relationship later deteriorated, in part over recent efforts by federal authorities to weaken regional paramilitary groups.

“Ongoing violence” in Amhara is hampering humanitarian aid in this region of northern Ethiopia, the director of the World Health Organization (WHO) deplored on Sunday, calling for peace and asking for “ access uninterrupted" to the area. The clashes between local fighters and the army in Africa's second most populous country come just nine months after the end of a devastating conflict in neighboring Tigray region, which also involved Amhara fighters. The government of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Saturday that it had made arrests linked to "the security crisis in the Amhara region", after having imposed a state of emergency there the day before. “We call for the uninterrupted access and protection of the health system in Amhara so that the WHO and its partners can continue to work there. On Saturday, fighters from the nationalist Amhara Fano militia controlled three major towns in the region, according to residents: Lalibela, Gondar and Dessie.

Ethiopia| Safaricom Ethiopia is set to receive funds from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), members of the World Bank Group, following the closure of the transaction during a funding ceremony held at the telco’s headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. “The progress Safaricom Ethiopia has achieved in such a short period is nothing short of remarkable. Following the closure of this transaction, IFC will hold a minority equity stake in the Global Partnership for Ethiopia BV (GPE), while Safaricom PLC remains the majority shareholder. We look forward to their input in helping us make strides in the Ethiopian market.” Said Mr. Michael Joseph, Safaricom Ethiopia Chairman. This significant investment will expedite the company’s ambitious plans to provide affordable internet and reliable connectivity across Ethiopia.

Bekalu Alamirew, the founder and chief editor of Alpha TV, a YouTube-based news channel, was detained yesterday, Ethiopia Insider reported. The journalist was arrested just after returning home from assisting his graduation ceremony, Ethiopia Insider wrote, citing family sources. Bekalu, who was celebrating his second degree graduation ceremony surrounded by family and friends, was taken to the Federal Police Criminal Investigation Bureau found in the Mexico area, Ethiopia Insider reported. The journalist wrote on his Facebook page that he pursued his education in the face of persecution and imprisonment. The journalist has been detained four times in the past three years.

The murders were in retaliation for attacks by local militia against Eritrean troops, says Father Tesfaye, who helped bury the bodies. Father Tesfaye and activists say Eritrean troops continue to loot livestock and kidnap people in Irob and elsewhere. “There has been no improvement for us since the peace,” says Father Tesfaye. “The most serious problem we have is no international aid agencies can pass (the Eritrean roadblocks),” says Father Tesfaye. “The people are under siege, they are blocked from the outside world.”Irob Anina is calling for the withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Irob and unhindered humanitarian access.

The federal government has tried to centralise security powers after the end of a devastating two-year conflict in the country’s Tigray region, where Amhara regional forces and militia were key allies of the federal military. Now, however, Amhara residents, who were badly affected in that conflict, accuse the federal government of trying to undermine their region. Ethiopia’s intelligence chief and the official overseeing the state of emergency, Temesgen Tiruneh, acknowledged that irregular Amhara forces had taken control of towns, released inmates from prisons and seized government institutions. “These forces have the desire and goal of dismantling the regional government and then moving on the federal system,” Temesgen said. Residents said the informal Amhara militia known as Fano now controls Gondar and Lalibela, which are the main tourist towns.

In-depth: Egypt and Ethiopia hope to finalise an agreement within four months after a decade-long dispute over Africa's largest dam. "For Egypt, it would be catastrophic for its water security if Ethiopia fills the dam without a legally binding agreement. “For Egypt, it would be catastrophic for its water security if Ethiopia fills the dam without a legally binding agreement. Egypt is one of the world’s most drought-prone countries and relies on the Nile for 90% of its water supply, with 80% of the Egyptian Nile emerging from the Blue Nile in Ethiopia. Previous negotiations between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia fell apart in April 2021 during talks in Kinshasa and all subsequent attempts to revive discussions have failed.