Kichuu (2025)

09/10/2025

AI and visual propaganda are being used to stoke tensions as Ethiopia eyes Eritrea's Red Sea Port

AI-generated propaganda is a major concern in contemporary democratic societies — particularly those in sensitive geopolitic contexts

By Amanuel Tesfaye and Matti Pohjonen

On September 9, 2025, Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a mega-dam with the capacity of generating over 5,000 megawatts of energy. The ceremony was highly publicized, with both state outlets and social media ablaze as Ethiopians celebrated a dam that took 14 years and USD 5 billion to build. On the digital sphere, however, another peculiar phenomenon was happening alongside the celebrations: the proliferation of videos and images generated with artificial intelligence (AI). Some of these videos and images contained a not-so-subtle message about where Ethiopia should focus its efforts next: acquiring the port of Assab, which is held by its neighboring country, Eritrea.

Viral AI-generated content
One AI-generated video, widely circulating on TikTok and X, and shared by former State Minister Birhanu M Lenjiso, celebrates the completion of the dam while calling for taking over the Assab port as the next goal. The video starts with a fictional mega-stage simulating a concert at the site of the GERD, a stage adorned by Ethiopian flags, surrounded by a loud synthetic audience. An AI-generated voiceover says:
https://globalvoices.org/2025/10/09/escaping-the-geographic-prison-ai-and-visual-propaganda-in-ethiopias-red-sea-discourse/

09/10/2025

Eritrea denies preparing for war with Ethiopia as tensions between neighbours rise
Ethiopia wrote to the UN earlier this month accusing Eritrea of colluding with the opposition Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) to "wage war".

Eritrea on Thursday dismissed an accusation by Ethiopia that it is preparing to launch a war as "provocative sabre-rattling" amid mounting tensions between the Horn of Africa neighbours.

Relations have been strained for several months, more than 30 years after Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia following a decades-long armed struggle.

Ethiopia's foreign ministry sent a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres earlier this month accusing Asmara of colluding with a hardline faction of the opposition Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) to "wage war".

According to the letter signed by the foreign minister, the two have been "funding, mobilising and directing armed groups" in the Amhara region, where federal forces have battled rebels for several years.

"The intense propaganda campaign aimed at whipping up irredentist ambitions has been accompanied by provocative sabre-rattling," Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Ghebremeskel told AFP.

He condemned Addis Ababa's letter to the UN as a "deceitful charade".
https://www.trtafrika.com/english/article/4b1efd134f5c

09/10/2025

The forgotten horror of Western Tigray
Three years after the end of Ethiopia’s civil war, abuses in the region continue

The militiamen first arrived in Mehret’s hometown of Adi Goshu in Ethiopia’s Western Tigray region in late 2020. This was now Amhara land, they declared; Tigrayans would have to leave. Over the next few months many of the region’s Tigrayan men would be rounded up and massacred or deported. Tens of thousands of other Tigrayans fled. But many, including Ms Mehret and her five children, found themselves trapped. “They said anyone with Tigray blood should disappear, leave our land,” she recalls. “But if you tell them you are going to Tigray, they will kill you.”
https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2025/10/09/the-forgotten-horror-of-western-tigray

09/10/2025

Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of preparing for war as Red Sea tensions rise

Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of preparing to wage war against it in collusion with an opposition grouping, in the latest sign of escalating tensions between the two neighbours over control of the Red Sea.

Ethiopia's accusation is contained in a letter sent by its Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos to UN chief Antonio Guterres, warning that the collusion had become "more evident over the past few months".

Eritrea has not yet commented on the letter, but its relationship with Ethiopia has become increasingly strained in recent months.

Ethiopia has been rallying support to regain access to the Red Sea, causing alarm in Eritrea as it took control of the coastline at independence in 1993.

If Gedion's allegations are true, it means that Eritrea is waging a proxy war against Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government, to prevent it from launching a military incursion into Eritrea to seize ports along the Red Sea.

Ethiopia and Eritrea fought for control of the border town of Badme from 1998 to 2000, causing the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

After Abiy took office in 2018, he ended tensions by building a strong alliance with Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki. However, relations between them have since soured, with access to the Red Sea becoming a major flashpoint.

In the letter seen by AFP news agency, Gedion alleged that Eritrea and a hardline faction of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) were "funding, mobilizing and directing armed groups" in Ethiopia's Amhara region, where militiamen known as Fano have been battling the federal government.

"The hardliner faction of the TPLF and the Eritrean government are actively preparing to wage war against Ethiopia," AFP quoted the letter as saying.

BBC Amharic has contacted the Ethiopian foreign ministry to confirm the authenticity of the letter, but it has not yet responded. The letter is widely circulating on social media among Ethiopian government supporters.

A TPLF faction, led by Debretsion Gebremichael, controls the government in Ethiopia's Tigray region, which borders Eritrea.

It accuses Abiy's government of failing to fully implement a peace deal reached in 2022 to end conflict in Tigray, and says another TPLF faction, led by Getachew Reda, is colluding with Addis Ababa.

Eritrea fought on the side of the Ethiopian army in the conflict, but was not part of the deal and is now accused of forming an alliance with the Debretsion-led TPLF faction.

In his response, Debretsion said the foreign minister's letter contained "fabricated stories and smear campaigns" intended to divert attention from the federal government's failure to honour the peace agreement.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyv6r6e6800o

06/10/2025

Amhara region blocks return of thousands of Qemant refugees
The land of a large number of Qemant community members is being expropriated in the Amhara region due to several infrastructure projects. The minority is drawing attention to the political aspect of the situation. [...]
https://www.africaintelligence.com/eastern-africa-and-the-horn/2025/10/06/amhara-region-blocks-return-of-thousands-of-qemant-refugees,110529322-art

06/10/2025

Hacked Russian Files Expose Ethiopia as Secret Buyer of Russia’s Su-35 Fighters

Internal documents leaked from Russia’s state defense giant, Rostec, have revealed, for the first time, plans to export Su-35 fighter jets to Ethiopia, according to a report by the hacking team Black Mirror, dated October 2.

The files detail production orders and confirm that Moscow has been quietly preparing deliveries.

According to the leaked correspondence, Russia’s Radio-Electronic Technologies Concern (KRET), a subsidiary of Rostec, received orders in 2022 to manufacture control and display systems for six Su-35 aircraft designated for Ethiopia.
https://united24media.com/latest-news/hacked-russian-files-expose-ethiopia-as-secret-buyer-of-russias-su-35-fighters-12225

06/10/2025

Leak doc reveals Su-57s for Algeria, Su-35s for Iran and Ethiopia

A newly leaked document allegedly from Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec appears to outline detailed pricing, delivery schedules, and export plans for advanced Sukhoi fighter jets destined for several foreign clients — including Iran, Algeria, and Ethiopia.

The material was published online on October 3 by the hacker collective Black Mirror, which claims to have accessed more than 300 internal documents from Rostec’s systems.

The tranche includes correspondence, presentations, and export contracts detailing Russia’s defense cooperation with foreign partners, logistics schemes designed to evade sanctions, and technical documentation tied to arms deliveries. While the authenticity of the leak has not been independently verified, analysts say the content aligns closely with previous reports about Moscow’s export negotiations.

One of the most widely shared pages from the leak appears to list contracts from KRET, a Rostec subsidiary specializing in electronic warfare and avionics, for equipment to be integrated into export-configured Sukhoi aircraft. The document identifies the country clients by codes based on Russia’s national classification system: “364” is listed as Iran, “012” as Algeria, and “231” as Ethiopia.

According to the leaked table, Iran has ordered 48 Su-35 multirole fighters, Algeria has purchased 12 Su-57 fifth-generation fighters and 14 Su-34 strike aircraft, while Ethiopia has signed a contract for six Su-35s. If accurate, the deals would represent some of Russia’s most substantial combat aircraft exports since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — and signal a deepening of defense ties with several non-Western states.

The document also sheds light on delivery schedules and production timelines. Equipment for the Iranian Su-35s, for example, is scheduled to be shipped between 16–18 and 46–48 months after advance payments are received. Assuming the initial payment was made in 2022, deliveries of KRET subsystems to the aircraft manufacturing plant would occur between 2024 and 2026. Actual assembly, flight testing, and certification of the aircraft would then follow, meaning full deliveries to Iran are likely to take place between 2026 and 2028.
https://defence-blog.com/leak-doc-reveals-su-57s-for-algeria-su-35s-for-iran-and-ethiopia/

06/10/2025

Selfies and singing as Ethiopians celebrate thanksgiving
Tens of thousands of vibrantly dressed Ethiopians descended on downtown Addis Ababa for an annual thanksgiving festival this weekend.

Irreecha is celebrated by the Oromo, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, and takes place at the end of the country's main rainy season.
Each year, festival-goers gather around sacred rivers and lakes to thank their creators for the greenery that the rains have brought.

"I've been celebrating Irreecha for the past nine years," 25-year-old Moata Abdulmajid (pictured below) told the BBC.

"To me, Irreecha represents my identity, it reflects the pride and greatness of my people."
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd6399enj39o

02/10/2025

Africa’s most secretive dictatorship faces an existential crisis
Eritrea’s sovereignty is under threat from an expansionist Ethiopia

If the past is a foreign country, its name is surely Eritrea. Residents of Asmara, its capital, pootle around in ancient Fiat 500s, wistfully gliding past art-deco cinemas, ornate villas and grand colonnades. These are (or were) the architectural triumphs of long-vanquished Italian colonists, whose peeling walls seem poetical in their decline. Equally anachronistic, if rather less endearing, is Isaias Afwerki, Eritrea’s dictator since 1991. Soon to be 80, he still regularly denounces the “misguided policies” of John Foster Dulles, a former American secretary of state, as if Dwight Eisenhower were still president.
https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2025/10/02/africas-most-secretive-dictatorship-faces-an-existential-crisis

02/10/2025

U.S. backs $10 Billion Ethiopian airport following record aircraft purchase

The United States has pledged support for the construction of a $10 billion international airport in Ethiopia, marking President Donald Trump’s first major business initiative in the Horn of Africa.

The commitment comes despite Ethiopia’s growing alignment with Russia, reflecting Washington’s interest in reconnecting with key partners across the continent

Bishoftu Airport to Relieve Congestion
The Bishoftu International Airport, located 40 kilometres south of Addis Ababa, is planned to ease congestion at Bole International Airport and support Ethiopian Airlines’ operations as Africa’s largest carrier.

Covering 34 square kilometres, it will accommodate both international passengers and cargo, while Bole Airport continues domestic flights. The project also includes an airport city with hotels, shopping centres, and recreational facilities.

U.S. Involvement and Partnerships
U.S. Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, announced the support during a recent visit to Ethiopia prior to attending the United Nations General Assembly. He confirmed that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is involved and collaborating with Boeing on projects related to Ethiopian Airlines and other initiatives across Africa.

Project Scope and Timeline
Phase I of the airport is expected to accommodate 60 million passengers annually, with planned expansion to 110 million passengers and 3.73 million tonnes of cargo per year. Groundwork is scheduled to begin in late 2025, with completion set for November 2029.

Financing the Mega Project
In August, Business Insider Africa reported that the African Development Bank (AfDB) will spearhead $7.8 billion in financing for the Bishoftu International Airport project, including $500 million upfront allocation, pending board approval.

Ethiopian Airlines will contribute 20 per cent of the estimated $10 billion cost, with the remainder covered by creditors, while Dubai-based engineering firm Sidara provides technical support.

Ethiopian Airlines’ Record Aircraft Purchase
As part of its strategic expansion, Ethiopian Airlines placed a record order for 124 new aircraft last year, one of the largest by an African carrier from U.S.-based Boeing. The order comprises 70 firm orders and 54 options, including thirty-four B737-8s, two B777-200Fs, eight B777-9s, and eleven B787-9s, alongside additional Airbus aircraft.

The airline had expected to receive 16 aircraft in the fiscal year starting July 2024. However, technical challenges, particularly affecting Boeing deliveries, have caused delays, with full delivery of the order still ongoing.

Africa’s Largest Airport in the Making
Once completed, Bishoftu International Airport will be Africa’s largest and most expensive airport project, surpassing O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and handling the highest number of international airlines on its runways.
https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/us-backs-dollar10-billion-ethiopian-airport-following-record-aircraft-purchase/xljlf05

02/10/2025

Ethiopia church scaffolding collapse kills 36 during religious festival

Pilgrims were visiting the Menjar Shenkora Arerti Mariam Church to mark the annual Virgin Mary festival.

Makeshift scaffolding set up at a church in Ethiopia has collapsed, killing at least 36 people and injuring dozens, state media reported.

The incident occurred at about 7:45am [4:45 GMT] on Wednesday in the town of Arerti, in the Amhara region, some 70 kilometres (43 miles) east of the capital, Addis Ababa.

A group of pilgrims were visiting the Menjar Shenkora Arerti Mariam Church to mark the annual Virgin Mary festival when the scaffolding collapsed.

District police chief Ahmed Gebeyehu told state media Fana “the number of dead has reached 36 and could increase more,” according to the AFP news agency.

The number of people injured remains unclear, but some reports suggest they could be as many as 200.

Local official Atnafu Abate told the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) that some people remained under the rubble but did not provide details on rescue operations.

Some of the more seriously hurt were taken to hospitals in the capital, he added.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/1/ethiopia-church-scaffolding-collapse-kills-36-during-religious-festival

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