by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (August 27, 2018) Ethiopia’s reformist Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, who said he would only stay in power if he wins an election, reiterated his position that he doesn’t see any reason for postponing the 2020 elections. Abiy Ahmed, who met the press on Saturday for the first time since he took office, also noted that ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (August 27, 2018) The ex-president of Ethiopia’s Somali region, Abdi Mohamoud Omar, also known as Abdi Illey, has been arrested at his residence in Addis Ababa today. According to a report by the Ethiopian Television that quoted the federal prosecutor, Abdi Illey was arrested for violations of human rights, inciting ethnic and religious conflict in ...

  by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (August 24, 2018) The central committee of the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM) has announced that founding members of the Movement, Bereket Simon and Tadesse Kassa (Tadesse Tinkishu) have been suspended from membership of the central committee until its next meeting in September. At the end of a two day congress, the ANDM central ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (August 24, 2018) A delegation from U.S. Congress visiting Ethiopia has said political and economic reform measures taken by Prime MInister Abiy Ahmed in a short span of time were very encouraging. Congressman Chris Smith is in Ethiopia leading a delegation from the U.S. Congress to see the progress made in the country especially after ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (August 23, 2018) Police investigating the June 23 foiled assassination attempt on the life Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said bombs and other weapons were found at the residence of the main suspect whom they allege has organized and led the plot to kill the Premier. Tesfaye Urgie, who was ironically the head of the ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (August 23, 2018) Two former officials of the Somali region of Ethiopia have been nabbed in Somaliland as they were boarding a plane to Mogadishu, capital of neighboring Somalia. Somaliland immigration officials have detained Ibrahim Adem Mahad, the former head of the regional education bureau and Abdi Jama former head of justice bureau. Both ex-officials ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (August 22, 2018) Ethio telecom has slashed rates in mobile data, local calls and SMS in an unprecedented move by a sector that is still monopolized by the government. The significant reduction of fees, as much as 54% in broadband and 43% in mobile data and SMS, came after the government in June announced it ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (August 21, 2018) An Ethiopian court has issued an arrest warrant on former spy chief, Getachew Assefa, whom ESAT sources say has escaped to neighboring Sudan. Our source close to the government also said Getachew Assefa has been staying in a hotel in his hometown, Mekele, Tigray region for a month. He has not been ...

ESAT News (August 21, 2018) Authorities in Ethiopia’s restive Oromo region have arrested 171 people accused of inciting deadly violence and ethnic motivated attacks in the region. Head of political affairs with the regional party, OPDO, Addisu Arega told local media that the suspects were arrested in several towns in the region accused of killings, inciting violence and looting. Among ...

ESAT News (August 21, 2018) U.S. Immigration and Custom authorities arrested and indicted an Ethiopian man for allegedly lying in naturalization process, hiding his participation in the notorious Red Terror campaign in the 70s, the persecution and killing of political opponents by the regime. The Department of Justice said in a release that the Virginia man, Mergia Negussie Habteyes, 58, ...