Horn of Africa Region Will Be Devastated by Another Internal War in Ethiopia

Reports of intensified fighting in Tigray and other regions must be viewed in a broader continental and international context

By Abayomi Azikiwe

Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Friday September 25, 2026

Geopolitical Analysis

Tensions have been building up between the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and several armed opposition groupings.

The issues which brought about the war between the central government in Addis Ababa and the northern regional Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have resurfaced despite the negotiated peace agreement in 2022.

Ethiopia is the second most populated state in Africa with an estimated 138 million people. Although it is a landlocked state it is bordered by Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan and Sudan. 

In May 1963 it was the location of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union (AU). When the OAU was formed it consisted of 33 member-states. Today, the AU encompasses 54 independent states along with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) which remains occupied by the Kingdom of Morocco. 

Chronologically it is one of the oldest civilizations recorded in human history. There have been archaeological findings which date back to more than 3 million years. The country is famous for its rock-hewn churches at Lalibela which were constructed between the 7th and 13th centuries.

In recent events inside the country, flights from the capital of Addis Ababa into Tigray have been suspended according to government sources. In addition, there are claims of drone attacks which have wounded and killed civilians in Tigray and other areas of the vast Horn of Africa state. 

Further intensified fighting could erupt soon with the announcement of an alliance of several opposition organizations threatening to wage an armed struggle to seize control of the government led by the Prosperity Party of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The ruling Prosperity Party was declared the winners in a recent election although the opposition forces have declared the poll as being illegitimate. Prime Minister Abiy has rejected the protests of the TPLF and other allied groupings saying that the armed opposition will be met with full force of the federal government.

Figures provided by the government indicated that in the June elections, the Prosperity Party won 438 of 486 contested parliamentary seats. Elections did not occur in Tigray while they were interrupted by tensions in parts of Amhara and Oromia regions.

A recent article published in Al Jazeera said the present situation is quite explosive, noting:

“The Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, announced on September 20, was not a surprise. It followed several months of coordination meetings among the groups, held in the presence of military and security representatives from Eritrea and Sudan. It brings together the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Amhara Fano National Movement, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and four movements from the Somali, Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz regions. Despite the OLA’s participation, Oromo organizations and elites are divided in their support for the alliance. The alliance aims to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and establish an inclusive transition. Three of the seven organizations – the TPLF, the Amhara Fano National Movement and the Afar National Unity Revolutionary Front (ANURF) – have particular strategic importance. All three are in northern Ethiopia, which borders Eritrea, allowing continuous logistical support from there.” (https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/9/25/ethiopias-new-rebel-alliance-faces-an-old-problem)

There has been widespread alarm domestically, regionally and internationally over the announcement of the armed opposition coalition aimed at toppling the government in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia remains the seat of the AU and its affiliated institutions such as the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC), the Peace and Security Council (PSC), designed to address conflicts inside the continent, along with other agencies. 

Since the transformation of the OAU to the AU in 2002, the affiliate institutions were redesigned for more effectiveness as it relates to peacekeeping as well as economic cooperation. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) based in Accra, Ghana was approved in 2018 after years of negotiations. 

The objectives of the ACDC and AfCFTA are to foster greater unity in addressing widespread economic underdevelopment resulting from the legacy of enslavement, colonialism and neo-colonialism. High rates of infectious and non-infectious diseases are direct outcomes of the continuing unequal distribution of wealth and terms of international trade. 

These lofty goals enunciated by the AU cannot be achieved in the face of increasing insecurity which can only result in human dislocation. With its large population and natural resources, Ethiopia should be a center of planning and development for the entire continent.

A statement from the AU on the situation in Ethiopia emphasized:

“The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, expresses deep concern over renewed tensions and military escalation in Northern Ethiopia, including the seizure and occupation of the airports of Mekelle, Axum and Shire, the detention of federal personnel by the Tigray’s People Liberation Front (TPLF) and the ensuing disruption of civilian air services. The Chairperson is also gravely concerned by reports of escalating hostilities in parts of South Tigray and the Afar Region, as well as recent developments involving the formation of new political and military alliances that risk further destabilizing the situation and reversing the gains made to silencing the guns, since 2020…. The Chairperson calls for utmost restraint and the immediate cessation of all actions that could further escalate tensions. He calls on the resumption of direct talks without delay within the framework of the Pretoria Agreement. (https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20260923/chairperson-calls-restraint-and-immediate-de-escalation-northern-ethiopia)

Such a statement is reflective of the concerns of the people of Africa related to the burgeoning conflict in Ethiopia. Other internal wars in neighboring Sudan, for example, have caused displacement of millions internally and into other regional states. 

These conflicts are often a direct result of the interference by western states and their allies such as Israel, United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Consequently, the capacity of African states to resolve their internal and regional problems would be a major achievement in building stability, economic independence and territorial sovereignty. 

Neighboring Eritrea and the Burgeoning Conflict in Ethiopia

The relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea has been complicated by the historical geographic mapping of the Horn of Africa region. Various African people over the millennia have migrated and settled in vast areas of territory that are today called nation-states. These nation-states existing in Africa today are derived from the legacy of classical colonialism and its successor system of neo-colonialism. 

Eritrea was colonized by Italy in the aftermath of the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885. Ethiopia under a monarchy repelled a military intervention by the same imperialist regime in Italy during 1896, known as the Battle of Adwa. Later in 1935, the fascist government of Benito Mussolini invaded and occupied Abyssinia until 1941. 

After the conclusion of the Second World War (1939-1945) there was a reconfiguration of the colonial landscape. Eritrean leaders made clear their desire for independence as early as 1950 when a resolution was introduced to that effect by socialist Czechoslovakia. This resolution opposed the federation of the former Italian colony to post-war Ethiopia. 

By 1961 a full-blown war was underway between Eritrean independence fighters and the Ethiopian government headed then by His Imperial Majesty Haile Sellasie I. After the monarchy was overthrown in 1974 during a revolutionary upsurge and the coming to power of Provisional Military Administrative Council, the war with Eritrea continued.

In 1991, when the Workers Party of Ethiopia under Mengistu Haile Miriam collapsed, Eritrea declared its independence which was codified two years later in a United Nations supervised election. Nonetheless, even under the TPLF government which controlled Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018, relations with Asmara (Eritrean capital) were tense and resulted in two major wars between 1998-2000. 

It was with great expectations when the current Prime Minister Abiy negotiated two peace agreements with Eritrea in 2018. Nonetheless, since 2018 the relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara have worsened. The role of Eritrea will prove critical in the outcome of the rising internal tensions. 

Crisis Must Be Viewed Along with the Role of Imperialism

Throughout the Horn of Africa and broader East and Central Africa regions the United States is making a calculated attempt to further its geostrategic domination. The developments in the Horn of Africa are clearly related to the neighboring West Asia region.

The Israeli state recently “recognized” the breakaway Somaliland region of Somalia. It is quite obvious this maneuver is designed to establish a beachhead to counter the growing influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the affiliates of the Axis of Resistance, particularly those in Yemen. 

Concurrently, the US administration denied entry visas to the delegation of Sudanese General Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan to attend the United Nations General Assembly 81st Session. The denial of Sudan took place alongside the same measures utilized against Palestinian Authority President Mahmood Abbas. The State Department told the Sudanese government that their denial of entry was based upon Khartoum’s rejection of a US-proposed solution to the intra-military war which has raged since April 2023.

All of these provocations can by no means win friends and influence for Washington in the Global South and elsewhere. Events at the UNGA 81 in New York City reveal the disagreements existing in the international community.

Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, Featured on Black Agenda Report with Executive Editor Margaret Kimberley Discussing United States and Israeli Interference in Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea

Watch this interview with Black Agenda Report Executive Editor Margaret Kimberley who discussed the current situation in the Horn of Africa and West Asia.

To watch the interview in its entirety just go to the following URL: U.S. and Israeli Interference in Somalia, Eritrea, and Ethiopia

Azikiwe takes the discussion through the ongoing tension within the governance structures of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia both internally and throughout the Horn of Africa region. 

Later the PANW Editor discusses the history of relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the role of the US in its announcement regarding the lifting of sanctions.

The announced lifting of sanctions by Washington comes at a time when hundreds of opposition forces in Eritrea are holding training sessions in the State of Israel.

This program was recorded on September 22 and aired over various BAR platforms on September 25.

COMESA Trade Barriers Come Under Spotlight Ahead of Summit

September 25, 2026

Story by Owen Mandovha

BUSINESS leaders are calling for the removal of non-trade barriers in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to increase intra-regional trade.

The call comes as Zimbabwe prepares to assume the chairmanship of the regional trading bloc next month.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the CEO Africa Roundtable, Mr Kipson Gundani, several non-tariff barriers continue to impede the growth of intra-trade among COMESA partners.

He said Zimbabwe’s US$15 million intra-COMESA trade figures require scrutiny at the COMESA Business Forum set for next month.

“Tariffs are the main hindrance to enhancing intra-trade, but there are also non-tariff barriers such as lack of infrastructure, digital gaps that still impede trade between countries.”

Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Chief Executive Officer Mr Christopher Mugaga said the regional economic bloc, with a population of more than 600 million, has the potential to unlock trade by focusing on each country’s competitive advantage.

“The potential remains huge given that each member country exports some raw materials, especially to Europe and we can make sure that we trade with each other by way of beneficiation, which will benefit each country.”

Various industrial linkages and value chains will come under the spotlight to establish ways of growing trade, which Zimbabwe seeks to leverage to meet some of the objectives enshrined in the National Development Strategy Two to industrialise the economy and increase export earnings.

SADC Standby Force Backs Planning for Blue Runde 2027

September 24, 2026

Story Rodrick Mashingadze

THE SADC Standby Force has endorsed the ongoing Initial Planning Conference as adequate for the proper conduct of the multinational humanitarian disaster response exercise, Blue Runde 2027.

The conference, being held in the state capital, has brought together representatives from various SADC member states, who have formed groups to consider key areas of the exercise, including medical cover, real-life support, media, logistics and the location of administrative staff.

Chief of Staff, SADC Standby Force Planning Element, Brigadier General Daniel Makthetha, said the planning process was progressing smoothly.

“The initial planning conference for SADC Ex Blue Runde 2027 happening in the state capital is going on smoothly, with members from various states forming different groups to look at key areas that they will be attending to during the conference. These areas include medical cover, real-life support, where the media, and logistics, and also where the administrative staff will be located,” he said.

Brigadier General Makthetha said the Planning Element was satisfied with the attendance and progress made during the conference.

“As far as we are concerned, as the SADC Planning element, we are very satisfied with the attendance. Yes, some member states did not attend, but the planning process is moving smoothly; it is according to the plan,” he said.

He said the Planning Element would present a report on the outcome of the conference for consideration by senior officials ahead of a conference expected to take place in October.

“There are two things that are going to happen: 1 we are going to present a report for consideration by our bosses, air chiefs, for a conference to take place sometime in October. After we present what we have initially planned, they will guide us. We are hoping that from that guidance we are going to move to the main planning conference,” he added.

The Initial Planning Conference is one of the key preparatory meetings ahead of Exercise Blue Runde 2027, which will be hosted by Zimbabwe.

The SADC Blue Exercises are held biannually by SADC member states on a rotational basis.

ZANU PF Hails President Mnangagwa’s Global Engagement, Citing Investor Interest During UNGA 81

September 24, 2026

Story by Bruce Chahwanda, Political Editor

ZANU PF says Zimbabwe is strengthening its presence on the global stage under the leadership of President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, citing increased investor interest during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Addressing journalists in Harare this Thursday, ZANU PF Secretary for Information and Publicity, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, said President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s participation at the UN General Assembly had attracted interest from investors seeking to engage him on the sidelines of the gathering.

Ambassador Mutsvangwa said efforts by what he described as detractors to smear Zimbabwe and its leadership had failed, citing a recent visit by South African traditional leaders, whom he said came to Zimbabwe to assure the President of their support.

He said what he described as endorsement by key investors in the United States and Zimbabwe securing a sugar quota for the American market demonstrated improving relations between Harare and Washington.

Ambassador Mutsvangwa said Zimbabwe would continue pursuing its development agenda, which he described as inclusive.

Turning to local developments, Ambassador Mutsvangwa said global capital requires clean cities and urged citizens to adhere to city by-laws.

President Mnangagwa Calls for Affordable Financing to Drive Development

September 25, 2026

Story by Josephine Mugiyo, Diplomatic Correspondent

PRESIDENT Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa has called for affordable, long-term and concessional financing to accelerate sustainable and inclusive development, particularly in developing countries.

Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this Thursday, the Head of State said expensive financing was making it difficult for developing nations to advance, while affordable capital was critical to driving economic transformation.

“Peace cannot endure without development. With less than four years to implement the 2030 Agenda, only 36% of the Sustainable Development Goals are on track or showing moderate progress, while developing countries face an annual financing gap exceeding US$4 trillion.

“The Sevilla Commitment must now be implemented through greater affordable, long-term and concessional finance; timely, development-oriented debt treatment; and more effective channelling of Special Drawing Rights. Development cannot flourish when its financing is prohibitively expensive. Reform must decisively address Africa’s excessive risk premiums and borrowing costs. The need to strengthen the voice of developing countries in global financial institutions and curb illicit financial flows,” he said.

The Head of State said Zimbabwe was strengthening its capacity to mobilise domestic resources, improve public financial management and create a favourable environment for productive investment.

“Zimbabwe is continuously strengthening its capacity to mobilise domestic resources, enhance public financial management, and foster a favourable environment for productive investment. Under our national Vision 2030, we are strengthening the important linkage between mining and agriculture, which is driving growth in Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector. Bold reforms and other macroeconomic policies have resulted in a threefold growth in our GDP since 2017. Zimbabwe is indeed Open for Business.”

President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa also outlined measures being taken to promote value addition and beneficiation in the mining sector before minerals are exported.

“Zimbabwe welcomes the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals and the Country Support Mechanism. Critical minerals must become a foundation for inclusive development, with value addition and beneficiation at source, along with the development of regional value chains being highly prioritised.

“Zimbabwe has more than 40 critical and rare earth minerals, and we have made bold decisions towards a mutually beneficial extractive industry. This has seen us dispatch the first export of locally produced lithium sulphate during the second quarter of the year, demonstrating that retaining value at the source is possible for shared prosperity,” the President said.

President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa also held several engagements with businesspeople and prospective investors on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

As the President headed back home, Zimbabwe’s message to the world centred on inclusive economic growth, fair representation of all nations and advocacy for preventive diplomacy in dealing with crises.

DR Congo Plane Crash Kills 14, Including 2 Senior Military Officials

By JEAN-YVES KAMALE

6:48 PM EDT, September 25, 2026

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — At least 14 people, including two senior military officials, have died in a plane crash in Congo, the military said Friday.

The two senior military officials are Lieutenant General Mutombo Katalayi Tiende, head of the military court, and Lieutenant General Bakumi Likulia, auditor general of the armed forces.

“In addition to the two general officers, twelve members of the delegation and the crew members also lost their lives in this accident,” Major General Efomi Ekenge, spokesperson of the Congolese military, said in a statement.

The plane was returning to the capital city, Kinshasa, from southwestern Kikwit when it developed a technical fault and crashed in Kenge where everyone on board died, according to local officials.

An investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the accident, Ekenge said.

Tryphon Kin-Kiey Mulumba, Chairman of the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority, said the cause of the crash is unknown.

The Congolese military has been battling scores of rebel groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group in the eastern region since last year, after a blitz of attacks that led to the rebel groups seizing key cities.

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Follow AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

A Data-sharing Clause Derailed US-Zimbabwe Health Talks. Now All Funding Ends This Month

By Farai Mutsaka

1:19 PM EDT, September 25, 2026

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The United States will end funding for Zimbabwe’s health programs at the end of September following the collapse of negotiations over a U.S.-proposed deal that Zimbabwe rejected in part over a requirement to share sensitive health data, the U.S. Embassy said Friday.

An embassy spokesperson in Harare confirmed the decision and released remarks delivered this week by U.S. Ambassador Pamela Tremont at an event titled “Beyond assistance.”

Tremont said the end of U.S.-supported health programs followed “Zimbabwe’s decision to decline a bilateral health MOU.” She added that the U.S. will now shift its relations with Zimbabwe “from one largely focused on health and humanitarian assistance, to one built on broader economic, trade and investment opportunities.”

Zimbabwe is among the first countries to face the consequences of Washington’s new approach of tying health aid to bilateral country-to-country agreements.

The withdrawal casts uncertainty over programs to combat HIV and other diseases in a country where shortages often force patients to bring basic supplies such as bandages to clinics and buy their own medicines.

For decades, the U.S. has been Zimbabwe’s largest health donor, supporting HIV prevention and treatment, tuberculosis and malaria programs, clinical care, laboratory systems, health workers, medical supplies and community-based programs.

Zimbabwean officials have raised concerns over diminishing international aid, saying the country would prioritize raising funds domestically as assistance from the U.S. and other Western countries dries up. Some health advocates, however, question whether Zimbabwe’s financially troubled government can absorb the costs.

“Zimbabweans have already been suffering gravely as a result of abrupt disruptions to lifesaving malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV programs caused by the U.S. stop work orders and USAID award terminations in 2025,” said Asia Russell, executive director of Health GAP, an international advocacy group. “This deadly decision will trigger a public health catastrophe,” she added.

The dispute dates to February, when both countries announced the collapse of talks on a bilateral deal proposed under U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” approach to foreign aid.

Zimbabwe government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said the proposal contained conditions the country could not accept, citing concerns over data sharing, fairness, sovereignty and Washington’s shift away from global health institutions.

According to Mangwana, the proposal was tied to “comprehensive access to Zimbabwe’s sensitive health data, including virus samples and epidemiological information from our citizens.”

Namibia also rejected a bilateral agreement with the U.S. because of concerns about provisions for sharing health data and biological specimens, local media reported. In early September, the U.S. said it would start phasing out its financial support for Namibia’s HIV response programs. The U.S. will provide Namibia with $45 million for its HIV response in fiscal 2027 before shifting to “technical cooperation,” the two governments said in September, but did not cite the health data fallout as the reason for the development.

African governments have in recent months increasingly called for “health sovereignty,” reflecting efforts to finance and manage their health systems with less reliance on foreign aid.

Africa CDC has described the continent as facing “an unprecedented financing crisis,” saying official development assistance to Africa has halved over the last five years.

Under the Trump administration’s new approach, Washington has been negotiating country-by-country health agreements that it says will reduce donor dependency and increase domestic financing. So far, 35 countries have signed such agreements, the majority in Africa, according to KFF, a U.S. health-policy research organization tracking the deals.

At least four African countries — Ghana, Zambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe — have publicly resisted or failed to conclude new U.S. bilateral health agreements, while Kenya’s agreement has faced a legal challenge.

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said Friday the U.S. wanted information about endemic diseases and the country’s medical records and that Ghana would have no right to inspect medications or medical products brought into the country.

Mahama was in New York for high-level meetings and the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly. Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, he said the U.S. proposal was taken to the Cabinet and “thrown out in record time.”

“I’ve never seen anything thrown out as fast as that,” he said.

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AP Writer Jennifer McDermott contributed to this report from New York.

Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party Wins Parliamentary Election, Interior Ministry Says

By AKRAM OUBACHIR

4:55 PM EDT, September 25, 2026

CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party won the most seats in the country’s parliamentary election, taking 97 of 395 seats in the House of Representatives, according to final results announced by the Interior Ministry on Friday.

The party, founded by a royal adviser close to King Mohammed VI and known by its French acronym PAM, fell short of an absolute majority and will need to negotiate with other parties to form a governing coalition.

The election was shaped by mounting frustration among young people, high unemployment despite a thriving economy and demands for better schools, hospitals and housing.

It was the first vote since the deadly mass migration attempts to Ceuta in July and the Gen Z-led protests last year.

The next government will oversee billions of dollars in investment as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup, prompting some to describe it as the “World Cup government.” The new political leadership will also face pressure to address everyday concerns, including jobs, wages and the cost of living.

Despite a major drug- and gold-trafficking scandal allegedly involving some senior PAM members, several of whom were sentenced to prison, the party weathered the political fallout and won more seats than in the previous election.

The National Rally of Independents, or RNI, part of the outgoing governing coalition, suffered major losses, winning 66 seats. The moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party, or PJD, which won just 13 seats in 2021, surged to 54.

PAM has previously said it will not form a coalition with RNI. It is likely to gather with third-place winner Istiqlal and other parties that won fewer seats to obtain a majority.

A coalition with the PJD is unlikely due to longstanding political rivalry between the two parties. PAM was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a childhood friend of the king. The party emerged as a major political force seen as a counterweight to the Justice and Development Party, which previously led the government for a decade.

The PJD said it would remain in the opposition.

The Moroccan Constitution requires the king to appoint a prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in legislative elections.

One possibility for prime minister is Fouzi Lakjaa, president of Morocco’s soccer federation, who recently joined the PAM party and has been buoyed by Morocco’s recent soccer achievements. Lakjaa, 56, who also oversees Morocco’s budget, is a member of the party’s political bureau but not its top official.

Fatima-Zahra Mansouri, 50, mayor of Marrakech and minister of urban planning, is another possibility. If selected, she would be Morocco’s first female prime minister. The party has no single leader and is instead run by a collective leadership, with Mansouri serving as its coordinator.

Six million out of 15.8 million registered voters voted Wednesday in the sixth election since King Mohammed VI ascended to power 27 years ago. Overall participation was 38% — the lowest since 2007.

UN Refugee Chief Urges Action from Security Council so Displacement no Longer Crosses Generations

Barham Salih walks on stage during the Clinton Global Initiative, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ishika Samant)

By EDITH M. LEDERER

7:08 PM EDT, September 25, 2026

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. refugee chief urged the world’s divided nations Friday to focus on ending conflicts and crises so the more than 117 million people forced to flee their homes can return, and not spend generations displaced in a foreign country.

In his first speech to the U.N. Security Council since his election as high commissioner for refugees last December, Barham Salih told its 15 members that they have “a unique responsibility to help make peace possible.”

“For the millions of people forced from their homes – and the millions more who should never have to flee – I urge you to use that responsibility,” the former refugee, who was president of Iraq from 2018 to 2022, told the meeting on the sidelines of the annual U.N. gathering of world leaders.

Salih stressed that humanitarians, like those working for the refugee agency known as UNHCR, deal every day with the consequences of conflict, but they can’t create peace. That responsibility under the U.N. Charter is entrusted to the Security Council which is charged with maintaining international peace and security.

The refugee chief ticked off conflicts that have forced people to flee.

The war in Sudan remains the world’s largest displacement crisis, with 12 million people inside and outside the country, he said. “As long as this war continues, people will continue to flee,” he said.

In Congo, Salih said, “generations have now lived through cycles of conflict and violence,” now compounded by an escalating Ebola crisis. In Ukraine, he said, war has displaced millions inside the country and sent millions more fleeing to other countries.

Generations of refugees from disputed Western Sahara, which Morocco claims, have grown up in camps near Tindouf in neighboring Algeria “facing uncertainty and limited prospects while awaiting a political solution,” he said.

In the latest Mideast escalation, Salih said, UNHCR has mobilized resources and staff to help more than 130,000 Yemenis who have fled recent hostilities and remain in the country, and over 3,700 who have sought safety in Djibouti.

The refugee chief acknowledged that a goal he launched earlier this year to reduce the number of refugees in long-term displacement who rely on humanitarian aid by half by 2035 “is ambitious.” But he stressed that “it must be, because keeping people alive year after year while they remain unable to rebuild their lives cannot be our end goal.”

Success can’t mean becoming better at keeping people caught in war alive for another year, or establishing a new camp in response to a 50-year emergency, he said, and it can’t mean having children inherit displacement from their parents.

“Success must ultimately mean creating the conditions in which people no longer need us,” Salih said. UNHCR’s ambition must be “to prevent displacement where we can, resolve it where it has occurred, and create the conditions in which people can rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.”

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Edith M. Lederer has been covering international affairs for The Associated Press for more than a half century.

Africa Demands Action

UNDP

Many of the conversations at the 81st UN General Assembly in New York will be framed around crises: conflict, debt, climate shocks, artificial intelligence, and a slowing global economy. And for Africa, the stakes are unusually high.

24 September 2026

New Era (Windhoek)

New York — African leaders and development partners have called for urgent action to turn the United Nations Pact for the Future from promises into measurable results for ordinary Africans.

The call was made on Tuesday at a high-level side event co-chaired by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to assess two years of implementation of the Pact, which was adopted in 2024.

The meeting brought together presidents Bassirou Diomaye Faye (Senegal), William Ruto (Kenya), Uganda vice president Jessica Alupo, Zambia's foreign affairs minister Mulambo Haimbe, African Union Deputy Chairperson Selma Haddadi, Development Bank, civil society and the Pan-African Youth Union also took part.

"As Africa, we are not asking for free money. Africa, we want fairness," said Nandi-Ndaitwah.

She said the Pact aligns with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and could help advance Africa's priorities in areas such as youth empowerment, financing for development, peace, digital transformation and inclusive growth.

The President said African youth account for more than 60% of the continent's population and should be placed at the centre of development planning.

She pointed to Namibia's free tertiary education and National Youth Development Fund as examples of national efforts to equip young people with skills and opportunities.

Nandi-Ndaitwah also called for greater African participation in reforming the international financial architecture and in negotiations for a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation.

Adding his voice, Ruto, speaking on behalf of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, said Africa should develop a single mechanism to measure progress ahead of the Pact's 2028 review.

Ruto proposed that the African Union and UNECA prepare one consolidated African implementation report to establish whether commitments are producing measurable results.

"Two years ago, Africa helped shape this pact. Today, our task is to turn its promises into results," Ruto said.

He said the results must be visible in the lives of young Africans and in the financing of development.

Ruto also called for completion of negotiations on the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation and reform of the international financial architecture to improve access to resources and concessional financing.

Financing crisis

Meanwhile, Faye said the Pact provides a framework for addressing Africa's development challenges but warned that the continent continues to face infrastructure deficits, under-industrialisation, unemployment, debt and difficulties accessing finance.

"Funding for development is centre stage," Faye said.

He said African countries need a fairer international financial system and greater influence in global decision-making institutions.

Faye also called for stronger use of the African Continental Free Trade Area to reduce market fragmentation and support economic growth.

Not enough

Additionally, AU Deputy Chairperson Selma Haddadi said some progress had been made since the Pact was adopted, including movement on financing, digital governance and UN reform. She said Africa had also expanded electricity access to an additional 50 million people over the past two years.

However, Haddadi warned that implementation had "not yet fully matched the breadth and ambition" of the commitments made by member states.

She said the key test was whether the Pact was changing how Africa finances development and whether the resulting economic growth was creating more opportunities for young Africans.

UN

Moreover, Ryder said Africa was central to the Pact from its negotiation to its implementation.

He said progress had been recorded in peace and security, artificial intelligence, financing for development, and youth participation.

Ryder said the UN was working to adapt peace operations to current conflicts, while the Global Digital Compact was creating a framework for international cooperation on artificial intelligence.

"Africa was decisive in securing the Pact, and Africa's continued leadership will be decisive in delivering it," Ryder said.

Dashboard

UNECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete said the Pact must be linked directly to national plans, budgets and investment.

He said he had met young African entrepreneurs who could build digital services but struggled to obtain affordable finance, as well as farmers needing climate information, irrigation, insurance and market access.

Gatete proposed an annual Africa-focused dashboard to track implementation of the Pact alongside Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals and national priorities.

"Success will not be measured by the number of meetings we hold," Gatete said, but by whether jobs are created, business costs fall, connectivity expands and lives improve.

Reform

Another interesting intervention came from Uganda's Alupo, who said the Pact's priorities are closely linked to Africa's development needs, particularly youth empowerment, technology, sustainable development and reform of the international financial system.

She said limited fiscal space and rising debt pressures were preventing developing countries from investing sufficiently in infrastructure and public services.

Alupo called for reforms to international financial institutions to give developing countries a stronger voice in decision-making.

Critical

South African representatives opined that the Pact should also support Africa's industrialisation by ensuring that the continent benefits from its natural resources.

Further, critical minerals should be beneficiated at source, while African youth should be placed at the centre of artificial intelligence research and innovation.

South Africa estimated that Africa needs to close an annual US$1.3 trillion financing gap to achieve the SDGs by 2030 and called for reforms to the global financial architecture.

"Today, we cannot talk about implementing this Pact without talking about the real active role of young people," the representative said.

The civil society representative similarly called for stronger monitoring of implementation and said youth participation must move beyond symbolic inclusion to concrete access to skills, jobs, finance and digital opportunities.

2028 review

The meeting ended with Nandi-Ndaitwah saying the discussions had shown the need for greater investment in youth, stronger financing, domestic resource mobilisation, digital readiness and institutional capacity.

"The real measurement of the Pact's success will be its national uptake," she said.

She said the 2028 review should be used to strengthen implementation and inform the emerging post-2030 development agenda, while calling for stronger North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation.

Read the original article on New Era.

Has the U.S. Adopted a Regime Change Policy in Sudan?

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

24 September 2026

allAfrica.com

By Boakai Fofana

Monrovia — There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity this week surrounding peace efforts in Sudan as world leaders gather in New York for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The conflict, which began in April 2023, has reached a stalemate, leaving the country virtually divided between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

A committee of Sudanese doctors earlier warned that conditions in the country have reached "catastrophic" levels, particularly in conflict-affected areas including the capital, Khartoum. The group, the Preparatory Committee of the Sudanese Doctors' Syndicate, presented its report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. It documented extensive damage to health facilities and environmental destruction that the group warned is fueling the spread of disease.

The committee's report comes after UN agencies warned they may be forced to cut back on humanitarian aid due to severe funding shortfalls. Sudan is currently home to the world's worst hunger and displacement crisis: according to the UN, nearly 8.6 million people remain internally displaced, and more than 19 million face crisis levels of food insecurity.

In response, the U.S. intensified its diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the violence. The American approach - spearheaded by U.S. President Donald Trump's Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos - focuses on applying diplomatic pressure on both the SAF and RSF to secure a ceasefire, establish humanitarian corridors, and enforce targeted sanctions against key perpetrators of violence.

As part of these efforts, the Trump administration proposed an immediate 90-day humanitarian truce in July to allow aid deliveries, strengthen civilian protection, and pave the way for negotiations on a permanent ceasefire, followed by a civilian-led political transition and elections. Although early reports suggested the warring factions had accepted the proposal, an op-ed by Sudanese Sovereignty Council Chief and Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appears to contradict those claims.

Writing in Foreign Policy magazine under the title "How to Bring Peace to Sudan," Burhan argued that external efforts to secure a ceasefire over the years have failed to yield results, stressing that the latest U.S. proposal merely buys the RSF time. He argued that any genuine peace process must be an internally driven settlement leading to a permanent ceasefire, the consolidation of all armed groups under a single national army, and a national political dialogue culminating in a new constitution and elections. He added that the Rapid Support Forces do not hold legitimate state authority.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Boulos announced on social media that he had held "productive conversations" with the SAF-appointed Foreign Minister, Mohi El Din Salem, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty. Boulos said the discussions centered on the urgent need to "agree on a path to durable peace in Sudan," adding that the Sudanese people critically need a humanitarian truce that can "lead towards an inclusive civilian dialogue and a peaceful, unified Sudan."

His statement follows reports that the U.S. denied a visa to Army Chief Burhan, preventing him from attending the UN gathering. Observers view the move as an attempt to pressure him into accepting the proposed ceasefire. U.S. officials reportedly made Burhan's attendance contingent on his agreement to the 90-day truce proposed by Boulos. While neither the U.S. State Department nor the Sudanese government has officially commented on the reported visa denial, according to al-Jazeera, some Sudanese citizens took to social media to voice opposition to the U.S. stance, arguing that UN participation should not be conditioned on Khartoum's acceptance of the proposal.

Meanwhile, in a statement released Tuesday, September 22, the U.S. State Department reiterated President Trump's commitment to ending the conflict, stating that accepting the truce is an "essential step to achieving a durable peace" in Sudan. It emphasized that the administration stands ready to work with anyone who is a "serious partner" for peace.

"Neither the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces, nor their respective leaders represent legitimate, constitutional governance for Sudan - they rule through force of arms alone," the State Department added, saying the conduct of both leaders "renders them ineligible to govern the country."

Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), has said the State Department's statement essentially signals a policy of regime change in Sudan.

"There is no other way to read the statement," Hudson wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), arguing that the U.S. has painted itself into a corner. "First with its chemical weapons sanctions, then its arms embargo, then with its visa ban. Now, in order to justify the ban, it has doubled down on its regime of maximum pressure."

Hudson said the current U.S. approach leaves little room for negotiation: "Either Burhan bends his knee and signs whatever is put in front of him unconditionally, or the situation remains as is."

UN Voices Concern Over Worsening Security Situation, Armed-Group Coalition and Drone Strikes in Ethiopia

M. Haileselassie/Deutsche Welle

Ethiopian soldiers at a military parade in Tigray (file image).

22 September 2026

Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Ababa — The United Nations has expressed deep concern over what it described as a worsening security situation in Ethiopia, citing the formation of a new coalition of armed groups, continued insecurity and reports of drone strikes.

Speaking at the UN Secretary-General's daily press briefing on 21 September, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres, said the UN was "deeply concerned" by recent developments in Ethiopia amid heightened tensions.

"At a time of heightened tensions, we urge all stakeholders to refrain from actions or rhetoric that could further escalate the situation," Dujarric said. He also called on the parties to recommit to dialogue, stressing that "military action will not resolve political differences or address underlying grievances."

The UN spokesperson did not provide further details on the reported coalition of armed groups or the drone strikes.

The statement comes amid renewed security tensions in parts of Ethiopia, including developments in the northern Tigray region, where clashes have recently been reported between federal forces and Tigrayan forces.

The United Nations said it continues to support African Union-led efforts aimed at reducing tensions and advancing implementation of the Pretoria Agreement, the November 2022 peace deal that ended the two-year war between the federal government and Tigrayan forces.

Ethiopian cultural events The UN's latest remarks come as concerns grow over the possibility of renewed conflict and the broader impact of armed confrontations on civilians and the implementation of the peace agreement.

The UN's warning comes a day after seven Ethiopian opposition and armed groups formally announced the formation of a coalition, declaring a joint objective of removing the Prosperity Party-led government and establishing what they described as an inclusive transitional government.

The announcement was made on 20 September 2026 in a statement read live on Tigrai TV by Zemene Kassie, chairman of the Amhara Fano National Movement (AFNM). The coalition brings together the AFNM, Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), Afar National Unity Revolutionary Front, Benishangul Peoples' Liberation Movement and Gumuz Peoples' Democratic Movement.

Government policy analysis 

The announcement formalized months of reported efforts to coordinate armed and political opposition groups across regional and ethnic lines. In August, Zemene said agreements had been reached with several opposition armed groups to form a broader coalition working toward what he described as the "fall of Abiy Ahmed." The newly announced coalition has now given that alignment a formal name and stated objectives.

In its statement, the coalition accused the Prosperity Party-led government of presiding over insecurity, armed conflict, displacement, poverty and alleged violations of democratic and human rights. The government has not been quoted in the announcement as responding to the allegations.

The UN's reference to reported drone strikes also comes amid renewed allegations of civilian harm linked to drone attacks in Ethiopia. On 21 September, Addis Standard reported that a humanitarian aid truck carrying more than 41 metric tons of food assistance was struck by a drone in northwestern Tigray on 20 September, injuring a 13-year-old girl and destroying the relief consignment.

Africans & Diaspora Abrhaley Girmay, mayor of Adi-Daero, told Addis Standard that the incident occurred at around 3:30 a.m. in Swudey village, Hibret Tabia, between Adi-Daero and Adi-Nebried. He said the drone struck the area three times, first hitting a public road, followed by farmland, before the third strike hit the truck carrying assistance for internally displaced people in Sheraro.

Abrhaley said the drone had been circling over the area and that the strikes caused fear and psychological distress among residents. The injured girl was taken to Adi-Daero Primary Hospital for treatment, he said.

Addis Standard also spoke to the truck driver, Birhane Gebretsadik, who survived the reported strike.

Demographics The reported incident has not been independently verified by Addis Standard, and the source of the drone strike has not been independently established.

Read the original article on Addis Standard.

Tunisia Protesters Demand Release of Detained Sumud Flotilla Activists

By Al Mayadeen English

21 Sep 2026 09:21

A protest in Tunis calls for the release of four Sumud Flotilla activists, including two on hunger strike over their continued detention.

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Tunis to demand the release of four activists detained in connection with the Global Sumud Flotilla and to denounce a campaign targeting solidarity with Palestine.

The demonstration began outside the headquarters of the Tunisian National Journalists’ Union (SNJT), with protesters then heading toward Avenue Habib Bourguiba while carrying Palestinian and Tunisian flags and images of the detainees.

The protesters called for the case against the four activists to be dropped and directed chants against President Kais Saied’s government, including slogans accusing the authorities of repression and of serving foreign interests.

Hunger strike raises alarm over detainees’ health

The protest comes after a Tunisian court extended the pre-trial detention of Wael Naouar, Ghassen Henchiri, Ghassen Boughdiri, and Nabil Channoufi by an additional four months.

The four have been detained since March as part of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving fundraising activities connected to the flotilla, according to Tunisian state media, which cited judicial sources.

Naouar, a member of the flotilla’s steering committee, began an open-ended hunger strike on August 16 in protest against his continued detention. Henchiri, Boughdiri, and Channoufi joined the strike on September 9, according to supporters and the Global Sumud Flotilla.

Activists accuse authorities of criminalizing Palestine solidarity

Supporters of the detainees say their case extends beyond the financial allegations and forms part of a wider crackdown on political and civil society actors.

Activists, journalists, rights defenders, and trade unionists have increasingly faced similar legal proceedings involving financial crimes and money laundering allegations, according to reports. 

The four detainees are members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international initiative that sought to challenge the Israeli regime’s blockade of Gaza and transport humanitarian assistance to the Strip.

Former student union leaders join calls for release

Calls for the activists’ release have also come from former members of Tunisia’s General Students Union (UGET).

Former UGET officials and activists representing different generations of the student movement issued a statement Tuesday demanding the immediate release of the four detainees, including Naouar, who previously served as the union’s secretary-general.

They called on student organizations, trade unions, rights groups, and other civil society bodies to mobilize around the case, while holding Saied and his government responsible for the safety of the hunger strikers.

Nidhal Khadraoui, another former UGET secretary-general, said the detainees remained committed to continuing their hunger strike until they were freed.

He also raised concerns over Henchiri’s health, saying he requires surgery because of complications from an injury sustained during detention by the Israeli regime.

According to Khadraoui, the operation has not been performed despite a prison doctor recommending it.

Human rights groups warn of shrinking civic space

The detention of the four activists comes against a backdrop of growing criticism from rights organizations over restrictions on civil society in Tunisia.

Human Rights Watch has accused Tunisian authorities of increasingly using financial, anti-money laundering, and counterterrorism laws against activists and civil society figures.

Tunisian authorities reject accusations that the judiciary is being used to suppress political opponents. The government maintains that the judiciary is independent and that legal proceedings are conducted in accordance with the law.

Supporters of the Global Sumud Flotilla have continued to stage protests calling for the immediate release of the “Sumud four", making the activists’ detention an increasingly prominent issue among Palestine solidarity groups in Tunisia.

Somalia, Turkish Officials Discuss Defense Cooperation in Mogadishu

By Al Mayadeen English

21 Sep 2026 20:03

Somalia and Turkey discussed expanding defense cooperation, military training, and logistical support to strengthen the Somali Armed Forces’ institutional and operational capabilities.

Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi Ahmed met with a Turkish military delegation in Mogadishu to discuss expanding bilateral defense cooperation and strengthening the Somali Armed Forces.

The delegation was led by Brigadier General Sabahattin Kalkan, commander of Turkey’s military training center in Somalia, TURKSOM. It also included Turkish military and naval attaché Haldun Çetinarslan and newly appointed Air Force attaché Mohammed Serhan Yıldız.

Discussions focused on military training, professional development, and efforts to enhance the Somali army’s institutional and operational capabilities.

Fiqi praised TURKSOM’s contribution to training Somali personnel and improving their professional skills. He also expressed appreciation for Ankara’s continued support for rebuilding Somalia’s armed forces and promoting security and stability in the country.

Expanding military ties

The meeting forms part of sustained military cooperation between Mogadishu and Ankara, with senior defense officials from both countries holding several meetings throughout the year.

In August, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler received Somali army chief Ibrahim Mohamed Mohamud in Ankara, with Turkey’s chief of general staff also attending the meeting.

The two sides have held further discussions in recent months on improving training, logistical assistance, and capacity-building for Somali forces.

TURKSOM’s role in Somalia

TURKSOM opened in Mogadishu in 2017 and is Turkey’s largest overseas military training facility.

The center trains Somali officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers while providing support in military organization, infrastructure, and logistics.

Ankara says its military and training presence in Somalia is intended to help restructure the Somali army, develop the country’s security institutions, and strengthen its counterterrorism capabilities.

Fighting Intensifies in Northern Ethiopia as Tigray Rebels Declare Full-blown War

By Agencies

Tigray Region

Fighting is intensifying across northern Ethiopia, with Tigray rebels saying the country is now in a “full-blown war” with the federal government.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, seized control of three airports in Tigray on Wednesday and launched attacks into the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions. Ethiopian Airlines has suspended flights to airports in Mekelle, Shire and Axum.

User-generated images posted on social media show military personnel and civilians in Abala, while footage from Mekelle shows cars and people on the streets following the seizure of the regional airport.

Ethiopia’s army says its forces have killed 272 Tigrayan fighters and wounded 260 during a counter-offensive in Amhara. AFP says the figures could not be independently verified.

The renewed fighting follows months of tensions and threatens to unravel the 2022 peace agreement that ended a two-year war in Tigray. That conflict killed more than 600,000 people, according to African Union estimates.

There are also fears the escalation could draw neighbouring Eritrea into a wider regional conflict.

Renewed Fighting in Northern Ethiopia Effectively Shatters 2022 Peace Deal that Ended War

By SAMUEL GETACHEW and RODNEY MUHUMUZA

11:09 AM EDT, September 24, 2026

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Renewed fighting between Ethiopian federal troops and Tigrayan fighters escalated Thursday, effectively shattering a peace pact that ended a devastating two-year war in 2022, as rebel forces mobilized for an armed struggle they hope will lead to the removal of the federal prime minister.

The main combatants are Ethiopian federal troops and fighters loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, an armed political group in Tigray, Ethiopia’s northernmost regional state.

Ethiopia’s military said Thursday that dozens of TPLF fighters had been killed in ongoing operations and that federal forces “have been able to detain many” others and seize a large quantity of weapons from them.

The TPLF and Ethiopian federal troops waged war between November 2020 and November 2022, when a peace deal was signed in Pretoria, South Africa.

Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopian forces against the TPLF in that conflict. The civilian death toll was estimated by Ghent University researchers to be 500,000, including from violence, famine and the collapse of health services.

After both sides signed the Pretoria peace deal, a caretaker administration seen as loyal to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was installed in Mekelle, the Tigray capital. But tensions remained, with the TPLF maneuvering for political control in Mekelle.

Rebel fighters forge a coalition

This time, the TPLF appears to have mobilized widely, bringing together former foes in its stated goal of removing Abiy from power in Addis Ababa, the federal capital.

On Sunday, the TPLF and six other opposition groups announced that they had formed an alliance to overthrow Abiy’s governing Prosperity Party, which was reelected in June polls that were boycotted by major opposition groups.

Both sides had been accusing each other of bad faith, and for months some civilians in Tigray expected a return to armed hostilities. In May, the TPLF forced out regional leader Tadesse Werede, who reported to Abiy, and replaced him with a new council led by TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael, who led the Tigrayans in the previous conflict.

Ethiopian federal authorities accused the TPLF of seeking to build an alliance with neighboring Eritrea to destabilize Ethiopia. The TPLF accused Ethiopian authorities of conducting drone attacks in Tigray. Eritrea said that it was alarmed by Abiy’s repeated assertions of his wish for sovereign access to the Red Sea via Eritrea.

Both sides deny responsibility for launching this round of hostilities, and most of the fighting is believed to be in remote areas of often ragged, mountainous territory. On Wednesday, TPLF fighters seized the airport in Mekelle from federal police, and national carrier Ethiopian Airlines canceled flights there and elsewhere in the region.

Observers say pressure is building on Abiy

The Ethiopian News Agency, the official news organization of the Ethiopian government, described the TPLF as a “Trojan horse,” saying that the group’s “repeated attempts to incite conflict” defy the government’s “patience, concessions and magnanimity.”

The coalition formed by the TPLF and six other opposition groups said that it would be known as the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival. In addition to the TPLF, the others include the Amhara Fano National Movement, the Oromo Liberation Army, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, the Benishangul Peoples’ Liberation Movement and the Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Movement.

That alliance, which unites some groups previously opposed to each other, may put pressure on Abiy, according to Kjetil Tronvoll, an academic analyst of Ethiopia at Oslo New University College.

“The situation now differs substantially from the 2020-2022 war on Tigray,” he said in an analysis posted on X. “This time around Fano is an ally and Eritrea a backer. Supply lines are also secured through Eritrea.”

Regional blocs and the US call for an end to fighting

The African Union and a key regional bloc known as IGAD called for de-escalation of hostilities. U.S. Ambassador Ervin J. Massinga said in a statement that he felt disappointed by the TPLF’s “poor decision to launch a large-scale offensive.”

His statement said that the TPLF’s “unwinnable fight does nothing for the people. Other armed groups would be wise to avoid this.” A TPLF official, Amanuel Assefa, said the statement was unfair.

Abiy has been praised by many for his ambitious infrastructure projects that seek to turn Addis Ababa into a world-class city. To his supporters, the prime minister is a renaissance man trying to reimagine the old greatness of Ethiopia.

Abiy rose from relative obscurity to power in 2018 as a reform-minded pragmatist. Ties with Eritrea, which broke away from Ethiopia in 1993 after decades of brutal guerrilla warfare, had been cold since the 1990s, and Abiy’s efforts to repair relations with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki helped him win the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.

A year later, Abiy confounded expectations by launching a military operation against the TPLF.

Some of Abiy’s critics now see him as a provocateur whose actions could lead to hostilities in the Horn of Africa. His push for sovereign access to the Eritrean seaport of Assab has reignited tensions with Eritrea, which shares a border with Tigray. Abiy also angered Somalia by trying to negotiate access to the sea via the territory of Somaliland.

___

Muhumuza reported from Kampala, Uganda.

A Permanent Seat at the Table of Power: African Leaders Press UN for Security Council Reform

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME

12:54 PM EDT, September 24, 2026

They want to help make the decisions — not just watch them unfold.

As in years past, African leaders attending the U.N. General Assembly this year are demanding a reform of the powerful Security Council that would include permanent seats for countries from the continent in the global body’s highest decision-making structure.

Many African heads of state who addressed the meeting since it began on Tuesday have decried the continent’s lack of permanent representation in the Security Council as it navigates global security issues that directly and indirectly affect their populations and governments.

These include the war between Russia and Ukraine, the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and, more recently, the U.S. war with Iran — issues that all loom large at this year’s General Assembly.

The 15-member Security Council has five permanent members — the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and China — that hold veto power. Other nations, which do not, are elected by the General Assembly rotate in and out every two years on a staggered basis. Africa holds three of those nonpermanent seats.

The representation question is becoming more urgent

While the calls for Africa to be represented permanently on the Security Council have often been debated by the General Assembly, many said the global conflicts currently faced by the organization made it more urgent for the body to be more inclusive.

According to most African leaders, the unfair representation in the Security Council has created doubt about the credibility of the organization and its oft-trumpeted commitment to multilateralism and equality among nations.

“Every nation is sovereign and equal under the (U.N.) charter. Yet, on the gravest question of war and peace, five nations possess a permanent power that the other 188 do not. The equality proclaimed in this assembly ends at the doors of the security council,” Kenyan President William Ruto told delegates on Wednesday.

They have also highlighted the large African population and the high number of African countries that are member states of the United Nations.

“How can a world led with a right conscience justify the denial of 1.6 billion Africans, the right to equal representation?” asked Ethiopia’s president, Taye Atske Selassie.

In 2024, the United States said it would support the addition of two new permanent seats for African countries on the council. That, however, was under the administration of former President Joe Biden.

Liberia’s president, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, said Wednesday that “the historical injustice is no longer tenable.”

“The imbalance is not a favor for Africa,” he said. “It is necessary to restore United Nations trust, credibility and legitimacy.”

Artificial intelligence is a key example

As the world’s leaders grapple with the future of artificial intelligence at the meeting, many in Africa also insisted that the decision-making about its rapid growth and development should include the developing nations as they were likely to feel its impact reverberate across the continent.

This came a day after U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged global competitors in artificial intelligence to cooperate in addressing threats from the technology. And on the same day, the Security Council held a special meeting about AI that featured the industry’s leaders calling for help in managing the technology.

On Wednesday, Botswana President Duma Boko was among the leaders calling for African nations to be included in the discussions. He said this extended to critical minerals, rare earths, and energy resources that power the technological developments. Many of those come from developing countries.

“Therefore, developing countries must have a meaningful voice in setting the standards and safeguards that will govern these technologies, ensuring that they expand opportunities, support decent work, and strengthen public services, while protecting human dignity, rights, and security,” Boko told delegates.

Most leaders are sticking the initial demands contained in the African Union’s position on the issue adopted in 2005, which includes a demand for at least two permanent seats on the Security Council.

Said Namibia President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah: “The time has come for us to recognize that we have been negotiating for too long.”

Reform is not an attack on the United Nations, said Somalia’s president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

“Reform is necessary to protect its legitimacy, renew confidence in its institutions and ensure that it remains capable of responding to the realities of our time,” he said Wednesday.

Ugandans Plant Trees Near National Park to Keep People Out of Gorillas’ Habitat

By PATRICK ONEN

7:20 AM EDT, September 24, 2026

BWINDI, Uganda (AP) — In the tangled greenery of a Ugandan national park, mountain gorillas sit among the leaves, calmly carrying on as tourists trek into their forest home.

Many gorilla families are used to people, but while their population grows, the forest available to them does not.

Communities have planted trees for medicine, firewood and crafts along the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in a bid to reduce pressure on gorilla habitats.

The idea is simple: If residents can find the trees they need outside the park, they will have less reason to cut them inside the forest.

Bwindi’s forest is home to about 450 mountain gorillas, close to half the world’s remaining population. A 2018 survey put the global population above 1,000, a significant recovery for a subspecies that once faced possible extinction.

“Being a neighbor to the park, I understand that the number of gorillas is increasing, but the forest habitat is not increasing,” said Christina Katushabe, founder of Change a Life Bwindi.

Her organization supplies useful trees, restores degraded land while improving biodiversity. Katushabe said members of the Batwa, an Indigenous community that has helped guide the project, select species used for medicine, timber and firewood.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority distributes seedlings, including medicinal trees that people might otherwise seek inside the park.

Joseph Muhindo, an assistant tourism and hospitality officer with the authority, said residents can harvest what they need in their communities “without tampering with the habitat for the gorillas.”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies mountain gorillas as endangered, an improvement from their earlier designation as critically endangered.

Tourism has helped support that recovery. Visitors trek through the forest to observe habituated gorilla families, generating jobs and revenue for nearby communities. Residents also sell locally made crafts.

Eunice Owembabazi, a member of a women’s crafts group, said the tree planting near the park means “we people and the gorillas do not inconvenience each other.”

The campaign has reached nearby schools, where students plant trees their families will be able to use.

“Now we are going to protect the forest, so that our gorillas can stay well,” said Davis Musinguzi, a student at Ruhijja Seed Secondary School.

The tree planting was among community conservation activities organized to mark World Gorilla Day, observed each year on Sept. 24.

International Action Day – October 3rd, 2026

17 Sep 2026

by WFTU HQ

October 3rd, 2026

International Action Day

The World Federation of Trade Unions once again celebrates, on October 3rd, its historic founding date, organizing an International Action Day, which this year takes place under the slogan: United in action and struggle, we demand!

Science and technology in the service of humanity and not of monopolies and the oligarchy of wealth.

Work with rights for the satisfaction of the contemporary needs of workers.

An economy for progress and not for war and destruction.

Technological achievements and the resulting production capacities are undoubtedly at the most advanced, complete, and promising level humanity has ever witnessed. The technological progress of the last 100–200 years has unprecedentedly strengthened the productive potential of society. The enormous level of today’s productive forces are a globally acknowledged reality and constitutes a point of reference in academic and scientific discourse, in economic‑technical forums, as well as in the analyses of international organizations. It has undoubtedly created the conditions for covering all basic and contemporary needs of the world’s population.

However, in practice, within the framework of the capitalist system, technology is exploited for the profit of the few rather than the needs of the many. Instead of utilizing the expansion of human productivity to reduce working hours and improve working conditions, we are seeing a deepening of flexible and unregulated forms of employment as yet another method of intensifying the exploitation of cheap, unprotected labor.

The growth of the platform economy and the outsourcing market are often used to conceal the employer-employee relationship behind  temporary employment agencies or to label workers as “partners.”  Although remote work is often presented as a modern, employee-friendly form of work, in practice it leads to longer working hours and a more intense workload, while blurring the boundaries between work and personal life and increasing work-related stress and feelings of isolation.

In addition, the growing presence of artificial intelligence, robotics, and digitalization is having a significant impact on labor relations.  Automation and the practical application of AI in production are displacing human labor, the deskilling work, and creating job insecurity, thereby threatening workers’ jobs and wages.

The utilization of new technologies within the framework of capitalism results in the deprivation of workers’ basic rights, such as stable working hours and wages, paid vacation, unemployment benefits, social security, and other fundamental achievements.   At the same time, this affects all workers, as it contributes to the further decline in union membership and the reduction of workers’ bargaining power.

Today, even though all the objective conditions for decent work and a decent standard of living are in place, workers nevertheless face poverty, misery, war, and displacement.

Workers have the historical experience to deal with these changes. They are also aware that technological innovations, which promise a huge increase in productivity, are not a problem by themselves. New technologies are fundamentally neutral. They are neither good nor bad for people or human labor. Their potential impact always depends on how they are used and who controls them.

Therefore, the issue is to ensure that technological progress is integrated into a framework that serves the interests of workers and the social majority and leads to dignified work and living conditions.

On the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the WFTU, the class-oriented labor movement calls on militant unions and workers across the globe to actively participate in the established International Action Day.

Let’s intensify our struggle for the use of technology that serves workers, significant wage increases, stable work with full rights, 35 hours of work per week, 7 hours of work per day, health and safety in all workplaces, public and universal systems of healthcare, education and social security, a high‑quality work and living environment for a world in which the contemporary needs of the popular strata will be met, for a society in which those who create wealth will harvest its fruits. Let’s use this day of action to send the message that workers are resisting and fighting for their rights, that we will not allow them to put their profits before our lives, and that we will not tolerate their wars and exploitation.

ICC Convicts Former Central African Republic Militia Commander of Torture

Seleka rebel group commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani, left, speaks with lawyer Dov Jacobs in the courtroom during a hearing in the case in which he is accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Bangui in 2013, in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (Remko De Waal/Pool Photo via AP)

By MOLLY QUELL

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Judges at the International Criminal Court convicted rebel commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kani on Wednesday of crimes against humanity for abusing and torturing prisoners at a detention facility in the Central African Republic.

Said, wearing blue jeans and a sweater, remained expressionless for most of the hourlong hearing in The Hague as presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba described the inhumane conditions detainees endured at the prison in the capital, Bangui.

During the trial, witnesses described cramped cells with walls marked by “bullet holes and blood” and said they were whipped “until they soiled themselves,” Samba said. Other victims testified that they were confined in a windowless room under the floorboards of Said’s office.

The charges stemmed from fighting more than a decade ago between the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels who seized power from then-President François Bozizé, and a mainly Christian militia called the anti-Balaka.

In Bangui, Marius Olivier Trésor Poussinga, who was tortured at the detention center, told The Associated Press the verdict is an “international recognition” of Said’s crimes.

“Today, I can sleep easier because the court has acknowledged my suffering,” Poussinga said.

The country’s justice minister, Arnaud Djoubaye Abazène, welcomed the verdict. “Justice cannot be reversed in the Central African Republic,” Abazène said. “No victim will be left behind, and justice will be delivered at every level,” he added.

Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, called the conviction a “significant milestone in the fight against impunity,” but warned that the country still faces serious challenges.

“The verdict is also a stark reminder of the ongoing abuses in the country, and the need for increased support for both international and domestic justice efforts to end the accountability gap that helps fuel recurring cycles of violence,” he said in a statement.

The verdict is likely the end of the road for justice at the ICC for victims in the Central African Republic.

In 2022, then-chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced he was closing the court’s 15-year investigation into crimes in the country, citing limited resources. Khan was removed from his post in July over allegations of sexual misconduct.

In other cases, two senior anti-Balaka leaders were convicted in July 2025 on multiple counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba was acquitted on appeal in 2018, while charges against a former Central African Republic government minister were dropped in 2023.

A specially created court in the Central African Republic has prosecuted other defendants. The Special Criminal Court was established to try war crimes and other human rights abuses committed during the coups and violence that the country has experienced since 2003.

Earlier this year, the court began proceedings against former President François Bozizé on charges of crimes against humanity. The trial is being held in absentia because Bozizé is living in exile in Guinea-Bissau.

Backed by the United Nations and staffed with international judges, the court issued its first verdict in 2022. It has since indicted more than 30 people, nearly all of whom are in custody.

Among them is Edmond Beina, who was also wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. His trial at the Special Criminal Court is ongoing, after it fended off an attempt by the ICC to extradite him to The Hague.

Despite its successes, the Special Criminal Court faces possible closure after the Trump administration withdrew U.S. funding last year.

Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa, warned that closing the court would be catastrophic for justice in the Central African Republic.

“Despite the authorities’ efforts, national courts still lack the resources and capacity to assume the mandate the SCC has been carrying out,” he said.

Supporters are urging the United Nations and the European Union to help extend the court’s mandate and provide funding.

Said pleaded not guilty when the proceedings began in 2021. His sentence, which could be as long as life in prison, will be decided at a later date.

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Associated Press writer Jean Fernand Koena in Bangui, Central African Republic, contributed to this report.