On 26 December 2019 a new party was formed in Ethiopia. The Prosperity Party (PP) is reportedly a merger of three constituent parties – the Amhara Democratic Party (ADP), Oromo Democratic Party (ODP) and Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (SEPDM) – of the ruling, now defunct, Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). Left out of ...

Original article at: https://www.theelephant.info/op-eds/2021/08/02/elections-what-elections-abiy-is-counting-on-a-military-victory/ Abiy Ahmed’s legitimacy hangs on conjuring up an improbable military victory in the total war he has declared on the people of Tigray. Selected by the ruling party and later appointed by the Ethiopian parliament in 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was expected to deliver the long hoped for post-EPRDF (Ethiopian ...

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed seeks legitimacy for his power grab with a win in a deeply flawed election. Asked by Al Jazeera’s anchor Riz Khan back in May 2008 when Eritrea would have elections, President Isaias Afwerki quipped “what elections?” With his answer, he clearly declared before the international community his intention to rule the ...

Original article at: https://www.henleyglobal.com/publications/global-mobility-report/2021-q3/global-mobility-trends/solidarity-not-competition-key-overcoming-inequity As wealthy nations rush to vaccinate their populations, many developing countries face desperately low supply levels of Covid-19 vaccines. Africa, which accounts for 16.7% of the world’s population, has received only 1% of the total vaccine doses administered globally. The power asymmetry between developed and developing countries has once again manifested itself as nations such ...

Presently, migration is a leading issue in bilateral and multilateral discussions between the European Union (EU) and its member states on the one hand, and the African Union (AU) and its member states on the other. According to a recent Financial Times report, about 6000 migrants, with 25 percent of them children, “entered Spain after Morocco ...

Original article at: https://www.henleyglobal.com/publications/global-mobility-report/2021-q2/global-mobility-trends/slow-vaccine-rollout-africa-likely-delay-global-mobility The ongoing effects of Covid-19 mean there is little mobility in the world, and Africa is no exception. The vaccine rollout may take at least two to three years, and African nations are likely to regain pre-pandemic volumes of travelers only after 2024. Travel restrictions and delays in the vaccine rollout on the continent ...

Mehari Taddele Maru and Fabrizio Tassinari   Original article at: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210324033231639 Vaccine nationalism represents the most formidable challenge to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent address to G7 countries, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “Germany and other wealthy countries may need to give some of their own stock to developing countries in addition to money, since only ...

Original article at: https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/five-reasons-why-un-must-intervene-in-tigray-ethiopia-by-mehari-taddele-maru-2021-02 When a state fails to prevent or alleviate atrocities within its territory, or if the state itself is the primary perpetrator of such acts, the UN must not stand idly by. There are five reasons why immediate action by the Security Council regarding Ethiopia’s northern region is necessary. FLORENCE – In ...

Original article at: https://www.usip.org/publications/2021/01/could-national-dialogue-solve-ethiopias-political-crisis It is time to talk about the common challenges that every Ethiopian faces. BY: Emebet Getachew; Mehari Taddele Maru; Yohannes Gedamu While the recent conflict in Tigray renewed international focus on Ethiopia, more challenges lie ahead, including elections now scheduled for June 5. The state of Ethiopia’s political transition is contested, and ...

This paper focuses on African policy positions on migration to Europe and towards cooperation on migration with the EU and its Member States. It draws on existing research to discuss the key features and drivers of migration policies in Africa. Paying attention to both commonalities and variations across different national economic and political contexts, the ...