Ethiopia Launches Digital Ethiopia 2030
Ethiopia Takes Part in the 35th East African Standby Force (EASF) Policy Organs Session
Ethiopia Showcases Mining Investment Opportunities to Japanese Investors in Tokyo
NEWS IN BRIEF
Ethiopia
Ethiopia has officially launched Digital Ethiopia 2030, a new five-year strategy aimed at ensuring sustainable digital transformation across all sectors of the economy. The Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy launching ceremony was held on Saturday (December 20), with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other high-ranking officials in attendance. (See article)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the Ethiopian Embassy in Kenya and the Dire Dawa City Administration, has inaugurated and handed over 20 newly built houses to the elderly and vulnerable residents under the Summer Volunteer Service Program on Friday ( December 26). Speaking at the ceremony, Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos highlighted the role of volunteerism in strengthening social cohesion and fostering multinational unity, while reaffirming Ethiopia’s commitment to people-centered development and the Green Legacy Initiative.
Ethiopia and the Netherlands have taken a major step to deepen their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand cooperation across multiple areas. The agreement followed talks between Foreign Minister Gedion and Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Aukje de Vries on Friday (December 19).
Ethiopia and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa formalized a partnership on Friday (December 19), with Foreign Minister Gedion and UNECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete signing an agreement to support the organization and delivery of COP32, following earlier high-level discussions between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
The Ethiopian Embassy in Tokyo, in collaboration with JOGMEC, JETRO, and other Japanese partners, hosted the Ethio-Japan Investment Forum on Thursday (December 18). The event drew approximately 80 participants from Japan’s mining and energy industries. (See article)
Djibouti
President Ismail Omar Guelleh received Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Monday (December 22) during an official visit focused on strengthening bilateral relations between Djibouti and Italy.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Hadera Abera, on Thursday (December 25) received at his office Djiboutian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Abdi Mahamoud Eybe. During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitments to further bilateral cooperation and continue close coordination on peace, security and development in the Horn.
Kenya
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President William Ruto reaffirmed Ethiopia–Kenya relations during a one-day working visit by the President of Kenya held in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (December 23), with discussions covering regional stability and cooperation in the Horn of Africa.
Somalia
An Ethiopian delegation led by Major General Teshome Gemechu, Director-General of International Relations and Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense, took part in the East African Standby Force (EASF) Council of Ministers of Defense and Security meeting in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Thursday(December 18). (See article)
Sudan
Sudan’s Sovereign Council chairman, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, held talks on Thursday (December 25) with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara to discuss bilateral and regional matters of mutual interest.
Africa and the African Union
The Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Selma Malika Haddadi, delivered an address at the Ad Hoc Summit of Heads of State and Government hosted by Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Sunday (December 22), focusing on the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the region.
Ethiopia Launches Digital Ethiopia 2030
Ethiopia has officially launched Digital Ethiopia 2030, a new five-year strategy aimed at ensuring sustainable digital transformation across all sectors of the economy. Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy launching ceremony was held on Saturday (December 20), with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other high-ranking officials in attendance.
Regarding the event and the launch of the Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that Digital Ethiopia 2025 has been completed after achieving its intended goals to an almost full extent. “As of today, we have officially launched Digital Ethiopia 2030. Expanding accessibility, creating equal opportunities for citizens, and strengthening trust between citizens and institutions are among the key foundational pillars of the strategy,” he said.
In his welcoming remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, who is also Chairperson of the National Digital Transformation Council, said Ethiopia possesses both the ambition and the capacity to achieve sustained growth. “Ethiopia is a country with the desire and the capacity to grow. In this regard, Ethiopia’s digital agenda is helping align our aspiration for growth with our capabilities by fostering innovation, speed, and efficiency,” he said.
Following the Deputy Prime Minister’s remarks, presentations were delivered by relevant institutions for the success of this strategy. The Digital Ethiopia 2030 Strategy is people-centered and implemented with attention given to all sectors, according to Myriam Ali, Digital Advisor at the Office of the Prime Minister (PMO). She explained that the strategy builds on the expansion of digital infrastructure achieved under Digital Ethiopia 2025, with a strong emphasis on demonstrating tangible results.
The strategy comes at a critical juncture as Ethiopia seeks to leverage its immense demographic dividend, with 70 percent of its 130 million citizens under the age of 30. According to the advisor, “The strategy will be implemented over the next five years based on a transparent governance system, measurable outcomes, and accountability.” To achieve this, all relevant stakeholders are expected to work collaboratively, she noted.
“Digital Ethiopia 2025 has recorded numerous achievements in the telecommunications sector. For example, the number of mobile subscribers has reached 97 million, of which 57 million are internet users,” Frehiwot Tamru, Chief Executive Officer of Ethio Telecom, indicated during the occasion. In addition, 1,030 towns now have access to 4G network coverage, according to the CEO.
Under the Digital Ethiopia 2030 Strategy, the number of mobile subscribers is expected to reach 128 million, and 5G network coverage will reach 100 percent. She added that by 2030, special emphasis will also be placed on expanding digital payments, aiming for growth of more than sevenfold compared to their current contribution to the national GDP.
On her part, Director General of the Information and Network Security Administration,Tigest Hamid, , revealed that under the Digital Ethiopia 2025 Strategy, several enabling foundations have been laid in the area of cybersecurity. “By building our own cloud infrastructure, trust in Ethiopia’s digital services has been strengthened. In addition, a digital forensics laboratory has been established for security institutions and made operational,” she said.
Cybersecurity has been given strategic priority under Digital Ethiopia 2030, Tigest pointed out. She further elaborated that efforts will focus on building resilient critical digital infrastructure, upgrading public infrastructure, establishing an incident response center, and strengthening cybersecurity work that includes private-sector institutions.
Under Digital Ethiopia 2030, numerous initiatives will be implemented to expand the artificial intelligence ecosystem, according to Worku Gachena, Director General of the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute. “Beyond using our own cloud infrastructure, efforts will be made to establish an effective data governance system. Accordingly, structured data will be used for decision-making, and an independent national data authority will be made operational,” he said. Attention is also being given to integrating and standardizing digital service delivery, he added.
Yodahie Arayaselassie, National ID Program Coordinator, said for his part that the Fayda Digital ID has been implemented as a key component of the Digital Ethiopia 2025 Strategy. Currently, 30 million citizens have been registered for the Fayda ID.
“Under Digital Ethiopia 2030, Fayda has also been given strategic importance, with efforts underway to make it fully accessible. In particular, services at the lowest administrative levels will be integrated with Fayda to achieve the goals set out in the strategy,” he said. This, he pointed out, will require collaborative efforts from all stakeholders.
The event concluded with a shared emphasis on coordinated implementation of the Digital Ethiopia 2030 Strategy, with institutions outlining their respective roles and areas of responsibility.
𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟑𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐛𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 (𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐅) 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
An Ethiopian delegation led by Major General Teshome Gemechu, Director-General of International Relations and Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense, took part in the East African Standby Force (EASF) Council of Ministers of Defense and Security meeting in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Thursday(December 18).
During the meeting, the Ethiopian delegation reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to playing a pivotal role in maintaining peace and security across the region. The delegation underscored Ethiopia’s longstanding dedication to peace by supporting efforts to ensure that the East African Standby Force (EASF) is fit for purpose. A committee of member states, including Ethiopia, is established to mobilize resources to address the funding challenges that the organization faces. Ethiopia plays an exemplary role by settling its financial arrears in advance and encourages member states to follow suit.
The 35th Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) Council of Ministers of Defence and Security meeting discussed reports submitted by high-level Chiefs of Defence Staff (EACDS), focusing on regional security priorities and the review of key strategic planning documents. The meeting gets updates on the After-Action Review of the 1st EASF Maritime Exercise, which was conducted in the Republic of Djibouti by EASF Member States from 27th September to 17th October 2025. The Council underscored the need to conduct another Command Post Exercise to consolidate lessons learned and the need to expedite the development of EASF Maritime Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). It also emphasized the need to ensure that Member States nominate personnel who have undergone training to participate in the exercise.
The meeting also received a presentation of the Draft EASF Activity Plan 2026, which marks the first phase of implementation of the EASF strategic plan 2026-2030. The Executive Staff positions due for rotation have been approved by the Council in accordance with the EASF Staff Rotation Matrix.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hamza Abdi Barre, reaffirmed the strategic role of the EASF within the regional and continental security architecture. Somalia’s Minister of Defense, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, who served as Chair of the Council of Ministers of Defense and Security over the past year, highlighted the importance of collective responsibility and sustained cooperation in addressing shared security challenges. The Federal Republic of Somalia has officially handed over the chairmanship of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) to Uganda during the 35th Ordinary Policy Organs Meeting.
EASF Director Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Paul Kahuria Njema emphasized that EASF Policy Organs remain a critical platform for coordination, strategic guidance, and informed decision-making on regional peace and security.
The EASF Policy Organ Meetings began on December 13 with the Experts Working Group, followed by the Committee of Chiefs of Defense and Security Staff, and concluded with the Council of Ministers on December 18.
Ethiopia Highlights Mining Potential at the Ethio-Japan Investment Forum
The Ethiopian Embassy in Tokyo, in collaboration with JOGMEC, JETRO, and other Japanese partners, hosted the Ethio-Japan Investment Forum on Thursday (December 18). The event drew approximately 80 participants from Japan’s mining and energy industries.
Organized as part of the Embassy’s business diplomacy strategy, the forum aimed to promote Ethiopia’s rich mineral resources, including gold, natural gas, potash, and tantalum, and to highlight new opportunities arising from recent government reforms. Japanese institutions responded enthusiastically, helping to mobilize strong industry attendance.
Ambassador Daba Debele opened the forum by emphasizing the longstanding diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and Japan. He highlighted Ethiopia’s rapid economic growth, the government’s prioritization of the mining sector, and increasing foreign investor interest. Ambassador Daba encouraged Japanese companies to explore Ethiopia’s expanding mining landscape and thanked partner institutions for their support.
In a video address, Minister of Mines Habtamu Tegen outlined Ethiopia’s considerable mineral reserves and the government’s commitment to supporting credible foreign investors. He noted significant growth in gold production following recent policy reforms.
Hiroshi Kubota, Vice President of JOGMEC, reaffirmed Japan’s interest in Ethiopia’s mining sector and pledged institutional support, particularly through public-private partnerships that promote technology transfer and job creation.
Dagato Kumbe, Deputy Commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission, presented Ethiopia’s mineral profile, investment incentives, and competitive advantages. Key strengths include a young workforce, a reliable energy supply, and transparent incentive structures tailored to attract foreign enterprises.
Ambassador Daba and Deputy Commissioner Dagato responded to questions raised by participants during the Q&A session, concluding the event.
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