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Elections in Ethiopia postponed by weeks because of "logistical reasons"

17 May 2021

"Logistical reasons" have been cited for yet another delay in Ethiopia parliamentary elections that were scheduled for 5 June. They will now be held several weeks later. Some opposition parties have also refused to take part, and no vote will be held in the Tigray region which has been the scene for violent confrontation between government forces and local militias. The election will be Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's first major electoral test since the fighting erupted.

The elections were supposed to be held last year but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and tensions in the Tigray region. Abiy Prosperity Party is seeking to win a majority of seats in the national assembly in order to maintain power.

The aftermath of the Tigray crisis led to a refugee situation both internally, and externally towards Sudan. There have also been reports of a humanitarian crisis. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday called out the military forces that blocked humanitarian aid and described it as “unacceptable behavior.”

The New York Times said there was a crackdown on journalists who are investigating atrocities in the country. While some journalists were arrested, others fled the country and had their credential removed.

Human rights groups said the government has sought to quell critical coverage of the conflict with a campaign of arrests, intimidation and obstruction.

The campaign director for one of Ethiopia’s largest opposition parties, Yilkal Getnet with the Hibir Ethiopia Democratic Party, told The Associated Press his party has long believed the country is not ready to hold an election at this time.

“There are lots of peace and security challenges across the country in addition to the border issue with Sudan,” Yilkal said.

“As opposed to the ruling party’s thinking, we don’t believe that the election will solve these problems. A national dialogue on a range of issues should come first.”

The European Union recently said it would not observe the vote citing Ethiopia failure to guarantee the independence of its mission.

Source: commonspace.eu with the The New York Times (New York) and The Associated Press (New York).

Picture: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

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UAE says it will withdraw from Yemen, but division emerges in Yemeni presidential council

31 December 2025

In a move seen as an attempt to de-escalate a crises with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday (30th December) announced that it was heeding a call to withdraw its troops from Southern Yemen. UAE says that its presence included counter-terrorism teams that were crucial in fighting against Islamist groups. UAE sources said that parts of Yemen not controlled by the Houthis have had Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP) operatives using the territory to launch attacks on Europe, the US and Middle East. UAE teams have co-ordinated with American and British special forces and intelligence. The sources added that Emirati forces and their Yemeni allies also helped reverse Houthi gains in the south. including the liberation of Aden port. The small UAE contingent has remained in place since the UAE withdrew most of its military personnel in 2019. The leading English-language newspaper in Abu Dhabi, The National, said that the main UAE force was based at Riyan Mukalla International Airport, with access to fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, but also operated smaller contingents in the port town Balhaf and Shabwa. "It is understood it also flew a number of drones from the airbase that were able to track terrorist movements, pass information back to its allies and assisted special forces' missions." Meanwhile a division has emerged in Yemen's presidential council after four members denounced what they called the 'unilateral decisions' by the chairman. Four of Yemen’s eight Presidential Leadership Council members on Tuesday denounced an announcement by the council’s chairman accusing him of breaching the governing agreement. Tension between Yemeni leaders has been rising for weeks, underscoring the fragility of the country's already fractured political landscape and further complicating efforts to confront the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The latest rift took an unprecedented turn on Tuesday morning, marked by a Saudi-led coalition “limited operation” striking combat vehicles Riyadh linked to the Southern Transitional Council, which has three members in the PLC. The PLC Chairman, Rashad al Alimi, on Tuesday said that he was seeking to cancel the joint defence agreement with the UAE. “What has been issued … constitutes a clear violation of the Declaration of the Transfer of Power [agreement], which explicitly stipulates that the Presidential Leadership Council is a collective body whose decisions are taken by consensus, or by majority when consensus is not possible,” the statement by the four members said. “It does not, under any circumstances, allow for unilateral decision-making on sovereign, military, or major political matters." The statement was signed by STC chief Aidarous Al Zubaidi, Faraj Al Bahsani, Tariq Saleh and Abu Zaraa al Muharrami. (click the picture to read the full article).

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