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ናትና ዜናNatna News
Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Eritrea & the Horn of Africa · NatnaTV
Eritrea & the Horn of Africa · NatnaTV
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Abiy Ahmed says Eritrea gains nothing by serving as a base for Ethiopia's enemies and warns that ignoring Ethiopia's calls will have "very severe consequences"Alliance for Survival rejects Rubio's 'separatist' and 'terrorist' labels and urges Washington to take a balanced positionOfficials say 73 people were killed in a drone attack on the Amiet market in Abyei; South Sudan summons Sudan's ambassadorSaudi Arabia acknowledges scale of Houthi missile attacksHouthi missiles hit a Yemeni army camp in Shabwa; the local authority says 53 people were killedUS ambassador Ervin Massinga says conflict should never be the first option and that Tigray is stabilisingTPLF warns against any movement at Mekelle airport; Getachew Reda calls it "classic terrorist tactics"Ethiopia's navy chief says the force is expanding its combat units and training to counter threatsAbiy Ahmed says he held a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio; ENA says they discussed bilateral, regional and multilateral issuesTigray forces retake Abiy Adi after federal withdrawal, ACLED saysSuspended DDR programme resumes in Tigray; former fighters hand over weapons and register in MekelleEthiopian troops reach Zalambessa on the Eritrean border, Reuters reportsEritrea names its cycling squad for the African championships in Kisumu; Merhawi Kudus is named among the elite ridersUN releases a further 8.5 million dollars in emergency funds for northern EthiopiaWazema says the Ethiopian army showed foreign military attachés weapons it says were captured in Mekelle, accusing Eritrea and Sudan of supplying themEthiopian court orders Yohannes Buayalew, journalist Abay Zewdu and others to defend terrorism chargesGambella Police impose an open-ended night curfew after an armed attack on Gambella city; civilians killedPro-government Tigray militia says Eritrean troops have suffered heavy losses and are pulling back; Eritrea's information minister calls the militia untrustworthyEthiopia's federal government sets up a six-month caretaker administration for Tigray and says elections will be held within six monthsBisha mine halts processing; Eritrea's information minister says it is for maintenanceEritrea's foreign minister Osman Saleh briefs the diplomatic community in Asmara and asks the Security Council for Chapter VII measuresEthiopian forces take Rama, ACLED saysTigray TV says Tigrayan fighters ambushed federal forces twice in the Kola Tembien mountains; the claim is unverifiedHuman Rights Watch says civilians have been killed by shelling in southern Tigray and some health facilities have closedGetachew Reda urges the EU to impose targeted sanctions on Eritrea; Eritrea's information minister calls the accusations groundlessEthiopian Red Cross says its ambulance driver was killed in an armed attack in Benishangul-GumuzUK threatens a total visa ban on Eritreans; restrictions on Eritrean diplomats take effectResidents say fighting between federal forces and Fano has intensified in Wollo and Shewa; the Amhara Fano National Movement says it has no military agreement with any other forceUS Embassy in Addis Ababa says fighting has largely subsided in Tigray, Amhara and Afar and that civil administration is being set up in TigrayUK calls for the sovereignty and borders of Horn of Africa states to be respected and for urgent de-escalationEthiopian federal forces enter Adwa without resistance, residents say; Adwa Hospital and government offices looted overnightEritrea's foreign ministry asks the African Union to restore its representation at AU headquarters; a similar letter went to UNECAEritrea asks the UN to take deterrent measuresEritrea's information minister says the UAE sent Ethiopia 365 military shipments in nine monthsTwo of the seven groups named in Ethiopia's new rebel alliance say they are not part of itDrone hits Tigrai TV headquarters in Mekelle, taking the station off airEEPA says the Afar border is an active combat zone between Ethiopian and Eritrean forces, and cites unverified reports that Ethiopian troops crossed into EritreaEthiopia's Somali Regional State speaks publicly for the first time about the Somali soldiers who crossed the border, saying the case is going through legal and diplomatic channelsCol. Tewolde says Tadesse Werede and his associates escaped rather than being released; the four have reached MekelleTrump rejects Iran plan to reopen the Strait of HormuzYoung men leaving Tigray over forced-recruitment fearsHRW: Mekelle airstrike should be investigated as a possible war crimeInternet and phone lines cut across TigrayFighting spreads into Afar with clashes in AbalaSudanese army says it has taken Sodari in North KordofanWazema reports senior Tigray security officials detained in MekelleEthiopia presses case for sea access at the UN General AssemblyPlane crash in DR Congo kills 17, including two senior military officialsEthiopian Orthodox Patriarch calls for peace and reconciliation at MeskelVenezuela frees 39 political prisoners after talks with the oppositionDjibouti price surge squeezes Ethiopian truck drivers as Yemen war clouds Red Sea routeSaudi Arabia asks UN to protect Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and the Red SeaEU announces almost 710 million euros in new humanitarian and migration fundingGerman and Russian foreign ministers hold first talks since 2022UN rights chief warns Ethiopia against a return to full-scale warSeventeen killed in shooting at South African barEritrean riders in action at the World Championships in MontrealBurhan rejects US conditions for a truceTelecoms and internet cut in TigrayAt least 27 killed in two mass shootings in South African townshipsSudanese doctors say RSF looted and wrecked hospital in recaptured SodariSudan Tribune: RSF takes $4 a barrel from South Sudan oil exportsUN says more than 400 Sudanese are crossing into Chad every dayDrone strike hits major fuel depot in central SudanEritrea rejects Ethiopian army chief's accusationFano says it captured army vehicles and weapons in AmharaEthiopian army chief says forces are answering with wisdom and restraintArrests near UK air base used by US forcesMeskel celebrated across Eritrea, with Patriarch Abune Basilios leading prayers in AsmaraPatriarch Abune Mathias calls for peace at the Meskel Demera in Addis AbabaPresident Taye presses Ethiopia's case for sea access and Security Council reform at the UNUN rights chief says five schools in Tigray were hit by airstrikes, urges de-escalationJapan urges compliance with the Pretoria Agreement; Britain condemns the Tigray forces' attacksTwo killed as an RSF drone strikes a displacement shelter in El ObeidSaudi Arabia complains to the UN over a drone strike on its aid convoy in SudanEritrea takes part in the 195th UCI Congress in MontrealNew 180,000 cubic metre dam inaugurated at Adi-HawoshaSudan's attorney general rejected the UAE's hosting of the UN crime congressSudan Tribune says an RSF faction commander joined the army with 50 fightersTrump rejected Iran's seven-day proposal; Iran says it will not back downOsman Saleh discussed Red Sea security with the foreign ministers of Algeria, Burkina Faso and EgyptEthiopians sweep Berlin Marathon as Assefa misses world record by 1:08Al Jazeera says the Ethiopian army has retaken Sekota; federal forces reported closing in on AlamataSudan and Egypt reject Ethiopian army chief's accusation; Sudan says the RSF was aided from Ethiopian soilAfar party chief says Tigray forces seized three towns in Zones 2 and 4; AFP told Erebti has fallenDarfur authorities reopen the Tina crossing with Chad for aid deliveriesRising cost of living in Djibouti squeezes Ethiopian truck drivers on the corridorAfar president accuses the Eritrean army of taking part in the fightingIsrael's foreign ministry says it is working to evacuate about 20 Israelis stranded in LalibelaFederal troops and Tigray forces fighting on three fronts: the army holds Alamata and Sekota, Tigray forces push into AfarUCI fines Girmay, Mulubrhan and Eritrea's sports director over team kit at the WorldsSudan's army says it downed an RSF drone in North Kordofan as warplanes resume strikes on NyalaExplosion heard at Kombolcha airport as flights are suspendedUN and AU back Obasanjo's renewed mediation and urge a return to direct talks in northern EthiopiaRed Cross moves 161 people, including African Union monitors and Ethiopian Airlines staff, from Mekelle to SemeraSomali army and forces loyal to ousted South West president fight for BaidoaMSF says war-wounded at its Korem and Alamata hospitals rose from 180 to more than 420 in four daysEthiopia's Council of Ministers approves a redraft of the Defence Forces Proclamation and sends it to parliamentOsman Saleh calls at the UN for an end to the war destabilising the Horn and to intervention "under the rubric of humanitarian assistance"EU allocates €61 million for Ethiopia as the UN says aid access is severely restrictedUAE condemns TPLF attacks and declares full solidarity with Ethiopia's governmentTigray forces close to cutting Ethiopia's Djibouti road; at least 150,000 displaced in AfarSix US senators urge Rubio to push for a return to Tigray talks and criticise the lapse of sanctionsAl Jazeera says federal forces have pushed more than 150km into Tigray and taken Mekoni, Wajena and Adi GudomTwo drone explosions reported at Ethiopia's Bishoftu air force base; senior pilot Kassahun Lema killedLive: Eritrea v South Africa — Africa Cup of Nations qualifierBloomberg says two explosions were heard in Addis Ababa as drone flights over the capital are suspendedPirates killed five crew of the hijacked tanker Honour 25 as Puntland forces recovered the ship and captured 16Egypt's foreign minister demands Egypt's Nile water share be doubled and rejects any new damsDW says residents reported 11 killed and 15 wounded at the Alamata market; the claim could not be verifiedEthiopia orders an Egyptian diplomat out within 48 hours; Egypt orders out a counsellor at Ethiopia's embassy in CairoEthiopia's Somali region council re-elects Mustafa Omer president and Ibrahim Osman Farah vice presidentEritrea severs all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia and accuses it of invading Eritrean ports and coastal areasEthiopia closes its embassy in Asmara and orders 10 Eritrean diplomats out within 48 hoursBBC says at least 52 civilians were killed in three days of fighting around Alamata, with more than 700 woundedBloomberg says Ethiopia plans to pull more than 3,000 troops out of Somalia; Somalia says it was given no noticeIsaias Afwerki travels to Egypt for a heads-of-state summit on Red Sea and Nile Basin securityDebretsion says the war has entered a new and decisive phaseHouthis say Saudi Arabia carried out air strikes on Sanaa and three Yemeni provincesOsman Saleh meets US officials in Washington and welcomes the removal of unilateral sanctionsAfrican Union Commission urges Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to exercise maximum restraint and return to diplomacyResidents say TPLF fighters are leaving Mekelle as federal forces retake the city's airportUS State Department urges Ethiopia and Eritrea to show maximum restraint and return to the 2018 peace frameworkIsaias and el-Sisi hold extensive talks at New Alamein, Eritrea's Information Ministry saysSomalia's president rejects any Israeli presence and says Mogadishu does not object to Ethiopian sea access through Somali territoryUN Security Council to hold closed consultations on northern EthiopiaSisi hosts a four-way meeting at New Alamein with Isaias, al-Burhan and Somalia's Hassan Sheikh MohamudAFP says a drone strike on a displacement camp at Sheraro in north-western Tigray killed at least eight, including a childEgypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia issue El Alamein joint declaration: Red Sea governance rests with littoral states aloneAbraham Belay says a new interim administration will be set up in Tigray with elections within months, and accuses Eritrean forces of fighting alongside the TPLFEthiopia's parliament re-elects Abiy Ahmed prime minister and swears him in for a five-year term; 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federal troops had not entered the townUS Embassy in Addis Ababa warns of possible long-range attacks on Ethiopian military installations and tells citizens to leave Amhara, Tigray and AfarEthiopia's rights commission says the right to life and personal security have fallen into an alarming state; its chief commissioner calls the northern violence a localised clash, not a full-scale warEthiopia takes its case against Eritrea to the UN as drone strikes raise tensionsACLED says federal forces have taken Idaga Hamus, Atsibi and Freweyni in eastern Tigray, with Adigrat expected nextGetachew Reda promises visible change in Mekelle; intelligence chief Redwan Hussein meets him at the airportEgypt condemns the attack on Riyadh international airportEthiopia's National Rehabilitation Commission names nine reception points in Tigray, calling it a final opportunity for TPLF combatantsAbiy Ahmed reappoints Getachew Reda as adviser on East African affairs with the rank of ministerAbiy Ahmed appoints 62 state ministers across 22 federal ministriesEritrea asks the UN Security Council to condemn Ethiopia and to take Chapter VII measuresInternational community issues urgent warnings over the Horn of AfricaEthiopian Airlines to resume Mekelle flights on SundayEthiopian federal police begin security operations in MekelleAmhara Fano National Movement claims ten towns in Shoa, most of them within 150km of Addis AbabaGetachew Reda declares the Tigray war overAbiy Ahmed holds a phone call with Netanyahu; ENA says they discussed bilateral ties and regional developmentsSomalia says it is neutral in the Ethiopia–Eritrea standoff and rejects claims it has sided with Egypt and EritreaSudan's army says it shot down a drone that entered from Ethiopia, without saying whose it wasRights monitor says Egyptian warplanes bombed gold miners inside Sudan, killing at least 72; survivors put the toll above 200IOM says 139 died and 84 are missing after a boat sank off Djibouti; all 82 survivors are EthiopiansUN Security Council to hold closed consultations on northern Ethiopia at the United States' requestSomaliland's foreign minister says Ethiopia has the right to defend itself and calls on the region to settle its disputes through dialogue
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Ethiopia

Ethiopian court orders Yohannes Buayalew, journalist Abay Zewdu and others to defend terrorism charges

Their lawyer Solomon Gezahagn told BBC Amharic that the four detainees had refused a conditional pardon. The case has 52 defendants in all.

Sunday, 18 October 2026ናትና ዜና
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The Federal High Court's Lideta bench ordered Yohannes Buayalew, the journalist Abay Zewdu, Dr Zerihun Bahriw and Desalegn Ejigu to enter their defence against terrorism charges, and issued the same order to 36 defendants who are not in custody. Their lawyer Solomon Gezahagn told BBC Amharic the four had refused a conditional pardon.

The Federal High Court's Lideta bench, constitutional and terrorism crimes division, ordered four detainees who refused a conditional pardon — Yohannes Buayalew, the journalist Abay Zewdu, Dr Zerihun Bahriw and Desalegn Ejigu — to enter their defence against terrorism charges. Their lawyer Solomon Gezahagn told BBC Amharic that the court issued the same order to 36 defendants who are not in custody; the case has 52 defendants in all, and 12 others signed a pardon document and were released.

The court said documentary and audio evidence presented by the prosecution showed the defendants "jointly and individually committed the crimes they are charged with". The order is not a verdict. The prosecution says the charges relate to the security crisis in the Amhara region and alleges that more than 1,100 security members and civilians were killed and more than 600 injured.

Borkena, citing the Amharic newspaper Addis Maleda, reported that release required accepting criminal responsibility for the crisis; the four said the condition was not acceptable legally, morally or historically. The Committee to Protect Journalists says Abay Zewdu has been held since August 2023 over his reporting on the war in Amhara.

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