Ethiopia PM issues warning over sovereignty

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed responds to questions from members of parliament at the prime minister’s office in the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (AP/File)
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Updated 09 September 2024
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Ethiopia PM issues warning over sovereignty

  • Ethiopia is currently a major contributor to ATMIS, which is helping Somali forces in the fight against the Al-Shabab jihadist group

NAIROBI: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed warned Sunday that his country would “humiliate” any nation that threatens its sovereignty, as tensions spiral in the volatile Horn of Africa.
Africa’s second most populous nation is locked in a dispute with neighboring Somalia over a maritime deal it signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland. Relations with Egypt are also fraught over Ethiopia’s mega-dam on the Blue Nile.
“We will not be touched! However, we will humiliate anyone who dares to threaten us in order to dissuade them,” Abiy said at a Sovereignty Day ceremony in the capital Addis Ababa.
“We won’t negotiate with anyone on Ethiopia’s sovereignty and dignity,” he was quoted as saying by the official Ethiopian News Agency.
Ethiopia last month accused unnamed actors of seeking to “destabilize the region” after Egypt sent military equipment to Somalia following the signing of a military cooperation pact between Cairo and Mogadishu.
Egypt has also offered to deploy troops to Somalia under a new African Union-led mission that will replace the current peacekeeping force known as ATMIS next year.
Ethiopia is currently a major contributor to ATMIS, which is helping Somali forces in the fight against the Al-Shabab jihadist group.
But Mogadishu is furious over a deal signed in January between Ethiopia and Somaliland that gives Addis Ababa long-sought after access to the sea, saying it was an attack on its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Under the pact, Somaliland agreed to lease 20 kilometers (12 miles) of its coast for 50 years to Ethiopia, which wants to set up a naval base and a commercial port on the coast.
In return, Somaliland has said Ethiopia would give it formal recognition, although this has never been confirmed by Addis Ababa.
Turkiye has been mediating indirect talks between Ethiopia and Somalia to try to resolve the dispute, but they have made no significant breakthrough.
Somaliland, a former British protectorate of 4.5 million people, declared independence in 1993 but the move is rejected by Mogadishu and not recognized by the international community.
Cairo and Addis Ababa have been at loggerheads for years, trading incendiary words over Ethiopia’s massive hydroelectric dam project, which Egypt says threatens its fragile water security.


Wildfire burns through northern suburb of Greece’s capital Athens and residents are told to evacuate

Updated 26 July 2025
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Wildfire burns through northern suburb of Greece’s capital Athens and residents are told to evacuate

  • Greece has asked for six firefighting planes from the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism
  • Four ambulances are treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems

ATHENS: A wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the Greek capital of Athens on Saturday and some residents were ordered to evacuate, the country’s Fire Service reported.

Residents of the town of Kryoneri, 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) northeast of Athens received 3 SMS messages to evacuate to safe areas, Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis told reporters.

Greek media have shown houses on fire. The spokesman said “there have been reports of damages. We will take stock when the fires have been put out.”

“The real difficulties are ahead of us,” Vathrakoyannis said, adding that Greece has asked for six firefighting planes from the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism.

On site, 145 firefighters and 44 fire engines, 10 firefighting planes and seven helicopters are attempting to put out the fire, whose origin is unknown. Four ambulances are treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems.

Temperatures reaching, or exceeding, 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), dry conditions and high winds are fanning the flames.

Under such conditions wildfires “expand very quickly and become dangerous. These conditions are expected to prevail over the coming days,” Vathrakoyannis said.

The fire service is also dealing with three other major fires in the southwest on Greece’s two largest islands — Crete in the south and Evia north of Athens — and also on the island of Kythera, northwest of Crete. At least 335 firefighters, 19 planes and 13 helicopters are involved, but can only operate in daylight. In total, 52 wildfires broke out across the country over the past 24 hours, the spokesman said.

Wildfires, many of them destructive, have become a common occurrence in Greece in recent years. Several have broken out in the past month.


Pope Leo discusses war in Ukraine with Russian Orthodox Church official

Updated 26 July 2025
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Pope Leo discusses war in Ukraine with Russian Orthodox Church official

  • Since assuming the papacy in May, Leo has repeatedly appealed for peace in global conflicts
  • Russian officials, however, have said they do not view the Vatican as a serious venue for talks

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo discussed the war in Ukraine on Saturday with Metropolitan Anthony, a senior cleric in the Russian Orthodox Church, in a possible effort to ease ties between the churches strained by Russia’s invasion.

Leo saw Anthony, chairman of the department of external church relations, and five other high-profile clerics during an audience in the morning, the Vatican said.

“During the conversation, numerous issues were raised concerning the state of Orthodox-Catholic dialogue, as well as the ongoing conflicts in the world, including in Ukraine and the Middle East,” the Russian Orthodox Church said in a statement.

Since assuming the papacy in May, Leo has repeatedly appealed for peace in global conflicts and this month told visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the Vatican was willing to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

Russian officials, however, have said they do not view the Vatican as a serious venue for talks because it is surrounded by NATO member Italy which has supported Ukraine.

The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has been an enthusiastic backer of the
invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian church statement said that Kirill’s congratulations were conveyed to Leo for his election as pope.

“Pope Leo XIV expressed his gratitude to his holiness patriarch Kirill for his good wishes and noted the importance of developing relations with the Russian Orthodox Church,” it added.


David Nabarro, British physician who led UN response to Ebola and COVID-19, dies

Updated 26 July 2025
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David Nabarro, British physician who led UN response to Ebola and COVID-19, dies

  • “David was a great champion of global health and health equity,” Tedros wrote
  • “His work touched and impacted so many lives across the world”

GENEVA: Dr. David Nabarro, a British physician who led the UN response to some of the biggest health crises in recent years, including bird flu, Ebola and the coronavirus pandemic, has died.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, confirmed Nabarro’s death on social media platform X.

“David was a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals,” Tedros wrote Saturday. “His work touched and impacted so many lives across the world.”


King Charles knighted Nabarro in 2023 for his contributions to global health after he served as one of six special envoys to the WHO on COVID-19. He won the 2018 World Food Prize for his work on health and hunger issues.

He also was a candidate for the top job at the WHO in 2017 but lost out to Tedros in the final round of voting. Nabarro left the UN later that year.

The 4SD Foundation, a social enterprise in Switzerland focused on mentoring the next generation of leaders in global sustainable development, said its strategic director died at his home Friday in a “sudden passing.” Other details were not immediately available.

“David’s generosity and unwavering commitment to improve the lives of others will be sorely missed,” the foundation wrote on its website Saturday.

Survivors include his wife, Flo, as well as his five children and seven grandchildren.


Ukraine says its long-range drones hit electronic warfare plant in Russia

Updated 26 July 2025
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Ukraine says its long-range drones hit electronic warfare plant in Russia

  • The plant was one of Russia’s leading producers of electronic warfare equipment
  • Long-range SBU drones struck the production facilities of the Stavropol Radio Plant ‘Signal’

KYIV: Ukrainian drones hit a radio and electronic warfare equipment plant in Russia’s Stavropol region in an overnight attack on Saturday, an official from the SBU security service told Reuters.

The official said two facilities at the Signal plant in the city of Stavropol, about 540 km (335 miles) from the Ukrainian border, were damaged in the attacks. He shared several short videos showing an explosion and a large column of dark smoke rising into the sky.

He said the plant was one of Russia’s leading producers of electronic warfare equipment, including radar, radio navigation equipment, and remote control radio equipment.

“This night, long-range SBU drones struck the production facilities of the Stavropol Radio Plant ‘Signal’,” said the SBU official.

“Each such attack stops production processes and reduces the enemy’s military potential. This work will continue.”

Reuters was unable to verify the details of the attack. Russia’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, both sides have launched multiple drone attacks on each other.

Ukraine, which is fighting a much larger Russian army, has developed a drone industry from scratch and is now focusing on increasing its capacity to produce more long-range drones.


Sri Lanka in talks with Middle East Green Initiative to explore climate partnership  

Updated 26 July 2025
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Sri Lanka in talks with Middle East Green Initiative to explore climate partnership  

  • Led by Saudi Arabia, MGI is a regional alliance seeking to mitigate climate change impacts
  • Sri Lanka is keen to share experience in climate resilience efforts, Colombo’s envoy says 

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka is exploring a potential partnership with the Middle East Green Initiative, Colombo’s envoy to Riyadh told Arab News on Saturday, as the island nation seeks to step up partnerships to combat climate change.

Sri Lanka — home to 22 million people — is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and is particularly at risk of extreme weather events, such as flooding and drought. 

On Monday, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh facilitated an introductory virtual meeting between its Ministry of Environment and the MGI secretary-general “to explore potential ways and means for cooperation and partnership in the fields of environmental protection and sustainable development,” according to a statement.   

Led by Saudi Arabia, the MGI was established in 2021 as a regional alliance aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change and forging collaborations to meet global climate targets in the region. 

“The MGI is an important regional initiative spearheaded by Saudi Arabia in combating challenges posed by climate change. We are pleased to see Saudi Arabia is giving a great leadership role in promoting climate action and environmental protection,” Ameer Ajwad, Sri Lanka’s envoy to Saudi Arabia, told Arab News. 

Colombo is also keen to share its experience in climate resilience efforts.  

“Sri Lanka is actively contributing to the global multilateral climate initiatives. Sri Lanka's expertise and rich experience in the field will be also useful for the MGI process for fostering environmental collaboration and advancing shared climate objectives,” Ajwad said. “For example, Sri Lanka could contribute its expertise in the field of mangrove conservation and sea grass management, et cetera.” 

Sri Lanka has led several climate resilience efforts throughout the years, including restoration of its mangrove forests following the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. 

The country made a commitment to become the first to replant all of its mangrove forests — a goal the government sought to achieve by providing microloans and education to communities in exchange for mangrove conservation. 

In 2022, it launched the Sri Lankan Climate Prosperity Plan to attract foreign investment and accelerate climate adaptation while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.