SITUATION REPORT – HORN OF AFRICA No. 355, 20 January 2023

Peace negotiations (per 20 January)

• The residents of Maychew city of Tigray told Tigray Television that due to the delay in resumption of basic services, the life of citizens in the city is “worsening”.
• A resident of Maychew said government employees have not been paid their salaries despite the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) Agreement. Banks are open, but they have no cash to pay salaries of civil servants.
• Internal sources in Mekelle, said that due to the lack of cash, some banks are decreasing the amount of money which clients can withdraw at a time from 5000 to 2500 birr. 
• The Ethiopian federal government has not yet released a budget to the Tigray region, despite the expectations after the CoH) Agreement, added the sources. 

Situation in Tigray (per 20 January)

• Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers are reportedly digging up corpses from Axum airport and relocating them to unknown places, says Kassa Hailemariam, a human rights advocate, citing residents of the city.
• Eritrean troops, who were stationed in Axum airport during December 2020 to June 2021, massacred hundreds of Tigrayans, according to several independent reports.
• Colonel Demeke Zewdu, an Amhara leader of the Wolkait claiming committee, said that a return of internally displaced Tigrayans who fled western Tigray, will lead to the Amhara region ‘’losing’’ Wolkait, tweets Tigray herald. 
• In video footage, Demeke Zewdu is seen saying: “If more than 1 million Tigray people who were displaced from West Tigray return to the Home (Wolkait), it means that Wolkait is out of our hands, so they will not return to their place”. 
• Ethiopian government communicates that the Ethiopian Electric Utility has restored electricity to Tigray and that 80 cities and towns have regained electricity and 27 towns are being reconnected.
• Ethio Telecom has resumed services in 27 towns of Tigray and carried out maintenance on 1,800 km of fibre optics line.
• According to a government communication cited by APO, 960 billion Eth Birr of cash have been airlifted to Mekelle and Shire since mid-November, to pay for humanitarian operations and staffing costs of humanitarian organisations.
• The figure may be an error (‘billion’ to be ‘million’). Pre-war the budget of the Tigray region was 16 billion Eth Birr, and 10 billion would be received from the federal government. The total national annual budget is around 500 billion birr.
• The government states that 21 trucks have been transported 830, 000 litres of fuel to Tigray.
• The government managed with humanitarian partners to transport 2,740 trucks of food and 309 trucks of non-food supplies, including health, shelter, education, protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies. The transports were carried out from mid-November to the end of December 2022.

Situation in Ethiopia (per 20 January)

• Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed proposed today (20 January) appointments of new Ministers for endorsement by the parliament. The nominated ministers will replace the ones that were relieved last week, reports Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA). 
• Abiy appointed Daniel Kibret as Minister of Social Affairs. Daniel Kibret is accused of being a hardliner who used hate-speech and genocidal language against people from Tigray.
• The nominated ministers are Dr Alemu Sime for transport and logistics, Engineer Habtamu Tegegn for Mines, and Dr Girma Amente for Agriculture.
• The PM also appointed a new governor of the national bank and cabinet affairs minister, adds EPA. 
• Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war, Ethiopia has lost about 3 billion USD with a loss in business from almost 3 million tourists, says VOA citing Ethiopian authorities.
• The ministry of tourism is restoring the tourism industry damaged by the war.
• The resumption of flights to the Tigray region and renewed access to historical sites in Amhara are expected to improve the flow of tourists to the country. 
• Over the last six months Ethiopia repatriated its 1900 migrants from Tanzania, according to EPA.
• Ethiopian Ambassador in Tanzania Shibru Mamo said that about 5000 Ethiopians who tried to enter South Africa via Malawi are detained in Tanzania, says EPA.

Regional Situation (per 20 January)

• The Somali government claimed that it killed over 100 al-Shabaab militants after it attacked a Somali National Army base in the Galgudud region village of Galcad, reports AP.
• Al-Shabaab spokesperson Sheikh Abu Musab said that the militants killed 150 Somali soldiers and officers.
• Al-Shabaab attacked a military base at Galcad today (20 January) killing at least 7 soldiers, including the deputy commander, but was driven back, reports Reuters. 

International Situation (per 20 January)

• The EU Foreign Affairs Council will discuss Ethiopia on 23 January.
• The Minister for Development, Andrew Mitchell, has announced UK humanitarian aid for regions of rising insecurity within Ethiopia to support drought and conflict affected regions of Ethiopia.
• UK aid will support critical food supplies or nutrition products for 600.000 people.
• Nearly 30 million people are in need of emergency aid in Ethiopia, more than any country in the world.

Links of interest
Youtube: Tigray Television  
Twitter: Kassa Hailemariam
Twitter: Tigray Herald 
The Government Continues to Expedite the Provision of Humanitarian Assistance and the Resumption of Essential Services in Northern Ethiopia
Ethiopian PM Abyi Ahmed nominated new Ministers
Ethiopia’s Tourism Sees Hope After Tigray Peace Deal
About 1,900 Ethiopians repatriated from Tanzania in six months
Somalia, extremists claim over 100 killed in intense battle
Somalia’s al Shabaab attacks base in town it had lost, kills seven
EU Foreign Affairs Council to discuss Sahel and coastal countries of West Africa and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
UK announces support to Ethiopian drought and conflict-affected regions

Disclaimer: All information in this Situation Report is presented as a fluid update report, as to the best knowledge and understanding of the authors at the moment of publication. EEPA does not claim that the information is correct but verifies to the best of ability within the circumstances. Publication is weighed on the basis of interest to understand potential impacts of events (or perceptions of these) on the situation. Check all information against updates and other media. EEPA does not take responsibility for the use of the information or impact thereof. All information reported originates from third parties and the content of all reported and linked information remains the sole responsibility of these third parties. Report to info@eepa.be any additional information and corrections.