Ethiopian army soldiers heading on a mission in the Amhara region near the border with the Tigray region, which Addis Ababa accuses of seeking secession. (Reuters)
Ethiopian army soldiers heading on a mission in the Amhara region near the border with the Tigray region, which Addis Ababa accuses of seeking secession. (Reuters)
Internal conflicts in Ethiopia have cast a shadow over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dams negotiations with Egypt and Sudan, amid fears of further delays of the AU-sponsored talks.
This comes as the war in Tigray region has caused a crack in the foundation of the ruling Ethiopian coalition led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Last weekend, the Ethiopian army announced the war on the northern region following an attack by Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on a federal military base in the area.
According to observers, the army’s military intervention, which left dozens of casualties, threatens to spark a wide civil war in the country.
Ahmed, however, has been seeking to reassure citizens by tweeting that Ethiopia is grateful to its friends who expressed concern.
“Fears of Ethiopia’s sliding into chaos are baseless and come as a result of a lack of understanding of our conditions.”
Dr. Hani Raslan, an expert on African affairs at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, has expected the fighting to expand.
Abiy, who won 2019’s Nobel Peace Prize, has sacked prominent political figures in an attempt to control the situation. These include the army chief of staff, director of the intelligence service and the foreign minister, who was leading the GERD talks.
The unrest in Ethiopia is expected to affect the completion of GERD project, which Addis Ababa has been constructing since 2011 on the Blue Nile, the main tributary of the Nile water, and raises tensions with Egypt and Sudan.
Rislan told Asharq Al-Awsat that if the fighting continues, there will be no strong authority that can attain the political and strategic objectives of the dam.
Since July, the three countries have been in negotiations, hoping to reach an agreement over filling and operating the GERD.
Negotiations were suspended at the end of last August due to technical and legal disputes.
Egypt and Sudan fear that this will affect their shares in the Nile waters and stress the need to reach a binding agreement that guarantees the rights and interests of the three countries, and includes a mechanism for settling disputes.
Yemen Signals Military Action and Diplomatic Move Against Iranhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5295491-yemen-signals-military-action-and-diplomatic-move-against-iran
Yemen Signals Military Action and Diplomatic Move Against Iran
A widely circulated image of an Iranian aircraft at Sanaa Airport (X)
The Yemeni government has escalated its confrontation with Iran over the operation of a flight to Sanaa International Airport, which is under Houthi control. For the first time, it has signaled military options in response to any future violations of Yemeni airspace, while President of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi is leading a diplomatic effort with the permanent members of the UN Security Council ahead of the emergency session requested by the government to discuss what it describes as a violation of Yemen's sovereignty.
Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Taher Al-Aqili announced that the armed forces would respond to any aircraft he described as "hostile" that violates Yemeni airspace "using all available means." He said the government had exhausted legal and diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran and the Houthi group not to operate flights outside the approved framework, but that the latest flight represented what he called "a challenge to international legitimacy."
In a statement addressed to the armed forces and the Yemeni people, Al-Aqili said the government, in cooperation with the regional and international communities, had made every legal and diplomatic effort to deter Tehran and the Houthi group from violating Yemeni airspace. He argued that the latest incident differs from previous ones because it constitutes a direct challenge to international legitimacy.
He added that "patience has run out" and that the armed forces "will deliver an appropriate response to this brutal act and confront hostile aircraft violating Yemeni airspace and sovereignty using all available means until we teach the enemy a lesson." He held the Iranian regime legally and morally responsible for any escalation that may occur in the coming period.
This military escalation comes alongside intensified political efforts led by Presidential Leadership Council President Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, who on Sunday held separate meetings with Zhao Zheng, chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Yemen, and Yevgeny Kudrov, Russia's ambassador to Yemen, as part of the government's consultations with the permanent members of the UN Security Council ahead of the emergency session scheduled for Monday.
Al-Alimi meeting with Russia's ambassador to Yemen (Saba)
Diplomatic Effort
According to the Yemeni presidency, Al-Alimi's discussions with the Chinese and Russian officials focused on bilateral relations as well as developments related to the Iranian flight to Sanaa Airport and what the Yemeni government considers a violation of its sovereign authority.
Al-Alimi stressed that the Yemeni government alone is the legally authorized body to grant permits for operating international flights to Yemeni territory. He emphasized that no armed group, regardless of the territory it controls, has the right to exercise sovereign powers or establish foreign relations on behalf of the state.
Al-Alimi also reaffirmed Yemen's firm commitment to the "One China" principle and its rejection of any actions that undermine China's territorial integrity or sovereignty. He expressed his government's appreciation for China's continued support for Yemen's unity and territorial integrity.
In his meeting with the Russian ambassador, Al-Alimi praised the historic ties between the two countries and Russia's role in helping build Yemen's state institutions. He stressed the importance of continuing to strengthen the partnership between the two sides.
A Houthi delegation arrives in Tehran aboard an aircraft that violated Yemeni airspace (X)
A National Alternative for Flights
Al-Alimi explained to the Russian officials that the government does not oppose the operation of Sanaa Airport for civilian purposes, but rejects its use for activities that violate legal frameworks or for military purposes.
He noted that the government had proposed an initiative to continue flights through Yemenia Airways to any destination agreed upon, while providing the necessary guarantees to ensure the safety of the flights and air crews. The proposal also includes the option of chartering an aircraft to transport members of the Houthi group from Tehran in accordance with legal procedures.
He argued that the rejection of this initiative showed that the issue was not humanitarian in nature, as the Houthi group claims, but rather an attempt to replace the national carrier with Iranian flights, which, he said, no responsible government could accept.
Al-Alimi emphasized that managing Yemen's airspace and approving international flights are exclusive sovereign responsibilities of the Yemeni state. He warned that any violation of this principle would not affect Yemen alone, but would set a precedent that armed groups in other parts of the world could exploit to exercise sovereign functions and establish international relations outside the framework of internationally recognized states.
Al-Alimi concluded his meetings by reaffirming his country's commitment to maintaining balanced relations with all countries. He expressed hope for an international position consistent with the principles of the United Nations that protects state sovereignty and prevents any attempts to undermine legitimate state institutions.
Yemen Leader Says Will Not Expand Confrontation after Airport Attackhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5295482-yemen-leader-says-will-not-expand-confrontation-after-airport-attack
Yemen Leader Says Will Not Expand Confrontation after Airport Attack
Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, during the meeting (Saba)
The leader of Yemen's internationally recognised governing council said on Monday that he would not expand his confrontation with the Houthis after his forces hit Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian plane carrying Houthi delegation from landing.
"I have also ordered that the scope of the confrontation not be expanded in a manner that would achieve Iran's objective of dragging Yemen and its people into wars," said Rashad al-Alimi, who heads the eight-member Presidential Leadership Council.
Al-Alimi also said he had called an emergency meeting of the PLC following the flare-up.
EU, Partners Launch $1 billion Scheme to Help Gaza Recover from Warhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5295473-eu-partners-launch-1-billion-scheme-help-gaza-recover-war
Displaced Palestinians shelter in tents near the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Gaza City, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
EU, Partners Launch $1 billion Scheme to Help Gaza Recover from War
Displaced Palestinians shelter in tents near the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Gaza City, July 6, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
The European Commission and more than a dozen countries launched an initiative on Monday to deliver €883.6 million ($1 billion) in aid projects to help Gaza recover from war. The small coastal enclave remains in ruins more than 2-1/2 years after the conflict was triggered by the October 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since last October, and the United Nations has estimated the cost of rebuilding work in Gaza at around $70 billion.
The "Team Gaza Initiative", launched at a meeting of aid donors in Brussels, will support projects such as restoring water and sanitation, removing debris and re-establishing health systems, the Commission said in a statement, Reuters reported.
Spain, Denmark, Britain, Germany, Norway, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden and Belgium, the World Bank and the European Investment Bank are taking part in the initiative, along with the Commission itself, the statement said. Australia and Canada are also expected to join.
"Our objective is clear: to help build hope, resilience and a better future for the Palestinian people," said Dubravka Suica, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean.
The European Commission did not provide a breakdown of how much each partner would contribute to the new initiative.
Israel's devastating aerial and ground bombardment of Gaza displaced nearly the entire population of 2 million people, most of whom now live in tents or damaged buildings in a greatly reduced coastal strip of territory governed by Hamas.
Israeli troops control nearly 70% of Gaza, patrolling what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describes as a buffer zone to deter Hamas attacks. Netanyahu says Israel will not withdraw from the territory.
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