Ethiopia Country Report

Ethiopia is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa bordered to the north and northeast by Eritrea, to the east by Djibouti and Somalia, by Kenya to the south, and to the west and southwest by Sudan and South Sudan. Despite recent economic growth and major investment in several state companies and infrastructure projects, Ethiopia remains among the world’s poorest countries and is highly dependent on foreign development assistance.

Growing inter-communal violence in many parts of the country, inflation, unemployment, delay in the implementation of a peace accord with Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) in Tigray Region, and the ongoing military operations in Amhara and Oromia regions have undermined government stability in recent years.

The country's business environment is negatively affected by weak infrastructure, insecurity, and high levels of corruption. However, the government has recently made efforts to open up some areas of the economy to foreign investment, including in the state-controlled telecommunications and commercial aviation sectors.

The primary threats to foreign travelers in Ethiopia include petty theft, road traffic collisions, and health hazards. Foreign nationals have also previously been targeted by armed groups in Oromia, Tigray, Afar, and Somali regions. Infrastructure is generally underdeveloped in urban centers and very poor in rural areas but has been improving in recent years amid government investment.

Ethiopia has continued to face ethnic-driven clashes, religious tensions, attacks by armed groups attacks, civil unrest, economic hardship, border disputes due to increasing claims of self-autonomy, and ongoing conflict in Amhara and Oromia regions. The ruling Prosperity Party (PP) has also been hindered by regional issues, such as the tension between Ethiopia and Somalia after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the president of the self-declared independent state of Somaliland, Muse Bihi Abdi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Jan. 1 granting Ethiopia access to the sea for commercial purposes and land to establish naval forces within the self-declared independent state of Somaliland and the controversy between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia over the filling of the controversial Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Since the federal government and Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) signed a peace agreement in Pretoria, South Africa, in early November 2022, several steps have been implemented, including the formation and an Interim Regional Administration (IRA) led by Getachew Reda, a former advisor to the president of Tigray and executive committee member of Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The move comes after parliament's removal of the TPLF from the designated terrorist list in March 2023. Despite the progress, key issues remain, including the complete disarmament of the TPLF's forces and the withdrawal of non-government forces (Eritrean troops and Amhara militias) from rural areas of Tigray. The IRA will be in place until regional elections are held; the date has not yet been set.

Ethiopia has also faced internal threats to stability from the Oromo Liberation Front-Shane (OLF-S) group. The government previously blamed these groups for sporadic attacks against government officials and civilians in western Oromia, Benishangul Gumuz regions, and Oromia Special Zones surrounding Addis Ababa. In recent times, OLF-S forces controlled some areas in the western Wellega zone. In late 2021, TPLF and OLF-S formed an alliance to overthrow Abiy's government.

The security environment in Amhara Region remains volatile due to ongoing clashes between troops of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and local militias known as FANOs. Although most clashes took place in rural areas, clashes have been reported in several areas, resulting in increased intermittent closure of main routes connecting the region with others by ENDF or FANO militias. Additionally, the six-month state of emergency (SoE), declared Aug. 5, 2023, has been extended through May. Civil unrest incidents have also led officials to impose various restrictions, including mobile internet access restrictions, in several locations.

The Somali-based militant group Al-Shabaab has increased its presence in Ethiopia. In July 2022, the insurgents attacked two towns in the Somali region - Yeed and Aato, killing several people. Moreover, since early January 2022, officials have reported on three occasions the arrest of dozens of individuals affiliated with the group in several locations, including the capital, Addis Ababa. Al-Shabaab is opposed to the Ethiopian government's military support for the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and has regularly threatened to target Ethiopian interests.

The country's aviation industry is well developed and the national carrier is considered to be among the safest and most reputable in the continent.

Ethiopia has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates in the world, linked to weak driver regulation, the prevalence of vehicles in poor mechanical condition and a badly maintained road network.

Despite major investment in expanding and upgrading Ethiopia’s power network, the electricity supply remains inadequate and subject to service delivery failures with frequent outages reported in towns and cities. Internet access is limited to major urban centers and, even in the capital, is hindered by slow speeds, frequent connectivity issues and government censorship.

Ethiopia is prone to major flooding during the rainy seasons from February to April and June to September that can displace thousands and cause significant infrastructural and property damage. The country is also plagued by recurring droughts that have a major impact on the population in rural areas where many are dependent on subsistence agriculture. The impact of flooding and droughts has been exacerbated in some areas by soil degradation caused by inappropriate agricultural practices, overgrazing, deforestation, and undeveloped water resources. Ethiopia also sits along the seismically active East African rift region and experiences sporadic earthquakes that have the potential to cause casualties and damage.

Travelers to Ethiopia can be exposed to various health risks, primarily malaria, meningitis, and diarrhea illnesses. Private healthcare services in major cities are generally adequate for routine and minor procedures but facilities are extremely limited and of poor quality in rural areas. Prescription pharmaceuticals and some over-the-counter drugs are not commonly available and travelers should ensure that they have sufficient supplies of any prescribed medication prior to departure. Tap water is considered non-potable unless boiled, filtered, or chemically treated and even travelers in high-end hotels have been exposed to diarrheal illnesses.

Ethiopia’s political situation has remained increasingly volatile due to multifaceted political challenges. After the resignation of Halamariam Desalegn due to months of protests in many parts of Ethiopia, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed introduced reforms through the philosophy of ‘Medemer’- meant to unify the ethnically divided Ethiopian society. The reform centered around increasing political freedom and allowing former opposition groups in exile to operate in Ethiopia. To enhance his political agenda, Abiy transformed ruling Ethiopia's People Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) which included the Amhara Democratic Party (ADP), Oromo Democratic Party (ODP), Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement (SEPDM), and affiliated parties from coalition front to unified single party, Prosperity Party (PP) in late 2019. However, one of the core founders of EPRDF, Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), rejected the reform and left the coalition.

In its early stages, the "Medemer" principle allowed the prime minister temporary respite; however, following his peace agreement with the former armed opposition in exile, powerful regional states and political groups have challenged the legitimacy of Abiy and his political platform as is illustrated by waves of protests and associated violence in many parts of the country. Regional governing parties continue to face local opposition by groups who believe the parties have failed to represent their ethnic interest properly. Some of the political parties who were in exile and were engaged in armed conflict before 2018, have adopted aggressive ethno-nationalistic positions, and have pushed established regional parties into territorial disputes with adjacent regional governments, thereby threatening Ethiopia’s stability. For instance, representatives of the PP in the Amhara and Oromia regions have clashed with each other over bordering areas and the mistreatment of ethnic diaspora in the counterpart regions. Such ethnic tensions have led to the frequent deployment of federal forces to the areas, including the implementation of security patrols and curfews in Amhara, Oromia, Somali, Benshangul-Gumuz, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's regions (SNNPR) regions.

The military confrontation between the federal government and the former Tigray state ruling party (TPLF) ceased on Nov. 2, 2022, after both parties signed a peace agreement in Pretoria, South Africa. Since then, several steps have been implemented, including the formation of an Interim Regional Administration (IRA) led by Getachew Reda, a former advisor to the president of Tigray and executive committee member of Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The move comes after parliament's removal of the TPLF from the designated terrorist list in March 2023. Despite the progress, key issues remain, including the complete disarmament of the TPLF's forces and the withdrawal of non-government forces (Eritrean troops and Amhara militias) from rural areas of Tigray. The IRA will be in place until regional elections are held; the date has not yet been set.