In the context of the war in Sudan, General Hemedti’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have tightened their grip on El-Fasher. As capital of Western Darfur, this city holds significant strategic and symbolic importance in the ongoing conflict. Strategically, ElFasher represents the last stronghold in the region still under the control of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Its capture would grant Hemedti’s paramilitary forces control over the entire region, potentially allowing them to establish an autonomous geopolitical entity. According to some sources, seizing the region would also strengthen the RSF’s logistics chain, securing supply lines from eastern Libya and Chad. Symbolically, El-Fasher was the epicenter of the Darfur genocide, and the international community fears that its recapture could lead to renewed ethnic cleansing. The RSF’s tactics in their bid to take the city leave little doubt in this regard. Bombardments of healthcare facilities have become constant, and the suffering of the civilian population has prompted the UN Security Council to pass a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire amid the offensive. Despite the dire news from El-Fasher, the regular armed forces do not appear to be focusing their efforts on retaking Darfur at the moment. Instead, the SAF continues to mobilize the bulk of its men and equipment towards the city of Omdurman, the main route to recapturing the capital, Khartoum. Al-Burhan’s plans hinge on this move to ensure the total recognition of the Sovereign Council as the only legitimate government of the country. In this context, the regular forces aim to capitalize on the Russian arms supplies expected to arrive at Port Sudan in the coming weeks, following an agreement with Moscow for the use of a port on the Red Sea. Meanwhile, the UN has officially recognized Sudan as an area affected by a major food crisis. June also saw significant protests in Kenya. After weeks of demonstrations against the government of William Ruto, the toll includes more than 200 arrests, 24 deaths, and dozens of injuries. The protests, led by Kenyan Gen Z, called for the cancellation of the financial bill proposed by Ruto’s government, which included substantial tax increases, including those on fuel and digital transactions. The demonstrations culminated in an assault on the Kenyan parliament on June 25, when protesters broke through police security and occupied parts of the building for several hours before being evicted. The protests were met with widespread violence by law enforcement, who in some cases opened fire on the crowd, drawing harsh condemnation from the international community. In this context, the Kenyan judiciary has taken a stand against the use of force by the police, opening several investigations into the security forces. In response to the protests, Ruto initially sought to calm the situation by acknowledging the reasons behind the demonstrations and expressing his willingness to work with his opponents. However, he later described the protesters as wealthy, bored youths or even criminals. The president then deployed the army to defend key state buildings, while the international community, led by the USA, pressured the government to stop the violent repression of the protests and listen to the people’s grievances. Ruto eventually withdrew the financial bill, leaving the public finance dilemma unresolved. Given the current state of Kenya’s finances, the government will need to find additional liquidity for the treasury, a crucial prerequisite for unlocking International Monetary Fund aid. Meanwhile, the mobilization continues, with protesters, emboldened by the withdrawal of the budget bill, now calling for the president’s resignation.
From Iran’s assertiveness to tensions between actors in the Horn of Africa, via piracy and terrorism: the role of the strategic straits in the new instability of the Gulf-Red Sea quadrant.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is a strategic infrastructure for the future of Ethiopia, which however represents an element of tension between the countries located along the river Nile.
The trilateral meeting between Italy, Ethiopia and Somalia held during Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Ethiopia highlights Italy’s intention to view this region as strategic for the stability of the Broader Mediterranean. Her visit coincides with the beginning of hostilities in Sudan, which threatens to unleash a new wave of illegal migration towards Italian shores.
Head of state | Sahle-Work Zewde |
Head of Government | Abiy Ahmed Ali |
Institutional Form | Federal Parliamentary Republic |
Capital | Addis Ababa |
Legislative Power | Bicameral Parliament: House of Federation (112 Members); House of People’s representatives (547 Members) |
Judicial Power | Federal Supreme Court |
Ambassador to Italy | Demitu Hambisa Bonsa |
Total Area kmq | 1.104.300 Km2 |
Land | 1.096.000 Km2 |
Weather | Tropical-monsonic; the climate conditions change considerably depending on the geography |
Natural resources | gold, platinum, copper, potassium, natural gas and hydropower |
Economic summary | Ethiopia has the lowest level of income inequality in Africa and one of the lowest in the world. The key sectors of planned economy that belong to the State are telecommunications, banking and insurance, energy distribution. More than 70% of the population works in agriculture, but services have overtaken this sector and it represents the main source of GDP |
GDP | $111 billion (Dec. 2021) |
Pro-capite GDP (Purchasing power parity) | $2366 (Dec. 2021) |
Exports | $3.5 billion (2020) |
Export partner | Hong Kong 7.23%, UAE 7.05%, Saudi Arabia 5.78%, Netherland 5.07%, Germany, 4.81%, Italy 2.33% (2020) |
Imports | $11.1 billion (2020) |
Import partner | China 24.9%, India 8.17%, UAE 7.22%, Kuwait 4.8%, France 4.71%, UK 3.58%, Italy 2.27% (2020) |
Trade With Italy | $277,34 million (2021) |
Population | 113.656.596 |
Population Growth | +2,46% (2022 est.) |
Ethnicities | Orome 34%, Amhara 27%, Tigray 7%, Sidama 4%, Welaita 3%, Gurage 2%, Somalis 2%, Hadiva 2%, Afar 0.6%, other groups 12% |
Languages | Orome 33%, Amharic 29%, Somalian 6%, Tiger 5%, Cider 4%, Wolaytta 2%, Gurage 2%, Aother 16% |
Religions | Ethiopian Orthodox 43.8%, Muslims 31.3%, Protestants 22.8%, Chatolics 0.7%, traditional religions 0.6%, other religions 0.8% |
Urbanization | 22,7% (2022 est.) |
Literacy | 51,8% |
Located in East Africa, Ethiopia is the oldest independent state in Africa, whose origin can be traced back to 1270 A.C. Since then, the country has always maintained independence, despite a short period of Italian occupation (between 1936 and 1941). The Ethiopian Empire lasted until 1974, when it was overthrown by a military coup d'état.
Ethiopia is a landlocked country, bordering to the south with Kenya, to the southeast and east with Somalia, to the northeast with Djibouti, to the north with Eritrea, to the northwest with Sudan and to the west with South Sudan. Ethiopia’s population is 113.6 million, which makes it the second most populous country in Africa, after Nigeria. The official language is Amharic, but Oromo, Tigrinya and Somali as well as tens of other ethnic languages are regularly spoken in the country.
From a geostrategic perspective, Ethiopia is a very important country in the region. Since the beginning of the 2000s, it has achieved an important level of economic development, making it one of the main emerging market in sub-Saharan Africa. Ethiopia has an ongoing dispute with Sudan and Egypt over the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the sharing of the Nile waters. It has also an open border dispute with Sudan, which has been the source of recent military confrontations between the two countries. Domestically, the disruption of the delicate balance based on ethnic federalism has turned into a conflict in the north of the country, which is still ongoing.
Trade with Italy is significant, and Ethiopia ranks fifth among Italy’s main export markets in sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, Italy is the fifth trading partner for Ethiopia. Italian companies are contracted for several infrastructural projects in the country, including the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, for which the Italian multinational Webuild (former Salini Impregilo) is the main contractor.