Eritrea

President Isaias Afwerki on state TV blamed Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the UAE, for pushing to control Eritrea’s key port of Assab, pursuing expansionism along the Red Sea and Indian Ocean and destabilizing the whole region

The UN Human Rights Council has rejected Eritrea’s bid to shut down an independent investigation into alleged rights abuses, a move hailed as vital to preventing impunity, with 25 votes against, 18 abstentions and 4 votes in favour

Patriotic zeal across Eritrea reportedly saluted the celebrations of Independence Day 2025 under the theme “Our Cohesion—Our Armour”; programs featured public gatherings, cultural or artistic performances, children’s events, military parades, seminars

Eritrea underlined it had deliberately ensured that foreign assistance aligned with national priorities rather than with donor priorities, keeping a better control over its development agenda notwithstanding a global funding crisis

Cycling talent Milkias Maekele, known for his determination, joined Team BIKE AID, adding energy to their #RideForAfrica campaign; Eritrea is a nation passionate about cycling and home to some of Africa's top riders

Eritrean National Mining Corporation issued a press release in which it claims that international hostile economic policies openly targeting Eritrea's mining industry have eventually backfired against those country's geopolitical and economic interests

Authorities called on the international community to urge Ethiopia respect Eritrea's sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding EDF forces were deployed inside its border right after peace was signed in 2022 and are not intruding in Ethiopia's land

A 138% increase in crop production has been registered thanks to a favorable rainfall and effective preparation; the annual assessment has been validated previous to the Asmara meeting for the 2025 work plan

A photo exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the massacre committed by the Ethiopian colonial regime in and around Asmara was officially opened with 50 photographs, partial lists of victims' names and films

Abune Baslios was enthroned as the sixth patriarch of the Eritrean Tewahedo Orthodox Church - followed by 3,3 million believers in the country - in a ceremony at the Re'ese Adbarat Kidist Mariam Church in Asmara

The Arberobu dam was inaugurated; with a capacity of over 120.000 cubic metres, it was built in cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and other entities, including members of the Defense Forces, with an investment of 5 million Nakfa (€317.000)

Members of the Central Region Taxi Owners' Association, the Sawa Construction Company's central office and the National Security Agency office collectively donated 173 units of blood for National Blood Transfusion Service stocks

President Isaias Afwerki and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia held extensive talks in Asmara focusing on the consolidation of bilateral ties; the two leaders underlined the importance of Somalia's stability for the entire Horn of Africa