Ethiopia

Connected Banking Summit was held in Addis Abeba, confirming Ethiopia’s will to advance towards digital finance; the annual event has seen 112 countries represented so far and 10.000 partnerships signed

A proclamation permitting euthanasia has now been defined with a draft outlining guidelines for the withdrawal of life support, or passive euthanasia; it defines euthanasia as “the deliberate intervention" to end a life "to relieve intractable suffering"

Banks unable to raise 5bln (€30,5 million) before June 2026 will be forced to merge, regulators from the National Bank of Ethiopia decided; the executives of private commercial banks are pushing back against the forced consolidation

Startup Proclamation was unanimously approved by Council of Ministers: it is a long-due policy to address chronic barriers faced by entrepreneurs and support Ethiopia's for early‑stage, technology‑driven companies with a dedicated framework

Parliament removed a controversial salary deduction clause from disaster risk bill citing ‘overlapping burden on workers’; the clause was withdrawn following “discussion and consensus” and the proclamation was unanimously approved

The Ethiopia Peace Observatory reported that in the days 26 April and 9 May there has been a 71% decrease in fatalities due to political violence compared to the previous two weeks, with 82 reported casualties and -37% political violence events (37)

40 trade investment permits for export, import, retail and wholesale will be granted to foreign companies as part of the government’s steps to liberalize economy; the Ethiopian Investment Commission said the permits follow months of work on guidelines

The country called for more investment and international collaboration to address growing pressures on global ecosystems and biodiversity; the address has been made during celebrations for World Wildlife Day

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was welcomed in the Somali capital Mogadishu by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for talks aimed at reaffirming their ties, after tensions escalated last year following an agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland