The European Union, alongside several other international partners, announced that they welcome the holding of the 7th General Elections in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, which took place on June 1, 2026. It was indicated that this joint local statement showcases a unified front comprising the Delegation of the European Union to Ethiopia and the diplomatic missions of twenty-two EU Member States.

It has been understood that the participating European countries listed in the statement are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

Demonstrating the wide-reaching international interest in Ethiopia’s democratic process, the diplomatic missions of Canada, Norway, and Switzerland also co-signed the statement. This international coalition expressed its strong support for the institutions and individuals who facilitated the voting process across the nation.

Specifically, the statement commended the extensive efforts of the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) and the thousands of dedicated election workers deployed at polling stations.

Furthermore, the diplomatic missions recognized the significant contributions of the political parties and individual candidates who participated in the democratic contest, as well as civil society actors who worked to enhance civic engagement and monitor the electoral environment.

The signatories also highlighted the critical role played by regional observation bodies present on election day, acknowledging the contributions of the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), while noting that they look forward to reviewing the comprehensive reports from these observer missions to better understand the overall conduct and fairness of the election.

While the statement was largely positive regarding the execution of the June 1 polls, it also raised an important issue that still requires attention for the country’s democratic journey.

Recognizing that the voting process could be disrupted in certain areas due to various reasons, the coalition put forward a forward-looking appeal to ensure that the full right to vote is guaranteed.

The partners concluded their statement by expressing their collective hope that all citizens in the remaining Ethiopian constituencies who were unable to vote on June 1 will be given the opportunity to cast their ballots in the near future, ensuring that no citizen is left without a voice.

The United States Department of State plans to drastically slash the number of its embassies and consulates processing visas for foreign nationals across the African continent. This decision is part of the Trump administration’s broader, stringent crackdown on immigration and visa issuance.

Currently, nearly 50 U.S. embassies and consulates in Africa process visa applications; however, the new plan aims to reduce this number to just 20. According to Associated Press (AP), while an exact start date has not been set, the change is expected to take effect in the coming weeks, likely in June.

Under a directive approved last week by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, only 20 designated “hubs” will continue full visa operations. According to this list, Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, has avoided the service cuts and has been identified as a vital hub that will continue to offer full visa services.

In addition to Addis Ababa, the list of remaining hubs includes Accra (Ghana), Nairobi (Kenya), Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa), Dakar (Senegal), and Djibouti (Djibouti).

This new policy will heavily impact citizens living in non-hub nations. Because U.S. consulates in those countries will halt routine visa processing, applicants will be forced to travel across international borders to one of the 20 designated hubs just to attend a visa interview.

This has raised widespread concerns over formidable travel expenses, logistical hardships, and severe processing delays for applicants. Nevertheless, embassies in non-hub countries will not close entirely; they will remain open to handle emergency services for American citizens, passport renewals, and rare, special diplomatic cases.

The move aligns with the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to curb immigration to the U.S. and clamp down on individuals who travel on temporary visas but overstay their permitted time. Visa processing in Africa has already faced previous hurdles, including travel bans on specific countries, a requirement for some applicants to post up to a $15,000 bond, and recent restrictions tied to Ebola outbreaks.

Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it will resume its flight services to Kuwait City following months of regional disruptions. It has been stated that the flights will officially restart on June 16, 2026.

The decision comes nearly four months after the airline was forced to scale back its Middle East operations. On February 28, citing escalating security concerns in the region, Ethiopian Airlines suspended several key routes—including flights to Amman, Tel Aviv, Dammam, and Beirut—in a strict bid to ensure passenger and crew safety.

In an official statement released on June 2, 2026, the airline stated, “It is with great joy that Ethiopian Airlines announces the resumption of flight services to Kuwait.” The airline also reaffirmed that it will continue to actively monitor security developments in the region to maintain passenger convenience and the highest safety standards.

Following the failure of fresh negotiations regarding the restructuring of Ethiopia’s $1 billion Eurobond debt, international creditors have announced that they will proceed with legal action against the Ethiopian government.

According to a statement issued by the creditors’ committee, they have rejected the government’s newly proposed debt restructuring option. However, the creditors stated that they remain open to discussions if a better alternative is presented. Meanwhile, a group representing certain members has decided to take the matter to a UK court to file a lawsuit in order to enforce their rights, affirming the pre-action warning previously issued in April.

It is recalled that at the end of 2023, Ethiopia was recorded as having “defaulted” on its debt in the international financial market after failing to make a Eurobond interest payment. Although the country has been negotiating with investors since then, the revised debt restructuring proposal presented last week failed to gain acceptance among creditors.

While the committee stated that the government’s newly revised proposal does not contain a viable solution that could lead to an agreement, the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance, for its part, released an official statement last week providing a detailed explanation on the matter.

The Ministry had stated that the restricted negotiation period held with the creditors’ committee from May 6 onwards concluded without an agreement, leading to a suspension of the talks. The Ministry recalled that these negotiations represented a new phase that followed the rejection of a preliminary agreement—reached between Ethiopia and its creditors last January—by the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) co-chaired by France and China.

The preliminary agreement reached last January was rejected by the bilateral creditors (OCC) because the “Value Recovery Instrument” contained within it—which allows for additional payments based on the country’s future macroeconomic growth—was deemed to violate the principle of “comparability of treatment.”

In its statement, the Ministry of Finance expressed disappointment over the investors’ decision, but noted that Ethiopia remains committed to seeking a market-based solution that aligns with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program and the principle of “comparability of treatment.”