Ethiopian businesses will soon have a clear, practical roadmap for trading goods across the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Government, private sector and development partners have validated a new Step-by-Step Guide for Trading in Goods under the AfCFTA and a companion Trade Information Portal.

The two tools address one of the biggest barriers to intra-African trade: traders often lack clear, reliable information on what it takes to export. The Guide explains rules of origin, customs documentation, licenses and certifications step by step. The Portal is a digital platform where that information can be found and kept up to date.

“We want to see a shift from awareness to action, and from capacity building to actual trade,” said Jean-Baptiste Petigny, Country Director of Expertise France in Ethiopia.

The tools were reviewed and validated at a two-day workshop on 15–16 September in Addis Ababa. It was convened by the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration (MoTRI) and the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (ECCSA), with support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and Expertise France. The Governments of Canada and Japan provided financial support.

African countries and regional institutions must move urgently from policy commitments to coordinated implementation if electric mobility is to strengthen energy security, sustainable transport, industrialization and local value addition, participants said at the Africa E-Mobility Week & Forum 2026 (AEWF2026).

Jointly organized by the African Union Commission, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Africa E-Mobility Alliance, the Forum brought together governments, international organizations, business, finance, academia and civil society under the theme “The African E-Mobility Strategy: From Policy to Action.” Participants noted that, although electric mobility is gaining momentum and continental and regional frameworks are emerging, progress remains too slow to meet Africa’s climate, health and economic needs.

During the opening high-level panel, Yohannes Hailu, Officer-in-Charge of ECA’s Connectivity and Infrastructure Development Section, said the transition will reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, improve air quality and energy security, stimulate innovation and increase local value addition from Africa’s critical minerals. He highlighted four immediate priorities: local manufacturing and regional EV value chains; charging infrastructure and energy readiness; finance and incentives; and skills, awareness, innovation and research.

The humanitarian landscape in northern Ethiopia has suffered a severe setback following the abrupt collapse of the fragile peace agreement established in 2022, international human rights monitors have reported. A renewed wave of hostilities—marked by heavy ground combat and drone strikes between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and forces led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) alongside allied groups—has plunged the region back into a mounting crisis.

In response to the sudden spike in casualties, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF / Doctors Without Borders) announced that it swiftly mobilized emergency medical interventions starting September 22. Medical facilities near the frontlines are experiencing unprecedented strain.

In a statement sent to Capital, MSF reported that war-wounded admissions at Korem and Alamata hospitals surged from roughly 180 cases within a 48-hour window to more than 420 patients between September 22 and 25. Concurrently, Suhul Hospital in Shire, located in northwestern Tigray, registered an influx of over 300 trauma patients over the same three-day period.

African agriculture does not suffer from a shortage of promising projects. The harder challenge is turning them into businesses that can survive after grants, pilots and development funding end.

That was the central message emerging from a leadership breakfast convened by PepsiCo and RTI International at the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, where representatives from business, government, development finance, philanthropy and agriculture examined how public-private partnerships can move beyond short-term interventions and build commercially durable food value chains.

The discussion centred on a simple principle: agricultural investment should begin with a credible market opportunity. That means establishing demand and offtake before capital is deployed, aligning incentives across the value chain and ensuring that farmers can participate profitably. Public and philanthropic capital can then be used where it is most valuable: reducing early risk, strengthening infrastructure, building capability and helping promising models reach the point where commercial finance can take over.