Dodai, a pioneering Ethiopian electric mobility startup, conducted a historic launch ceremony, marking a watershed moment in the country’s transport sector. The ceremony was attended by renowned guests such as His Excellency Melaku Alebel, Minister of Industry, His. Excellency. Mr. SHIBATA Hironori, Ambassador-Designate of Japan to Ethiopia, and other dignitaries.

The highly anticipated launch ceremony demonstrated Dodai’s dedication to changing the way Ethiopians travel while also encouraging sustainability and environmental awareness. Dodai’s unique electric mobility solutions seek to address significant urban transportation issues such as congestion, pollution, and reliance on fossil fuels.

Today’s special event is evidence of a catchment basin moment for Ethiopia, clearing the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future, beginning with E-motorbikes in Addis Ababa.  During the event, Dodai presented its cutting-edge electric motorcycles models, each meticulously developed to meet the unique requirements of Ethiopian commuters and enterprises. The featured motorcycles proved the company’s commitment to great performance, dependability, and affordability, resulting in a smooth and joyful travel experience for all.

International accreditation is essential for Ethiopian public universities as they transition to autonomous governance.  Not only does accreditation assure students that their academic programs meet rigorous international standards, but it also opens new educational and economic opportunities for students because their educational backgrounds are recognized by international institutions and employers.  For this reason, the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia, in collaboration with Ministry of Education and Institute of International Education (IIE.org), held a workshop on April 4 and 5 in Addis Ababa to help public universities understand the process of accrediting their engineering programs.  

As part the U.S. Embassy’s continued support for Ethiopian universities as they transition to autonomy, the Embassy’s Counselor for Public Diplomacy Naomi Fellows opened the workshop alongside Dr. Ebba Mijena, Director General for Academic Affairs.  The workshop was led by Dr. Firew Tegegne, former president of Bahir Dar University, and two former Fulbright and Ambassador’s Distinguished Scholars Program fellows, Dr. Samuel Lakew and Dr. Merone Lekhal.  The workshop highlighted Bahir Dar University’s success in accrediting four of its engineering programs – the first Ethiopian engineering programs to be accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).  

Drones hit the Sudanese city of al-Gadaref on Tuesday, eyewitnesses and the local governor said, bringing the country’s devastating war to a calm farming state where almost half a million displaced people have taken refuge. Gadaref is the capital of al-Gadaref State that has remained under military control as the war between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces nears the one-year mark. The RSF has taken control of the capital Khartoum, neighbouring Gezira state as well as most of the Darfur and Kordofan regions in the west, while the army holds the north and east of Sudan including its main Red Sea port. Eyewitnesses said at least two drones had targeted military installations in Gadaref, which is located just to the east of Gezira, on Tuesday morning. They said they heard explosions as well as anti-aircraft missiles being fired from the ground. (Reuters)

Attacks on shipping in the Red Sea by the Houthi militia in Yemen have exposed the vulnerability of African maritime security. Since November 2023, there have been 133 reported incidents, including 14 vessels struck by missiles or drones and 18 vessels hijacked by Somali pirates. The disruptions caused by nonstate actors unbounded by international law and with access to stocks of standoff armaments pose fundamental challenges to Africa’s security and economic development…In short, it is African citizens who are paying the price of delays, more expensive consumer goods, disruption to local economic entities, and polluted waterways…The Red Sea maritime crisis demands a recalibration of African maritime security efforts to help keep the routes of trade open, safeguard undersea communications cables, and protect the rule of law. (Africa Center for Strategic Studies)