Uganda, Ethiopia, Egypt… the hidden cost of internet blackouts
African Report | Communication technology is a double-edged sword. It can empower people to access and share information globally, or be used as an instrument of political and economic control. While hopes were raised by the Arab Spring a decade ago, the years since have seen multiple internet blackouts in many African countries. In the […]
World Bank questions Ethiopia’s stance in telecoms competition
Capacity | The World Bank has warned the government of Ethiopia not to take measures that hinder the development of telecoms in the country. It is criticising the restriction of digital financial services to Ethiopian firms and nationals and a ruling limiting investment by independent cell tower companies, obliging the new entrants to use the […]
EU development chief calls for united response on Ethiopia
DevEx | The European Union’s top representative for development aid said Tuesday that the bloc needs to “plan very carefully” when it comes to Ethiopia, as Brussels continues to withhold funding from the government over the conflict in the country’s North. In December, the European Commission postponed €88 million in planned budget support payments, with […]
S&P joins Fitch in downgrade of Ethiopia on potential debt restructuring
(Reuters) – S&P Global Ratings on Friday downgraded Ethiopia’s long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings to ‘B-’ from ‘B’ on potential debt restructuring, announcing the move days after Fitch Ratings downgraded the country. “Exacerbated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ethiopia’s structurally weak external balance sheet has deteriorated further, in our view”, […]