Latest news with #AbiyAhmed
Coin Geek
3 hours ago
- Business
- Coin Geek
Ethiopia pushes for domestic AI; S. Africa clears path for Starlink
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called on African nations to develop homegrown artificial intelligence (AI) to propel the region's development. In his keynote address at the Ethiopian Technology Expo, Ahmed stated that Africa must shape its own technological destiny with AI after decades of adhering to Western standards. 'Africa must not be a passive recipient of AI tools developed elsewhere. We must become innovators and owners of our future, ensuring that no one is left behind in this transformation,' he stated. Ahmed is the latest to call for local AI solutions in Africa, a region whose needs are rarely addressed by Western technology. AI could exacerbate the divide even further; a United Nations report last month revealed that over 120 countries, mostly in the global south, have been left out of the global AI development, which could widen economic inequalities. 'With a clear strategic vision and bold investment, Africa can guide the development of AI on its own terms—anchored in ethical frameworks, inclusion, and sustainability,' Ahmed stated. He added that AI could usher in a new era 'that holds the promise of inclusive prosperity for our continent, driven by homegrown innovations in AI.' Africans must not rely on foreign solutions, which rarely account for the region's nuanced challenges and its diversity. Africa's AI development has been limited by poor infrastructure. A separate UN report revealed that only 5% of the region's AI developers have access to the computing power they would require to build AI applications. Starlink setting foot in South Africa Elsewhere, South Africa is set to amend a law that requires telecom firms to be at least 30% black-owned to enable Elon Musk's Starlink to operate in the country. The decision, announced on Tuesday, comes at a time when tensions between Africa's most industrialized nation and the United States are at a boiling point. U.S. President Donald Trump and Musk have accused the South African government of orchestrating a genocide against white residents, a claim that the African nation has refuted, and which one court has dismissed as 'clearly imagined and not real.' Still, Trump has persisted, and last week, the U.S. welcomed the first batch of South Africans as refugees. Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are set to have a meeting this week in Washington, and the decision to amend the black ownership law is seen as an effort to smooth things over before the crucial meeting. 'We're not doing it for Musk' The law being amended—known as the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) law—was introduced in the '90s as South Africa abandoned apartheid, which had significantly disadvantaged the black majority. It requires companies in some industries, such as IT, telecoms, and automotive, to be at least 30% owned by black entrepreneurs. Starlink, where Musk has 79% control, was to set up operations in South Africa last year after successful debuts in 20 other African nations. However, it didn't meet the BEE threshold, and since then, Musk has ramped up criticism against the Ramaphosa government. The X and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO was born in Pretoria, the South African capital, but relocated to Canada at 17. 'I am in a situation where I was born in South Africa, but cannot get a license to operate Starlink because I am not Black,' he told Bloomberg this week. The South African government has finally bowed to the pressure and will amend the BEE law, allowing Starlink to set up in the country, home to 61 million people. Experts say the timing of the move suggests that Ramaphosa is using it to appease Trump ahead of their meeting. However, the South African government has denied the allegations, claiming it's 'part of a broader strategy to create an enabling environment for international investment and expand digital connectivity across South Africa.' The move is part of the government's medium-term plans, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies told media outlets. However, some in the country's political landscape remain opposed to Starlink's entry. Economic Freedom Fighters, the top opposition party, says the move is unconstitutional and 'exposes Ramaphosa as willing to compromise on our sovereignty to massage the inflated ego of Elon Musk and Donald Trump,' the party's spokesperson, Sinawo Thambo stated. 'These powers are governed by national legislation and independent regulators, not the whims of one man desperate for foreign approval,' he added. The party has vowed to fight against the move 'in the courts, and on the streets.' In order for artificial intelligence (AI) to work right within the law and thrive in the face of growing challenges, it needs to integrate an enterprise blockchain system that ensures data input quality and ownership—allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data. Check out CoinGeek's coverage on this emerging tech to learn more why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of AI . Watch: Bitcoin Retrospective and a Focus on the Future of the Internet with Mike Hearn title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
The Star
17-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Ethiopian PM calls for homegrown AI to propel Africa's dev't
ADDIS ABABA, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called on African countries to exert concerted efforts in the development of homegrown artificial intelligence (AI) to propel the realization of continental development ambitions. Abiy made the remarks while addressing an AI-themed high-level meeting held Saturday in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, under the theme "Leveraging AI for Africa's Prosperity and Collaboration." Noting that the African continent is entering a transformative era in its development trajectory, the prime minister said homegrown AI can serve as a catalyst for inclusive prosperity by injecting a pivotal momentum into the achievement of the African Union's 50-year continental development blueprint, Agenda 2063. "Today, we stand on the verge of a new era, one that holds the promise of inclusive prosperity for our continent, driven by homegrown innovations in AI, and holds the potential of accelerating the implementation of the African Union Agenda 2063," Abiy said. He underscored the need for Africa to shape AI on its own terms, saying Ethiopia is investing in AI-related digital infrastructure and skills development, and is working to translate its vision into tangible impact.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tigray party says ban threatens Ethiopia peace deal
Ethiopia's main opposition party has called for the African Union to mediate with the federal government after the electoral board revoked its legal status as a party. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) said the move to ban it from any political activity was "dangerous" and posed a "serious threat" to the 2022 deal that ended two years of conflict in the northern Tigray region. The party, which governs Tigray and dominated the entire country for many years, was on Wednesday banned for failing to hold a general assembly. The decision follows months of political tensions in Tigray and comes ahead of nationwide elections that are due to take place by June next year at the latest. The party led a coalition that staged a 1991 coup and ruled Ethiopia until 2018 when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power. It fought a brutal two-year civil war against the federal government that ended with a truce signed in November 2022 after tens of thousands of people were killed and millions forced from their homes in northern Ethiopia. 'No-one can handle another war' - Tigrayans fear fresh Ethiopian conflict The party runs Tigray's interim administration which was established in 2023 as part of the peace deal, known as the Pretoria peace agreement. But the party has been unable to conduct internal elections because of a split, with two factions laying claim to control of the party. The National Election Board of Ethiopia, which supervises the conduct of political parties, on Wednesday "resolved to formally deregister" the TPLF on the grounds that it had failed to hold a general assembly. But the party has protested against the move and called on the African Union to put "pressure" on the federal government to suspend the enforcement of the ban. In a letter to the AU, the party said the ban "denies the TPLF a right it had reclaimed through the Pretoria Agreement and poses a serious threat to the foundation of the peace process". It added that the peace deal stipulated that both parties recognise each other's legitimacy and any political issue should be resolved through dialogue. TPLF deputy chairman Ammanuel Assefa told the BBC that the decision by the electoral board could "damage the Pretoria agreement" which "is going to be dangerous". "This isn't just about TPLF, but also about undermining what people have sacrificed," Ammanuel added. Delays in implementing the terms of the agreement, including the return of some one million people displaced by the war, have fuelled fears of fresh violence in Tigray. Several countries including the US, UK and the European Union have warned about the escalating tension, saying there must be "no return to violence". 'I lost my leg on the way home from school' How war has hurt Ethiopia's Olympic hopes How a massacre in the sacred city of Aksum unfolded Why Ethiopia is so alarmed by an Egypt-Somalia alliance Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
TPLF says Ethiopia ban threatens Tigray peace deal
Ethiopia's main opposition party has called for the African Union to mediate with the federal government after the electoral board revoked its legal status as a Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) said the move to ban it from any political activity was "dangerous" and posed a "serious threat" to the 2022 deal that ended two years of conflict in the northern Tigray party, which Tigray and dominated the entire country for many years, was on Wednesday banned for failing to hold a general decision follows months of political tensions in Tigray and comes ahead of nationwide elections that are due to take place by June next year at the latest. The party led a coalition that staged a 1991 coup and ruled Ethiopia until 2018 when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power. It fought a brutal two-year civil war against the federal government that ended with a truce signed in November 2022 after tens of thousands of people were killed and millions forced from their homes in northern Ethiopia.'No-one can handle another war' - Tigrayans fear fresh Ethiopian conflictThe party runs Tigray's interim administration which was established in 2023 as part of the peace deal, known as the Pretoria peace agreement. But the party has been unable to conduct internal elections because of a split, with two factions laying claim to control of the National Election Board of Ethiopia, which supervises the conduct of political parties, on Wednesday "resolved to formally deregister" the TPLF on the grounds that it had failed to hold a general the party has protested against the move and called on the African Union to put "pressure" on the federal government to suspend the enforcement of the a letter to the AU, the party said the ban "denies the TPLF a right it had reclaimed through the Pretoria Agreement and poses a serious threat to the foundation of the peace process".It added that the peace deal stipulated that both parties recognise each other's legitimacy and any political issue should be resolved through deputy chairman Ammanuel Assefa told the BBC that the decision by the electoral board could "damage the Pretoria agreement" which "is going to be dangerous". "This isn't just about TPLF, but also about undermining what people have sacrificed," Ammanuel added. Delays in implementing the terms of the agreement, including the return of some one million people displaced by the war, have fuelled fears of fresh violence in Tigray. Several countries including the US, UK and the European Union have warned about the escalating tension, saying there must be "no return to violence". More on Ethiopia's civil war: 'I lost my leg on the way home from school'How war has hurt Ethiopia's Olympic hopesHow a massacre in the sacred city of Aksum unfoldedWhy Ethiopia is so alarmed by an Egypt-Somalia alliance Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
eNCA
14-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Ethiopia bans historic Tigrayan opposition party
TIGRAY - A leading opposition party that dominated Ethiopian politics for decades has been banned from any political activity, the Election Commission said Wednesday, ahead of national elections due next year. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has roots that go back a long way in national politics. It led the 1991 revolution that toppled the authoritarian Derg regime and ruled until 2018, when current prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, took power and effectively sidelined the party. In 2020, the TPLF's home region of Tigray in northern Ethiopia erupted in a vicious two-year conflict against the federal government that ultimately claimed some 600,000 lives. A peace accord in November 2022 has failed to address many issues stemming from the war. The TPLF, now in opposition, has been roiled by internal divisions in recent months, resulting in violent clashes in Tigray and the removal of the regional leader, Getachew Reda. In a statement on Wednesday, the Election Commission's board said it had "resolved to formally deregister" the party on the grounds that it had failed to hold a general assembly. The decision comes as Ethiopia prepares for elections to be held by June 2026 at the latest. The TPLF had already been suspended for three months in February and warned of deregistration if it did not take "corrective action" within three months. The TPLF can still apply for re-registration for the 2026 polls. TPLF senior leadership did not immediately respond to AFP's requests for comment. - Changing status - Although the peace deal ended the war in November 2022, there has been frustration in Tigray at the failure to implement its terms, including the return of some one million people displaced by the war. The TPLF first lost its party status at the end of 2020 when hostilities broke out, only regaining recognition after the peace deal. It was considered a terrorist entity by federal forces while the war continued. Political analysts were not surprised by the latest decision, but said the consequences remain to be seen. "This is pushing TPLF to reconsider their relationship with the federal government," said Horn of Africa specialist Kjetil Tronvoll. He told AFP the move could push the party into "reconsidering new alliances with other political actors in Ethiopia and the region". That was a reference to neighbouring Eritrea, which has had fraught relations with Ethiopia since gaining independence in 1993. Although the two countries fought together against the Tigrayans in the 2020-22 war, tensions have again resurfaced in its aftermath, with some analysts fearing they are preparing for renewed conflict.
