The Abay Times Daily Brief — Tuesday, March 11, 2026
Tigray Residents Flee as Federal Troops Mass on Border
What's happening: Hundreds of residents are fleeing Tigray's capital Mekelle by bus and plane as Ethiopian federal forces deploy tanks, artillery, and heavy equipment along the regional border. Violent clashes erupted in late January in western and southern Tigray — the first significant fighting since the 2022 Pretoria Agreement. Local officials say federal troops are positioned as close as 10 kilometers from some areas, and one described full-scale war as "a matter of time."
Why it matters: The 2022 peace deal that ended one of Africa's deadliest modern conflicts never fully implemented key provisions, including disarmament of Tigrayan forces and withdrawal of Eritrean troops. Economic conditions inside Tigray have deteriorated sharply — civil servants are unpaid, banks are running out of cash, and petrol prices have surged from 300 to 430 birr in days. A return to war would be catastrophic for a region still recovering from a conflict that killed hundreds of thousands.
What's next: UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk has called for immediate de-escalation. Analysts warn that without international intervention, fighting could draw in Eritrea, which has deployed its own forces near the border.
Sources: Africanews, The East African Daily, Bloomberg
RSF Drone Kills 17 at Sudanese School, Mostly Schoolgirls
What's happening: A drone strike blamed on Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces hit a secondary school and health center in the village of Shukeiri, White Nile province, killing at least 17 people — mostly schoolgirls — and wounding 10 others. The Sudan Doctors Network confirmed the dead include two teachers and a health care worker. Three girls underwent emergency surgery at Douiem Hospital.
Why it matters: The strike follows a pattern of RSF attacks on civilian infrastructure, including a student dormitory and power station in the same province in recent days. Sudan's nearly three-year war has killed over 40,000 people by UN count, though aid groups say the true toll is far higher. A new five-nation atrocity prevention coalition — the UK, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway — was formed in response to a UN report concluding the RSF committed genocide in Darfur.
What's next: Human Rights Watch is urging the new coalition to prioritize cutting weapons flows to warring parties and supporting an ICC accountability track.
Sources: Associated Press, Sudan Doctors Network, Human Rights Watch
Over 80 Homes Burned in Metekel Zone Security Operation
What's happening: Residents of Dibate District in Benishangul-Gumuz's Metekel Zone told Addis Standard that regional special police and militias burned more than 80 houses, looted cattle, and destroyed property during a "search operation" targeting areas accused of harboring the OLA. Residents from at least eight localities under Gipo and Chati kebeles were forcibly displaced to the towns of Berbari and Galessa. One resident reported losing 150 quintals of maize.
Why it matters: Metekel Zone — home to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam — has seen recurring violence since 2019. A new wave of insecurity began in May 2025, disrupting the fragile calm that followed the 2019-2022 conflicts. The Dibate District administrator denied the reports, a pattern of official denial that has accompanied previous documented abuses in the zone.
Source: Addis Standard
Ethiopia Launches $10,000 Golden Visa Program
What's happening: The Council of Ministers has approved sweeping immigration fee revisions, including a new 10-year Golden Visa at $10,000 and premium passport services — six-hour processing at 40,000 birr and door-to-door delivery at 50,000 birr. Five-year permanent residence permits triple to $3,000, and foreign nationals who purchase property become eligible for visas up to five years.
Why it matters: The fee structure aligns with Ethiopia's push to attract foreign investment and support new laws allowing foreigners to own immovable property. The Immigration and Citizenship Service collected 10.5 billion birr in visa revenue in just the first three months of the current fiscal year, making this both a revenue play and an investment attraction tool.
Source: Addis Insight
French UNICEF Worker Killed in Goma Drone Strike
