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Elections in Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, the counting of votes from Monday’s parliamentary elections is still ongoing. An official result is expected by 11 June. In addition to local and regional representatives, 547 seats in parliament were up for election. The newly elected parliament will then elect the prime minister. The ruling Prosperity Party (PP) under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is expected to win the election again, securing him a third term in office. According to the National Election Board, over 50 million eligible voters had registered to vote. Alongside the PP, which won 96% of the seats in parliament in the last elections in 2021, around 50 opposition parties and 73 independent candidates stood for election.
Election day on Monday was marked by heightened security measures and a visible military presence around polling stations in the capital, Addis Ababa. In some parts of the country, there were long queues at polling stations, prompting the electoral commission to extend the official opening hours by six hours. As was also the case in 2021, no elections took place in the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia. Even after the official end of the civil war (2020–2022), tensions persist between the regional and federal authorities, which had recently escalated again (Press Review CW 19/2026). There were also concerns about the feasibility of holding the elections in the Amhara and Oromia regions in the run-up to the vote due to the tense security situation. According to official figures, a total of 143 of the 50,000 polling stations nationwide remained closed on election day due to security concerns. In Amhara and Oromia, there were also isolated instances of polling stations closing early following incidents – though the electoral authority did not provide further details. Where voting could not take place, it is to be held as soon as the security situation permits. A separate vote is also to be held next Monday for members of the military and internally displaced persons.
Both the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which had election observation missions on the ground, generally described the elections as “peaceful, transparent and orderly” despite operational challenges. At the same time, the AU election observation mission called for an “inclusive and sustainable political dialogue” to promote national consensus and trust between political actors. Criticism, meanwhile, is coming from the opposition, which accuses the government of a lack of competition. It claims that the opposition’s political scope for action has been increasingly restricted in recent years, with opposition leaders being imprisoned or forced into exile, as well as being specifically barred from standing as candidates. Many analysts also share this view and regard the elections as one of the least competitive since the introduction of the multi-party system in 1991. The opposition is also considered to be fragmented and has limited financial resources. In some constituencies, the PP was able to stand unopposed. The government led by Abiy Ahmed has also come under criticism for its strict regulation of the media. For instance, numerous media organisations were denied accreditation to report on the elections, and in Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index, the country most recently ranked 148th out of 180 (2025).
These are the second parliamentary elections since Prime Minister Abiy (49) took office in 2018. During the election campaign, the PP focused in particular on its economic record, highlighting sustained high growth rates and reforms aimed at opening up the economy. At the same time, the government continues to face significant security and foreign policy challenges, and Prime Minister Abiy is coming under increasing criticism: Despite the Pretoria peace agreement, tensions between the central government and actors in the Tigray region are escalating, and armed clashes continue in the Amhara and Oromia regions as well. Added to this are growing tensions with Eritrea, following Abiy Ahmed’s repeated assertions of Ethiopia’s right to access to the sea.
Rapprochement between Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso
Less than two weeks after taking office, Benin’s President Romuald Wadagni travelled to Niger and Burkina Faso on Tuesday for talks with the two countries’ leaders. In Niger, Wadagni and Nigerian head of state Abdourahamane Tiani announced in a joint statement their intention to remove “all obstacles to strengthening cooperation between the two countries”. Specifically, both sides agreed to reopen the border, which has remained closed since 2023. An expert committee has been tasked with identifying and removing these obstacles within two weeks in order to prepare for the reopening of the border crossing between Malanville in Benin and Gaya in Niger across the river Niger. Reopening the border would be particularly significant from an economic perspective. The port of Cotonou has traditionally handled a large proportion of Niger’s foreign trade – according to Nigerien sources, around 80% of freight is said to have been transported via this route prior to the crisis. The nearby town of Sèmè-Kpodji in Benin is also important for Niger’s oil exports via the Benin-Niger pipeline. On security matters, both sides reaffirmed their determination to work together to combat terrorism and organised crime. However, no specific measures were announced.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of tense relations that have prevailed since the military coup in Niger in 2023 (Press Review CW 30/2023) and marked the first visit by a Beninese president to Niamey in seven years. Following the military takeover, the junta had accused Benin of hosting French military bases aimed at destabilising Niger. In January of this year, Tiani also accused Wadagni’s predecessor, Patrice Talon, of being behind the attack on Niamey airport carried out by the Islamic State, in collusion with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ivorian Head of State Alassane Ouattara. Benin and France rejected these allegations.
In Burkina Faso, Wadagni and junta leader Ibrahim Traoré emphasised their desire for closer cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the field of security. The focus was on the fight against terrorism, organised crime and violent extremism. Similar to relations with Niger, relations with Burkina Faso have been strained in recent years. In Benin’s view, the limited success of the Burkinabe security forces in the fight against jihadist groups, as well as the lack of security cooperation between the two countries, are contributing to the increasing violence in northern Benin. Many of the armed groups active there operate from Burkinabe territory. As recently as the end of May, two Beninese military posts near the shared border were attacked; the jihadist group Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the attack. The strategic importance of the port of Cotonou for supplying Burkina Faso was also emphasised, as was the need to improve transport corridors between the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea. Accordingly, preparations for the fifth meeting of the Joint Cooperation Commission are to be accelerated and outstanding bilateral agreements concluded.
The trip is among Wadagni’s first foreign policy initiatives. During his election campaign, the former finance minister pledged not only to focus on economic development and the expansion of healthcare provision, but also to improve the security situation and forge closer ties with neighbouring countries. According to his government, it is pursuing a policy of “active neighbourhood diplomacy” aimed at deepening relations with all neighbouring states. Over the course of the week, Wadagni visited not only Burkina Faso and Niger, but also Nigeria, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. While some analysts regard the tour primarily as a symbolic gesture, others see it as a potential turning point in relations between Benin and the Sahel states. According to some observers, the change of leadership in Cotonou has also created a favourable window of opportunity for rapprochement.
Special news
On Wednesday, Zimbabwe was elected by the United Nations General Assembly as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2027–2028 term, representing the “Africa” regional group. Zimbabwe will take over from Somalia in 2027. Kyrgyzstan was also elected to represent the “Asia” group, and Trinidad and Tobago to represent the “Latin America” group. Germany, which had applied for a non-permanent seat in the ‘Western Europe and Others’ group, was rejected in favour of Austria and Portugal.
In other news
From Thursday to Sunday, the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music takes place in Fes, Morocco. The 29th edition is being held under the theme “Fez and the Master Artisans, Guardians of Gesture and Heritage” and pays tribute to Morocco’s master craftsmen, whose knowledge and skills have shaped the city’s architecture, craftsmanship and spiritual life.The festival will open with the programme item “Anima Ex Materia: From Heaven to Earth”, a musical and choreographic tribute to the artisanal heritage of Fes. The programme includes concerts featuring sacred music, Sufi chants, world music and intercultural fusion performances. Performances will be staged at four distinctive venues: Bab Makina, the Jnan Sbil Gardens, the Batha Prefecture Hall, and the Fes Congress and Handicrafts Palace. Up to 160 artists as well as ensembles from Morocco, Senegal, Benin, Tunisia, China and many other countries are expected to participate. Since its founding in 1994, the festival has brought artists from all over the world to Fes, highlighting the city’s significance as a spiritual and cultural centre.