Ethiopian Prime Minister states ENDF is ready to defend Ethiopia
via The Reporter Ethiopia4 min read
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed PhD informed lawmakers that the Ethiopian National Defense Force ENDF is capable of defending Ethiopia's sovereignty against both internal and external threats. He accused the TPLF of conspiring with external actors and engaging in forced conscription in Tigray, sending youth to fight in Sudan. The Prime Minister stated that the federal government is avoiding another conflict in the north despite significant provocation. These comments were made during a parliamentary session convened to review the past year and discuss the 2.34 federal budget proposal for 2026/27.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Reporter Ethiopia.
Must ReadPrime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated that Ethiopia's Prosperity Party intentionally did not field candidates in 15 percent of electoral constituencies in the recent elections. This decision, according to Abiy, was made to encourage broader opposition involvement in governance. He informed lawmakers that the ruling party chose earlier this year to create space for opposition parties, a trend he described as unprecedented in Ethiopia, Africa, or other democratic nations. Despite this, the incumbent party secured a landslide victory, winning 438 out of 486 possible parliamentary seats, representing over 90 percent. The House of Peoples' Representatives has a total of 547 seats, with more than 60 remaining vacant.
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The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia CBE holds a 70 percent market share in the country's digital finance landscape, according to a report by bank President Abe Sano. Over the past fiscal year, which ended on June 30, CBE facilitated 3.48 billion digital transactions valued at over 22 trillion Birr. The bank also mobilized 707.4 billion Birr in deposits during this period, increasing its total outstanding deposits to 2.4 trillion Birr. This marks the first time a single bank has mobilized such a large amount of deposits in one year, with CBE's total deposits quadrupling in six years. CBE provided 648 billion Birr in credit, with nearly 91 percent directed to the private sector, a significant increase from 10 percent in 2019/20. The bank's total outstanding credit stands at 1.64 trillion Birr, and its non-performing loan ratio is 1.4 percent. CBE's market share is 50.1 percent in deposits, 48.3 percent in credit, 50.1 percent in assets, and 45.4 percent in capital. The National Bank of Ethiopia's Financial Stability Report for 2024/25 highlighted CBE's continued dominance and suggested mergers and acquisitions for other commercial banks, noting that 25 of the 31 banks collectively hold less than 22 percent market share. In comparison, Awash Bank, the largest private commercial bank, reported 467.8 billion Birr in outstanding deposits and 40.7 billion Birr in revenue for 2025/26.