Horn of Africa Security Narrative: Senior Ethiopian officials argue Ethiopia is being “dragged into war,” but critics say the framing is meant to deflect attention from internal crises and justify hostility and military mobilisations toward Eritrea. Cross-Border Digital Trade: COMESA delegates in Dar es Salaam discussed digitising the COMESA Yellow Card motor insurance scheme to speed compensation and reduce border bottlenecks for road users. Soil & Food Security: IGAD launched an IGAD Soil Health and Fertiliser Hub, aiming to coordinate fertiliser access and soil restoration across Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan. Djibouti Energy Push: Djibouti is partnering with Morocco, via IsDB and Moroccan agencies, on solar power with storage to cut reliance on imported electricity. Debt in YUAN: A new AidData study says countries including Ethiopia and Mozambique are exploring Kenya-style conversions of Chinese loans from dollars to yuan. Ethiopia EV Charging: Ethiopia inaugurated a fast-charging station in the Kilinto Special Economic Zone, expanding charging infrastructure to support clean transport. Maritime Threats: Reports of pirate attempts with gunfire and RPG use continue in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia, prompting heightened ship vigilance.