Staff Reporter PRESIDENT Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will attend the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where African leaders will deliberate on peace and security, institutional reforms, Agenda 2063 and …
… Meanwhile, the ‘2025 Africa State of the Environment Report’, launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last September by the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, says Africa could have the highest rate of displacement due to the impacts of climate change. …
… Last month, there was a wave of support for internally displaced and vulnerable civilians initiated by online influencers from Tigray’s provincial capital Mekelle and from Addis Ababa. …
… Numbeo says these figures place Windhoek below Abidjan in Ivory Coast, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, and South Africa’s Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town, but above cities such as Accra, Nairobi, Casablanca and Cairo. …
ADDIS ABABA−Ethiopia on Saturday started building what the prime minister says will be Africa’s biggest airport when completed in the town of Bishoftu, southeast of the capital Addis Ababa. …
… For a few years in the 1990s there were good relations between the governments in Addis Ababa and Asmara, but they fell out over the exact location of their common border, leading to war in 1998. …
… It accuses Abiy’s government of failing to fully implement a peace deal reached in 2022 to end conflict in Tigray, and says another TPLF faction, led by Getachew Reda, is colluding with Addis Ababa. …
Namibia marked Africa Day with renewed calls for continental unity and self-reliance. President Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized that African nations face economic disruptions, climate change, disease outbreaks and geopolitical uncertainty, and urged strengthening regional cooperation, intra-African trade, and investment in local institutions.
Why it matters
Namibia marks Africa Day with President's calls for continental unity, regional cooperation, and intra-African trade strengthening.
Namibia marked Africa Day with renewed calls for continental unity and self-reliance. President Nandi-Ndaitwah emphasized that African nations face economic disruptions, climate change, disease outbreaks and geopolitical uncertainty, and urged strengthening regional cooperation, intra-African trade, and investment in local institutions.
As Africa marks the 63rd anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity's founding on 25 May 1963, questions persist over what liberation means. While older generations view Africa Day as a victory against colonial rule, younger Africans increasingly define liberation through economic control, wealth, technology, and jobs rather than political flags and anthems.
An opinion piece questions whether African leaders have acted as a unified front to address the continent's problems as envisioned by Ghana's founding president Kwame Nkrumah at the 1963 founding summit of the Organisation of African Unity, and examines whether Africa has gained true control of its mineral wealth or remains dependent on external powers.
India has supported Namibia's independence since 1946 and hosted Swapo's first embassy abroad in 1986. The Fourth India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi (28–31 May) will align India's development vision with Africa's Agenda 2063 and strengthen the relationship through business and ministerial meetings.
The Pan-African Parliament in South Africa this week is electing a new bureau after resolving a 15-year argument about leadership representation. In May 2017, the PAP passed a resolution to introduce regional rotation of the presidency, addressing a pattern in which only east, west, and central African leaders held the top position during the institution's first 18 years.
Namibian model Laina Mwatukange is representing the country at the Miss African Essence International Pageant in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, scheduled for 3 May. The 27-year-old journalism student says the pageant focuses on showcasing African identity, leadership, and storytelling among young women rather than traditional beauty metrics.
Ethiopia will prioritise vehicles transporting essential goods and public transport at fuel stations as the country faces shortages caused by the Middle East war and Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world's oil normally passes. The Horn of Africa nation, which imports all its petrol primarily from the Gulf, has seen daily diesel supply fall from 9.2 million litres to 4.5 million litres.
Ethiopians are sleeping in overnight queues for petrol as shortages worsen, caused by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupting global oil supplies. Ethiopia, which imports all its petrol primarily from the Gulf and relies on the port of Djibouti, is particularly vulnerable to the supply disruption affecting businesses and drivers.
An opinion piece argues that portraying Africa as a global climate leader shifts responsibility away from historical emitters and reinforces exploitation through renewable energy, carbon offsets, mineral extraction, and labour frameworks that benefit wealthy countries. The author urges African leaders to adopt an Afrocentric climate position rooted in justice and differentiated treatment, rather than accepting a narrative that frames climate change as a technical financing challenge.
The number of migrants who died on the "Eastern Route" from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula doubled to 922 in 2025, according to the UN's International Organisation for Migration. The majority of victims were from Ethiopia, with tens of thousands crossing the Red Sea annually from Djibouti to Yemen in search of work in Gulf countries.
Windhoekers celebrated the book launch of Marisa 'Mel' Kelly's second book, 'The Limbo Circus & Other Short Stories', published by Modjaji Books. The nine-story collection draws on Kelly's travels through southern Africa and personal experiences, including work at London Zoo and as a veterinary nurse.
Hundreds of residents are fleeing Tigray region as federal and Tigrayan forces mass at their shared border, with local officials warning that renewed conflict appears imminent. The previous civil war from 2020–2022 killed at least 600,000 people; the peace agreement has never been fully implemented and tensions remain volatile.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah joined Ethiopian Airlines at Hosea Kutako International Airport to commemorate the airline's 80th anniversary and celebrate International Women's Day, highlighting women's growing role in aviation and progress toward gender equality. She pointed to Namibia's milestones including female leadership in government and sectors such as medicine, engineering and aviation, and noted that an all-female Ethiopian Airlines crew arrival sends a powerful message to young girls about career opportunities.
Martha Abner, a UN Economic Commission for Africa fellow, argues that institutional reform in Namibia fails not due to resistance to change but because leaders' behaviour is inconsistent and new systems are introduced alongside outdated procedures. She contends that building change-ready institutions requires visible, consistent leadership and removal of competing procedures to restore public trust.
Despite President Nandi-Ndaitwah's pledge to create 500,000 jobs, many Namibian graduates remain unemployed months after completing their studies, with most entry-level positions requiring prior work experience. In Khomas region, unemployment stands at 34.4% among the economically active population, and graduates are calling for structured internship programmes and better alignment between education and labour market needs.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah reported at the African Peer Review Mechanism Summit that the National Youth Development Fund, established in 2025 with N$500 million capitalisation, created over 700 jobs in the 2025/26 financial year through loans and grants without collateral requirements. Namibia is also addressing youth unemployment through free tertiary education, mandatory internship programmes, and vocational training centres across all 14 regions.
Epafras Ndenga Ndaitwah became one of the few male spouses to join the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) during its 30th General Assembly in Addis Ababa, where he called for inclusive empowerment and practical action on climate change and social inequality.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told an African Union summit in Addis Ababa that failing to secure sustainable water management could fuel internal and cross-border conflicts, and called for targeted investments in the water sector. She noted that climate change has diminished once-reliable water sources and urged African states to prioritize water and sanitation infrastructure to achieve economic growth and prevent migration-driven instability.
During the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah held bilateral meetings with international partners to advance Namibia's priorities in trade and investment, HIV response and health sovereignty, climate finance and resilience, and water governance. The engagements included meetings with representatives from the United States, Arab development bank, UNAIDS, the Green Climate Fund, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and the UN.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has returned from the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly in Ethiopia, where she participated in high-level discussions and held bilateral meetings with fellow African leaders and trade partners. The President emphasized Namibia's commitment to regional solidarity and the need for full operationalization of the African Continental Free Trade Area for continental economic growth.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah called on African leaders to defend multilateralism and assert the continent's collective interests at the African Union Assembly in Addis Ababa, warning that Africa must not become a theatre for competing global powers and emphasizing the need to secure economic independence and control over natural resources.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah addressed the African Union assembly in Addis Ababa, urging African nations to act collectively to secure economic independence, technological sovereignty, and control over natural resources while addressing escalating conflicts, debt distress, and climate change affecting the continent.
At the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah met with the Green Climate Fund delegation to reaffirm Namibia's commitment to hosting the fund's African Regional Offices and addressing climate resilience. The president highlighted Namibia's vulnerability as one of sub-Saharan Africa's driest countries, noting severe impacts in regions like Kunene, and called for greater investment in water infrastructure and sanitation systems.
Epafras Ndenga Ndaitwah addressed the 30th session of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development in Addis Ababa, calling for stronger institutions to build Africa's resilience through community resources, early climate warning systems, and locally-driven solutions.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah, speaking at an Africa G20 summit review in Ethiopia, called on G20 leaders to strengthen debt treatment frameworks and provide concessional financing to African countries, highlighting the need for resources to address energy transition, industrialisation, and food security while managing debt-service costs.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah participated in a high-level Presidential Fireside Conversation at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, where she discussed inclusive leadership, women's mentorship, and continental cooperation on shared resources with current and former female Heads of State. She emphasized that progress in women's leadership requires support from male counterparts, strong women's networks, and coordinated management of water and land resources to prevent conflict in arid regions.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah told the African Union assembly in Addis Ababa that Africa should not be a battleground for competing interests, and called on heads of state to work collectively as a platform guided by mutual respect and shared prosperity amid global tensions and climate challenges.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah attended the African Union Pre-Summit Prayer Breakfast ahead of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa, where leaders and faith representatives reflected on Africa's future and discussed the role of faith communities in promoting ethical leadership and sustainable water governance.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf led discussions in Addis Ababa on women in African leadership, emphasizing the importance of women supporting one another and building mentorship networks. Nandi-Ndaitwah also warned about climate change's impact on land and water resources, cautioning that without responsible management these pressures could fuel instability and conflict.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah presented Namibia's progress report on youth unemployment at the African Peer Review Forum, outlining reforms including education transformation, vocational training expansion, and the Welwitschia Fund to boost job creation. She also urged African leaders to prioritise water security and sanitation as central to the continent's development agenda.