MOMBASA – Seven East African nations signed a landmark pact on Thursday to establish a regional intelligence-sharing hub and a joint strike force to combat a “rapidly evolving” human trafficking crisis fueled by cyber-scam operations.

The agreement, finalized during a three-day summit in Mombasa organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), brings together Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, and Rwanda. The initiative targets the sophisticated networks that have increasingly moved from traditional domestic servitude to “cyber-enabled trafficking.”

“Traffickers are now operating at the speed of the internet, using digital recruitment to lure victims into online fraud factories,” Kenyan Interior Ministry spokesperson Alice Njeri said at the closing ceremony. “Our legal systems have been too fragmented to keep up. That ends today.”

A key provision of the “Mombasa Declaration” is the decriminalization of victims. Historically, many trafficked persons in East Africa—particularly those forced into sex work or online scams—have been treated as criminals by local law enforcement. The new framework mandates a “survivor-first” approach, focusing on repatriation and trauma-informed care rather than prosecution.

The summit’s location, just steps from the historic Fort Jesus—a site once central to the 16th-century slave trade—was chosen to highlight the historical weight of the issue. “Modern slavery is just as brutal as its predecessor, only more hidden,” said John Richmond, a former U.S. Ambassador to Combat Trafficking.

The regional strike force is expected to begin joint patrols and cross-border operations by June 2026, supported by technical expertise from the U.S. and the European Union.

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Addis Ababa – In a milestone for Ethiopia’s economic recovery, Finance Minister Ahmed Shide and Italian Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti signed a landmark bilateral debt restructuring agreement in Rome today.

The deal, part of the G20 Common Framework, marks a critical step in Ethiopia’s efforts to stabilize its macroeconomy and signal its “open for business” status to global investors.

Beyond debt relief, the partnership has expanded into massive infrastructure commitments. Italy has officially pledged financing for the Koysha Hydropower Project and components of the ambitious Bishoftu Airport project, a flagship initiative for the Ethiopian Airlines Group.

The collaboration is a cornerstone of Italy’s “Mattei Plan” for Africa, which seeks to position Ethiopia as a primary strategic partner on the continent.

For Ethiopia, the agreement provides much-needed fiscal breathing room. The funds saved from debt servicing are expected to be redirected toward social sectors and the completion of the Koysha dam, which is vital for the country’s energy self-sufficiency.

Minister Shide emphasized that this move, coupled with World Bank budget support, will accelerate the nation’s ongoing economic reforms.

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ADDIS ABABA  – Ethiopia has emerged as the second-largest destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa, according to new government data, with Chinese firms accounting for the lion’s share of capital entering the country.

The Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) reported on Monday that the country attracted $18.6 billion in FDI over the past five years, trailing only Egypt on the continent. In the 2024/2025 fiscal year alone, inflows rose by 22.7% to $4 billion.

The surge is largely attributed to Ethiopia’s “open-door” policy, which recently lifted restrictions on foreign participation in retail, wholesale, and export sectors.

A major highlight of the current week is a $4.2 billion gas deal between the Dangote Group and China’s GCL Group, intended to power a massive fertilizer project.

However, the economic optimism is tempered by a persistent humanitarian crisis. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) released a report on Tuesday documenting a “pattern of attacks” in the Oromia region, where recent ethnic violence has resulted in dozens of deaths and mass displacement.

Investors remain wary of how the government will balance its industrial ambitions with the need for internal stability.