Ethiopia bans imports of petrol and diesel cars and already runs 115,000 electric vehicles, backed by cheap hydropower. Also here: Belgium's foreign minister plans a Kigali visit, and Sudan swears in a new foreign minister.
Ethiopia has become the first country to ban imports of internal combustion engine vehicles, and about 115,000 electric cars already run on its roads, with 500,000 planned by 2030. Economics drives the decision: the country spends about $4.5 billion a year on fuel imports, while the Renaissance Dam will double its electricity generation. At the second African Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, the message was that the green transition in Africa now needs capital rather than pledges.
The Africa Now bulletin of September 12, 2025 brings together 8 stories, drawn from official statements, international and regional media, and a St. Petersburg cultural forum.
Scope
In diplomacy, Belgium’s Maxime Prévot plans his first visit to Kigali since Rwanda broke off relations in March, Sudan’s new Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem was sworn in before Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and William Ruto promised to make Kenya a “first world” country if reelected in 2027.
At the St. Petersburg forum, experts proposed digitizing Africa’s endangered heritage, the director of Mali’s National Museum described the rescue of the Timbuktu manuscripts, and the Democratic Republic of Congo prepared exhibits for a Museum of African Cultures opening in Moscow in 2026. The issue also covers WADA’s charges against Kenya’s anti-doping agency and a new dairy partnership in Tanzania.
Excerpt
According to the Transport Ministry, approximately 115,000 electric vehicles now operate on Ethiopian roads out of 1.5 million total vehicles, with plans to reach 500,000 by 2030. Ethiopia seems an unlikely EV champion: roughly half of its 126 million inhabitants lack electricity access, only 20% of households have electricity for at least 23 hours daily, and just one-third connect to the power grid. Factory disruptions from power outages are common.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam’s opening this month, fourteen years after construction began, partially addresses these challenges. Its maximum 5,150-megawatt capacity will double Ethiopia’s current electricity generation, 97% already from hydropower. However, the national grid remains vulnerable, and rural expansion will cost billions.
State Transport Minister Bareo Hassen emphasizes the decision to ban diesel and gasoline imports stems from environmental policy and pollution reduction efforts, but economics drives it primarily. Ethiopia spends approximately $4.5 billion annually on fuel imports — enormous for a foreign-currency-strapped country with widespread poverty. Ethiopian hydropower, conversely, is both green and cheap, helping convince skeptical Addis Ababa drivers who’ve seen fuel prices more than double over three years.
Sergey Konyashin, Ethiopia Goes Electric as Africa Asks for Capital (Africa Now, Démarche, September 12, 2025)