Red Sea Security & Trade: A Saudi-led maritime defense coalition has moved into an operational phase with a working headquarters in Riyadh, naming Rear Adm. Abdullah Al-Shehri as commander and staffing liaison officers—an effort aimed at stabilizing the Bab al-Mandeb, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, where Djibouti’s role in Ethiopia’s seaborne trade makes corridor security a direct cost issue for freight, fuel and insurance. Logistics Digitization: Ethiopia’s Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics (ESL) launched a digital customer self-service platform for port and cargo operations, adding cargo tracking, booking, demurrage management, digital payments and AI chat support—plus plans for terminal management systems. Horn Rail Strain: Ethiopia’s rail network is running at less than half capacity due to rolling-stock shortages and foreign-currency constraints, leaving commuters facing longer waits and pushing some back toward taxis. Digital Infrastructure Investment: WIOCC secured $300m from Africa Finance Corporation and Vision Invest to expand data centres, open-access fibre and new subsea assets across Africa. Solar Boom, Hidden: A new analysis says Africa’s solar growth is accelerating, but much of it is distributed and undercounted in official stats.