FORTUNE+ VIDEO SPONSORED CONTENTS ADVERTORIALS FORTUNE AUDIO Fortune Careers New TRADE AFRICA New

Fortune Logo

WAITING HOOVES

Oct 26 , 2025.

A donkey “parking lot” along Dejazmach Mekonin Demisaw Street in Sebategna, Mercato, hosts a patient line of beasts ready for their next load. Each animal seems to carry more than goods, they bear memories of an era when hooves, not wheels, ruled the streets. Passersby rush past in the busy market, half-smiling, half-reflecting, as the scene whispers stories of grit, patience, and the slow rhythm of life that machines have since hurried past. Somewhere between nostalgia and necessity, these donkeys remain a part of today's Mercato’s hustle.


PUBLISHED ON Oct 26,2025 [ VOL 26 , NO 1330]

[ssba-buttons]

Most read

Editor's pick

Commentaries

How Trump Could Win Over the Developing World

President Donald Trump's Administration has offered a gift to finance ministers from...

In World on Edge, the Poor Bleed First When Economic Superpowers Clash

Global economic rivalries do not only stay on the balance sheets of major powers. Whe...

Fineline

Leaders of the National . . .

Leaders of the National Election Board are in a charm offensive mood, of a sort. Last week, they organised a rare tour for members of the me...

When the country’s most. . .

When the country's most senior diplomats and envoys return back to their posts after two-week debriefings, they leave behind a point or two...

Editorial

Central Bank Misses the Mark on Forex Market Speculation

Nov 1 , 2025

The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) issued a statement two weeks ago that appeared to...

The Rules Multiply. So Does the Confusion, and Uncertainty

Oct 25 , 2025

The regulatory machinery is on overdrive. In only two years, no fewer than 35 new pro...

Official Narratives Preach Recovery. People Don't Feel It

Oct 18 , 2025

The political establishment, notably the ruling party and its top brass, has become p...

The Human Flight a Failure of Political Imagination, Not a Mere Economic Policy

Oct 11 , 2025

Ladislas Farago, a roving Associated Press (AP) correspondent, arrived in Ethiopia in...

Gallery

Parliament Approves New Cabinet Members

Oct 6 , 2021

Parliament Approves New Cabinet, Incorporates Opposition Leaders Lawmakers have approved today the nominations of 22 ministers, including three opposition leaders. Two MPs have voted against, while 12 abstained...

2020 in Posterity

Jan 5 , 2021

TIGRAY VOTES DESPITE "NULL & VOID" THREAT

Sep 9 , 2020

IN-PICTURE: LAUREATE'S RECEPTION  

Dec 14 , 2019

PM Abiy Ahmed (PhD) at a Gala Dinner Called for the Awarding of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize

May 6 , 2019

Faces, Voices of Addis Abeba

Apr 26 , 2019

Sunday With Eden

A City of Two Worlds

Addis Abeba shines with a stark contrast between its extremes: wealth and poverty, comfort and struggle. It's a city full of energy; proud,...

When Regulation Fails, Consumers Carry the Burden

My daughter Gabriella and I recently received a lavish gift parcel: premium Ethiopian-made shampoos, body...

Life Matters

The Subtle Tyranny of 'I Know What's Best'

There is a unique kind of anger we feel when someone we love turns down our help, especially when our ass...

Communal Courtesy Breaks Down Communal Living

I was recently struck by a quote something along the lines of, "Common sense is like deodorant. The peopl...