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Situation in Sudan (per 13 June)
- The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced a campaign to collect witness statements, evidence or any information documenting allegations of widespread crimes committed in Darfur since the start of the conflict.
- Khan said that it is one of the ICC’s priorities to investigate these alleged crimes. He added that evidence collected by the prosecutor’s office “seems to disclose an organised, systematic and a profound attack on human dignity”.
- El Fasher faces mass exodus of civilians who are leaving the city amid ongoing fighting between Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). It is estimated that about 28,000 people have fled between 24 May and 3 June and more are leaving on a daily basis.
- Thousands of displaced people from El Fasher found refuge in the Tawila town and surrounding villages, about 60 km from the capital of North Darfur. The hosting areas face severe humanitarian shortages.
- 3 trucks with humanitarian aid arrived in North Darfur through the border area with Chad, said UNHCR. It is the first delivery of core relief items to this area in several weeks.
- Kalma camp hosting internally displaced people is facing a surge in children’s malnutrition amid acute shortage of food supply.
- A British-drafted resolution urging to immediately stop the siege of and halt fighting in El Faser is reportedly being discussed and voted on by the UN Security Council (UNSC) today, reports Reuters.
Situation in Ethiopia (per 13 June)
- 81% of Tigray youth remain unemployed as a consequence of the two-year war in Tigray, according to a study by Tigray Youth Association. Financial insecurity is prompting youth to think about migration with 40% of youth expressing a desire to leave the region.
- The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) has been accused of breaching rights to privacy of customers by disclosing names, account numbers and photographs of those accused of illicitly withdrawing funds, warned Access Now and the Centre for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD).
- Despite CBE’s effort to find the wrongdoers, the publication of personal information is going against rights granted by the constitution and international law. CBE experienced a system glitch in March which allowed customers to withdraw a bigger amount from their accounts than was deposited.
- A new legislation that would grant investigators the power to intercept communications and correspondence without needing judicial approval has been submitted for approval to the Ethiopian House of Representatives.
- If approved, the new law would apply to crimes of counterfeiting or financing of terrorism.
Situation in Eritrea (per 13 June)
- A project expanding the storage and distribution of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) has been launched in Eritrea with co-funding from the European Union. Two large storage facilities have been built in Massawa with capacity to transport LPG to major urban areas beyond Asmara.
International Situation (per 13 June)
- South Sudanese authorities have been urged to immediately release dissident Morris Mabior Awikjok Bak who had been arbitrarily detained for over 400 days for his open criticism of the government, reports Amnesty International.
- US Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, met with Kenyan President, William Ruto, on Monday in Nairobi, discussing among several issued the urgent need for de-escalation of the conflict in neighbouring Sudan through regional action and resumption of diplomatic peace negotiation.
- Qatar’s Emir, Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, engaged in phone calls with Ethiopia’s PM, Abiy Ahmed, and Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mahmud, discussing the bilateral issues between the respective countries as well as “several regional and international issues of common concern”.
Refugee and Migration Situation (per 13 June)
- The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) urged authorities for full and unhindered access of humanitarian staff to assist thousands of Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia’s Metema border point.
- Challenges relating to security, operations, and limited resources are limiting the effectiveness of humanitarian support.
- 11 bodies of refugees and migrants were retrieved in the Mediterranean Sea off of the Libyan coast following a search and rescue operation by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) which lasted for over 9 hours on Friday.
- Far-right parties supporting anti-immigrant narratives and sentiment gained stronger positions in several EU countries during last week’s European Parliament elections. Experts are predicting increased initiatives in external processing of asylum seekers and stricter border management.
- With the winning of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), Ursula von der Leyen, who has been a supporter of the new Migration pact, is hoping to be re-elected as the head of the European Commission.
- Refugees should not be required to pay a fine or repay tuition fees to the government when they fail an integration exam in the Netherlands, advised the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
- The case was brought before the ECJ by the Dutch Council of State, after an Eritrean refugee who failed to pass the final exam prescribed through an obligatory integration program, was fined €500 and ordered to repay €10,000 tuition lent by the government.
- A vessel carrying 260 migrants and refugees from Somalia and Ethiopia capsized off the Yemeni coast on Monday. 49 people died and about 140 are still missing.
- 120 million people have been displaced over the past year globally, bringing the displaced population up by 10% compared to the year before. Conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar and Gaza were among major contributors prompting people to migrate.
Links of interest
ICC prosecutor seeks evidence of war crimes in Sudan’s Darfur
El Fasher conflict forces mass displacement, as humanitarian crisis deepens
UN Security Council to vote on demand for halt to siege of Sudanese city
Ethiopia: Study highlights 81% unemployment rate among #Tigray youth following War
Access Now and CARD letter to Commercial Bank of Ethiopia on the publication of customers personal data
ሽብርተኝነትን በገንዘብ የመርዳት ወንጀልን ለመመርመር ያለ ፍርድ ቤት ትዕዛዝ መገናኛዎችን መጥለፍ የሚፈቅድ ረቂቅ አዋጅ ለፓርላማ ቀረበ
Expansion of Liquid Petroleum Gas Storages in Eritrea
South Sudan: National Security Service must immediately release arbitrarily detained dissident
US ambassadors highlight Sudan crisis at home and abroad
News: Ethiopia, Somalia leaders engage in phone call with Qatar’s Emir on ‘shared regional and International Interests’
IFRC appeals for safe access to address growing needs of Sudanese refugees at Ethiopia-Sudan border
Bloody policies’: MSF recovers 11 bodies from Mediterranean off Libya
Europe’s far-right gains raise migrant fears for future
EU court advises Netherlands not to fine refugees for failing integration exams
49 Migrants Dead, 140 Missing in Shipwreck Off Yemen Coast
Global refugee population grows by almost 10 per cent in one year
Germany: Deportations up by 30%
Disclaimer: All information in this Situation Report is presented as a fluid update report, as to the best knowledge and understanding of the authors at the moment of publication. EEPA does not claim that the information is correct but verifies to the best of ability within the circumstances. Publication is weighed on the basis of interest to understand potential impacts of events (or perceptions of these) on the situation. Check all information against updates and other media. EEPA does not take responsibility for the use of the information or impact thereof. All information reported originates from third parties and the content of all reported and linked information remains the sole responsibility of these third parties. Report to info@eepa.be any additional information and corrections.