Europe External Programme with Africa is a Belgium-based Centre of Expertise with in-depth knowledge, publications, and networks, specialised in issues of peacebuilding, refugee protection, and resilience in the Horn of Africa. EEPA has published extensively on issues related to the movement and/or human trafficking of refugees in the Horn of Africa and on the Central Mediterranean Route. It cooperates with a wide network of universities, research organisations, civil society, and experts from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and across Africa. The Situation Reports can be found here. To receive the situation report in your e-mail, click here. You can unsubscribe at any moment through the link at the bottom of each e-mail.
Situation in Sudan (per 7 November)
- Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are holding the town of Al-Hilaliya in Al Jazirah state under siege, and have killed at least 67 people, of which 13 died by gunfire and 54 by suspected poisoning, according to a local civilian group.
- The people who died by poisoning had reportedly been given food contaminated with urea fertiliser.
- Locals who are trying to flee are reportedly extorted by RSF forces, and have to pay large sums of money to get passage.
- The Sudan INGO Forum, composed of 70 NGOs working on Sudan, urges the international community to act in the context of extreme violence against civilians in Sudan.
Situation in Ethiopia (per 7 November)
- 23 civilians, including children, were killed by Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) in Addis Kedam, Awi Zone, in the Amhara region, according to witnesses. The attack occurred on 27 October 2024.
- The deaths occurred during exchange of gunfire between ENDF and Fano militia. Fano militia took control of the town, before withdrawing later in the afternoon. In the aftermath, ENDF forces conducted house searches and killed civilians found in the streets.
- The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is investigating the killing of at least 48 people last week in the North Shewa district of the Oromia region. The killing is attributed by the EHRC to an ambush attack by the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
- Among those killed is a district official. Several people have also been kidnapped.
- Fighting in the Oromia region took place in various areas last week, with residents reporting widespread network disruptions.
- Amnesty International calls for the release of thousands of people who have been arbitrarily arrested and detained in the Amhara region. The civilians are imprisoned in four makeshift detention camps across the region.
- More people continue to be arrested, and Amnesty has confirmed new structures being added to the camps. The detainees include academics and members of the judiciary.
- 970,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Tigray have not yet returned to their homes, according to the Mekelle branch of Ethiopia Institution of the Ombudsman. Many of the IDPs are receiving insufficient support.
Regional Situation (per 7 November)
- South Sudan and Kenya have agreed to continue the mediation efforts in Nairobi in relation to the South Sudan peace process, following a high-level meeting in Juba, South Sudan, between Kenyan President William Ruto and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.
- Sudan filed a complaint with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) where it accused Chad of providing weapons, ammunition and mercenaries to the RSF.
International Situation (per 7 November)
- The UN Security Council met on Sudan and South Sudan. Speakers emphasised the effects of the Sudan conflict on neighbouring countries, in particular in relation to the contested Abyei region. The situation in Abyei is exacerbated by pre-existing tensions and the impact of heavy rain.
- Today, the UN Security Council is meeting on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The meeting will be an open briefing, followed by closed consultations.
- The African Union Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide called for investigations into alleged human rights violations in Sudan on Tuesday. He particularly expressed concern over the rise in hate speech, racial hatred, and incitement to ethnically motivated violence.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in relation to the 2022 signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA).
- Blinken expressed the US’s continued support to the COHA, and expressed concern over the ongoing conflict in the Amhara region. Blinken stressed the importance of political dialogue in Ethiopia for the resolution of internal conflicts.
- The US will cancel around $1.1 billion in loans to Somalia, which is around a quarter of Somalia’s outstanding debt.
- The debt forgiveness was part of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC), which is a reform programme led by the IMF and the World Bank.
Refugee and Migration Situation (per 7 November)
- Egypt is planning to start registration of refugees itself, instead of outsourcing it to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This could particularly impact refugees fleeing the war in Sudan, who are already subject to arbitrary arrests and collective expelling by Egypt.
- Four people died off the coast of Greece after the smuggler reportedly forced a group of people off a small boat travelling from Turkey to Greece. 25 people managed to swim to shore and survived.
- Pushbacks at the EU’s external borders are becoming increasingly more frequent, despite being illegal. 9,000 pushbacks were recorded between December 2023 and July 2024 at the Polish border with Belarus alone, according to data from the organisation ‘We are monitoring’ (WAM).
- The pushbacks are frequently accompanied by violence and stealing of possessions, including money and phones.
Links of interest
RSF siege of Sudan’s Al-Hilaliya leaves dozens dead
70 NGOs Demand UN Measures to Protect Civilians in Sudan
በአማራ ክልል አዊ ዞን ከ20 በላይ ሰዎች መገደላቸውን ነዋሪዎች ተናገሩ
Ethiopia: End the month-long arbitrary detention of thousands in Amhara Region
Bloodbath in Ethiopia: 48 killed in restive Oromia region; what’s the conflict all about?
Ethiopia Weekly Update (5 November 2024)
South Sudan, Kenya to resume peace talks in Nairobi
AU demands probe into Sudan rights abuses, calls for end to violence
Sudan war keeps reaching across borders, Security Council hears
Security Council Meets on Situation on Sudan and South Sudan
South Sudan: Briefing and Consultations
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy
Sudan govt scraps $6bn Red Sea port deal with UAE
US cancels $1.1bn of Somalia’s debt in ‘historic’ financial agreement
Four die in Greece after smuggler allegedly forces passengers off boat
‘The border guards beat migrants’: How EU border pushbacks are becoming banalized
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.