News Highlights: Sudan bans protests, Leaked documents on EU Operation Sophia, video shows abuse in Libya

In this week’s news highlights: Politico publishes leaked documents on EU operation Sophia; Germany confirms communication problems with Libya coast guard; EU-Arab League Summit discusses migration; African Union objects to ‘disembarkation platforms’; Video shows torture for ransom in Libya; Refugees threatened after abuse in Libya detention centre; State of emergency and protest ban in Sudan; Emergency state Sudan used to legitimise excessive force; Eritrea ranks high on slavery list; and militant guarding of Eritrea’s capital Asmara reported.

The African Union criticizes the EU’s disembarkation platforms

The African Union (AU), with Egypt as the current chair state, is hoping to halt the plan to establish so called regional disembarkation platforms proposed by EU leaders during the summer of 2018. The Guardian’s article reveals that the AU member states, in their ‘common African position paper’, discourage African coastal states from any cooperation with Brussels as the EU’s proposition would go against international law and would cause a creation of “de facto detention centers”

News Highlights: Sudan and Ethiopia discuss border force, EU to support road project Eritrea, AU requests peace conference on Libya

In this week’s News Highlights: €20 million EU funds for road project between Ethiopia and Eritrea; Ethiopa and Sudan discuss joint border force; opposition in Sudan releases statement continuing pressure on government; BBC shines light on Sudanese detention; High-level United Nations delegation visits Sudan as UNAMID ends; villagers in South Sudan’s Yei State abused and killed by soldiers; two new commissions look at Ethiopia’s internal border and identity conflicts; ; an Islamic State ‘empire’ grows in Africa region, warns article; African Union requests a peace conference on Libya; Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) published a report on the deflagging of the Aquarius rescue boat; LIBE Committee has approved new measures to reinforce Frontex; 100 migrants intercepted by Libyan Coast Guard; and EASO published reports on EU asylum figures of 2018.