News Highlights: Rising tension in Horn of Africa, Sudan closes border with Eritrea, Belgian authorities linked to Sudan torture
11 Jan 2018

News Highlights: Rising tension in Horn of Africa, Sudan closes border with Eritrea, Belgian authorities linked to Sudan torture

by | posted in: EEPA news and activities, Eritrea, Ethiopia, European Politics, European Union, Horn of Africa region, Italy, Migration, Refugees in the EU, Weekly news highlights | 0

In this week’s news highlights: Rising tension in the Horn of Africa region; Sudan deploys thousands of troops; Sudanese ambassador in Egypt is called back; Eritrean President Afewerki meets with Egyptian counterpart; Human Rights Concern Eritrea writes to Italian politician about the mistaken identity case of Medhanie Berhe; Belgian migration office accused of deportation scandal to Sudan; Eritrean protest in Brussels draws large crowd; EU Southern States summit kicks off in Rome; and EU asylum reform going at a slow pace.

Rising tension in Horn of Africa region
11 Jan 2018

Rising tension in Horn of Africa region

by | posted in: Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Horn of Africa region, Yemen | 0

In the initial weeks of 2018, the Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir announced the closure of the border with Eritrea which was was followed by the deployment of militia forces to the bordering regions. The reason for the border closing has not officially been made clear and Sudan has denied tension between the two countries. This manoeuvre comes just after the declaration of a six-month state of emergency in the Sudanese regions of Kassala and North Kordofan. The official motivation given for the state of emergency  was the Sudanese campaign against the trafficking of human beings, weapons, and drugs and in those border regions.

News Highlights: Dutch parliament motion to close Eritrean embassy, businesses shut down in Asmara, EU divided over relocation
21 Dec 2017

News Highlights: Dutch parliament motion to close Eritrean embassy, businesses shut down in Asmara, EU divided over relocation

by | posted in: Eritrea, Ethiopia, European Politics, European Union, Libya, Migration, Refugees in the EU, Sudan, Torture, Weekly news highlights | 0

In this week’s news highlights: Dutch parliamentarians express their concern over the influence of the Eritrean regime and ask the government to close the Eritrean embassy; European Union sets June 2018 deadline for divisive relocation quota vote if no compromise is found; migration needs long term solutions, says European Commissioner; businesses in Eritrea close in what activists say is a move to control people; Human Rights Watch fears mistreatment of activists in Sudan; more clashes in the Oromia region of Ethiopia; and UN Refugee Agency wants to move 5.000 – 10.000 people out of Libyan detention centres in 2018.