On Sunday 7 May 2017, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) helicopter reportedly attacked an Afar fishing boat, killing one person instantly while injuring nine others. According to the Eritrean Afar State in Exile (EASE), a second person succumbed to his injuries last weekend, bringing the total death count to two. The eight remaining victims are reportedly being treated at Duhtum Hospital in Assab.
The European Union started this week with a Foreign Affairs Council centered on the relations between the EU and Africa. More specifically, the 28 EU foreign affairs ministers discussed the relations with the African Union and the future of this partnership, as well as the core issues on which this cooperation will focus.
In this week’s news highlights, the European Court of Auditors report shows dangerous conditions in Greek and Italian refugee camps especially for the 23000 children, while Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) again denounces the appalling conditions in Libyan detention centres. In the Horn of Africa, the UN Monitoring Group will deliver the midterm report on the 30th of April; Eritrea figures again at the bottom of the list in the Freedom of Press Index; furthermore, Sudanese politics are a house of cards, according to the Institute for Security Studies.