Europe External Programme with Africa is a Belgium-based Centre of Expertise with in-depth knowledge, publications, and networks, specialised in issues of peace building, refugee protection and resilience in the Horn of Africa. EEPA has published extensively on issues related to 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.
Reported Situation in Tigray (as per 12 April)
- Reported that fresh deployment of Eritrean troops through Mereb River, Rama to Tigray towns of Adwa and Axum has continued.
- Dedebit Media reported that at least 5 youths were killed and another 20 severely wounded by Eritrean troops in the town of Adwa, Central Tigray.
- The event, which has also been reported by two other sources, saw Eritrean soldiers passing through Axum have been shooting from their vehicles, killing civilians on the road.
- In another village near Axum another 11 have reportedly been killed.
- According to Tigrai Media House (TMH), another 15 young unarmed men were killed by Amhara militia and ENDF soldiers in Hugumbrda, Southern Tigray.
- TMH reported that Prime Minister Abiy has officially requested big international investors to buy him arm drones and in exchange he promised them a conducive investment environment.
- Reported that USAID vehicles were being used by Prosperity Party (PP) officials and ENDF commanders in Tigray.
- TMH said new reports are coming out from Wukro Maray town near Aksum that over 300 civilians including priests were killed by Eritrean troops from three villages only.
- The killings in the three villages mainly focused on religious leaders, priests, deacons and elders and they were killed while providing church services and prayers.
- Kidane Amene, Former chairperson of Baytona, an opposition party in Tigray, has joined the Tigray defense forces and said the struggle is for an independent state Tigray.
- The newly published UNHCR report says that at least 350 thousand IDPs have arrived in Shire town alone. 75 thousand of those have arrived from Western Tigray.
- Many thousands are still dispersed in the countryside.
- According to a UNHCR mission at least 2 thousand Eritrean refugees are living as IDPs in Adigrat.
- There are also at least 82 thousand IDPs in Mekelle.
- The UNHCR and WFP have also started a joint rehabilitation of 56k of roads serving Um Rakuba and Tunadybah as well as extensive drainage works as part of flood mitigation activities ahead of the rainy season.
- A video footage showing an attack by a mob on a Gumuz ethnic man in Chagni town of the Amhara region circulates in social media. They dragged him out of a Bajaj vehicle and beat him to death.
Reported Situation in the Horn region(as per 12 April)
- Sudan will receive $ 400 million in aid from Saudi Arabia and the UAE for agriculture according to state media.
- During a meeting with Egyptian minister of forign affairs, Russia’s minister of foregin affairs, Sergey Lavrov revealed that his country had proposed technical assistance in the Ethiopain dam negotiation, but there was no call for mediation.
- The Egyptian Foreign Affairs minister has warned Ethiopia that they will take serious measures to protect water security in Egypt.
- He stresses that a “just solution” needs to be found for everyone.
- Ethiopia’s Foreign minister has said that the remaining concerns are “technical Issues”. Security, and data exchange has already been arranged.
Reported International situation (as per 12 April)
- The European Parliament’s Committee on Development will meet on Tuesday 13 April with Haavisto, the EU envoy to the Horn region. They will exchange views on his most recent visit to the area.
- Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management will also be present.
- Belgium’s Minister of Development and Cooperation increases the funds for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by €4 million for the victims of violence in Tigray.
- Belgium also stresses the importance of an independent investigation into the committed crimes, which cannot go unpunished.
- The executive director of the World Peace Foundation has argued in a piece that the World Bank and IMF should not be supporting the Ethiopian government.
- He argues that both organisations need to reconsider the loans and requests that Ethiopia is making. They should leverage the money for an improvement in the situation and end war and starvation.
- He argues that as the WPF has shown, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Amhara are using starvation as a weapon of war, and with only 1 million of the 5.6 million people receiving aid (which he says is stolen soon afterwards), mass starvation is going to take place soon.
- He further argues that the level of destruction which is seen in Tigray goes far beyond legitimate war aims, regardless of who started the conflict.
- Lastly he says that if the conflict drags on, many resources will be used, and will lead Ethiopia down the road of Authoritarianism[1] . A long protracted conflict will also leave the country economically devastated, with huge costs to rebuild.
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.
Links of interest
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/deve/home/highlights
https://www.ft.com/content/60ea0fbd-688e-4224-8219-c4c996d94513
Small a
Martin Plaut 
They want to demolish Tigray I think abiy and esayes were not intrested to see Tigray any more. Abiy objective was to eradicate Oromo, Tigray and other nation and nationality to build big amhara.
You will be remembered and invited in every day of Tigray’s independence celebration , as it is inevitable for Us(Tigrians) to build our own nation sooner than expected.