Situation in Sudan (per 28 April)

  • The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have both accepted the proposal to extend the ceasefire by another 72 hours. However, fighting continues.
  • The fighting has worsened, especially in El Geneina in West Darfur. RSF and SAF fighting in West Darfur has triggered intercommunal violence. An estimated 96 people have died in El Geneina since 24 April, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
  • The UN calls on the RSF and SAF to stop targeting civilians, as “clashes continue to be reported in densely populated areas of Khartoum, Bahri, Omdurman and towns in Darfur and North Kordofan.”
  • There is a high risk of spillover of the conflict in other neighbouring, unstable countries.
  • Many Sudanese citizens have been left without a passport because of evacuations from embassies without returning the passports to citizens that had applied for visas.
  • The World Food Programme (WFP) has started evacuating employees from Sudan. They will activate a hub in Nairobi to provide support and find ways to replenish looted stockpiles.
  • Ahmed Harun, former official in the regime of al-Bashir, was able to leave Kober prison in Khartoum yesterday, with other Islamist hardliners. The UN has expressed alarm at the escape of inmates.
  • Connectivity in Sudan is declining again, there have been disruptions on a number of providers.
  • A hospital was hit in Omdurman, neighbouring city of Khartoum, following an artillery strike.
  • The “Civil Front to Stop War & Restore Democracy” was established in Sudan on 27 April. It consists of a coalition of political parties, unions, associations, and resistance committees.
  • An ICRC hotline number has been set up for all enquiries coming from inside Sudan: +249 900 907 832 (from Sunday to Thursday from 08:30 to 15:30).
  • There is a shortage of food supplies, gas and medicines in Khartoum. Planes and ships going to Sudan to evacuate nationals could bring supplies but are not doing so.
  • The UN has reported tens of thousands of people arriving in neighbouring countries.
  • The Acropole hotel, the oldest existing hotel in Khartoum, with owners originally from Greece, closed.
  • Rohingya, Yemeni, Syrian and Tigrayan refugees are stuck in Sudan with no clear method of evacuation.
  • The consul of Saudi Arabia may help with the evacuation of Syrian refugees. A Turkish military evacuation plane was fired at, but still landed safely in Sudan.
  • Whilst many countries have been evacuating their nationals out of Sudan, the US only evacuated their embassy staff, leaving 16,000 nationals behind most of which are dual US-Sudanese citizens.
  • A number of Chinese nationals were evacuated from Sudan via Eritrea, which has been coordinating with a number of countries to support ground evacuations, open airspace, and repatriate nationals.

Situation of Eritrean refugees (per 28 April)

  • Eritrea has organised an ‘evacuation’ operation from Sudan, reported by the outlet of the regime, Tesafnews, which observers understand to be based on involuntary repatriation of refugees.
  • Tesfanews made a comparison with the war in Tigray, where ten thousands of Eritrean refugees were forcefully repatriated to Eritrea in 2021.
  • Eritrean members of the Security Apparatus are operating freely in Kassala (Sudan). Their presence has increased. Eritreans in Khartoum fear deportation from Sudan to Eritrea if they travel to Kassala.
  • Some Eritreans have therefore changed direction to fleeing from Khartoum to Renk in South Sudan.
  • Eritreans that flee to Kampala, Uganda, pay 2.000-4.000 USD per person.
  • Eritreans who leave Khartoum by bus, towards Kassala, particularly those who do not have papers that legalize their stay in Sudan, are stopped at checkpoints along the road which are manned by the RSF and are beaten, mistreated, harassed, and their belongings taken and at times left at checkpoints.
  • Refugees that were forcefully deported in previous days from Sudan to Eritrea have already reportedly been returning from Tesseney (Eritrea) to Kassala (Sudan) as they fear persecution in Eritrea.
  • Those that fled again from Eritrea after having been forcefully returned are hiding around Kassala.
  • It is reported that bus fees went up due to pressure of fuel prices and of human trafficking networks, specifically for journeys from Khartoum to Kassala, and affecting Eritreans in the Sudanese capital.
  • A report was received of an incident in which Eritreans who were taken from the Kassala check point (Reba) in Sudan to be returned to Eritrea. The involuntary return was arranged by the Sudanese Kassala State authorities directly with the Eritrean regime.
  • The Eritrean security apparatus was already at check point. They forcefully took the bus to Eritrea.
  • The bus drivers were Sudanese, and resisted, saying the destination is Kassala, not the border town Tlatashar.
  • The Eritrean security forces – in the presence of Kassala state authority – forced the drivers to shift their direction to Tlatashar, without additional payment.
  • When the buses reached the border, authorities allowed the drivers to return to Kassala. In this incident the RSF was not involved but it was reportedly arranged by the Eritrean regime.

Situation in Ethiopia (per 28 April)

  • The head of the Amhara prosperity party office, Girma Yeshitla, was killed by armed extremist forces after a meeting related to disarmament of Amhara forces in an attack around Mehal Meda. Girma was one of the few acting Amhara politicians supporting the disbanding of regional security forces.

International Situation (per 28 April)

  • A summit took place of countries contributing troops to African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the Federal Republic of Somalia.
  • The summit leaders called for more logistical support to Somali Security Forces and called on the United Nations Security Council to lift the arms embargo on Somalia.
  • The Regional Network on Peace and Stability (RENOPS) put out a statement calling for the cessation of hostilities, the implementation of safe zones, and to increase humanitarian support by the international community as well as pressuring both parties to stop the fighting and protect human rights in Sudan.
  • Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the two opposing parties in Sudan must negotiate.

Links of interest

Sudan’s army and RSF say ceasefire extended but fighting goes on

Renewed air strikes rock Sudan truce

Sudan: Plight of civilians amid hostilities

Devex Dish: WFP’s ‘priority’ in Sudan is getting staff out

Aid groups raise alarm as Sudan fighting eclipses shaky truce

Twitter: announcement of the establishment of the Civil Front to Stop War  & Restore Democracy

Food supplies, gas and medicine running low in Sudan’s Khartoum amid violence

War in Sudan forces Greek family to shut storied Khartoum hotel

Rohingya, Yemeni and Syrian refugees plead for help in Sudan

Turkish military evacuation plane fired at in Sudan while landing, no injuries reported

Why the US evacuation from Sudan left Americans behind

Ethio 360 breaking News Thursday April 27, 2023

Twitter: Villa Somalia

Russia FM: US divided Sudan, should not interfere in its affairs

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