Situation in Sudan (per 31 August)

  • Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, head of  the Sudan Armed Forces, arrived in El-Alamein city in Egypt for a one-day meeting with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday. This trip marked the first foreign visit of Al-Burhan since the beginning of the conflict.
  • Shelling in Nyala, South Darfur, has intensified on Tuesday, reportedly killing 39 civilians. Victims, mostly women and children, were hit by shelling of their homes.
  • The arms market is thriving in the eastern part of Sudan near the borders with Ethiopia and Eritrea with demand being high since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan. Arms shipments are received by dealers every two weeks.
  • A hacker group, Anonymous Sudan, carried out a cyber attack on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling on Elon Musk to open Starlink satellite connectivity services in Sudan.

Refugee Situation (per 31 August)

  • Fillipo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, called for more support to meet humanitarian needs of refugees fleeing Sudan.
  • Grandi carried out a 4-day visit to South Sudan meeting refugees in the Wedwil refugee site who fled the conflict.
  • 1,072,804 refugees crossed to neighbouring countries and 3,801,754 individuals are displaced internally in Sudan, based on the latest update of the Displacement Tracking Matrix of IOM.

Situation in Ethiopia (per 31 August)

  • Renewed clashes between Fano militias and federal government troops have been reported from several cities across the Amhara region. After a few days of relative calm, gunshots were heard, namely in Debre Tabor, Finote Selam, and Debre Markos.
  • The deteriorating human rights situation in Ethiopia raises concerns, said the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
  • At least 183 people have been confirmed to have died due to the conflict in the Amhara region since July and due to the proclaimed state of emergency, 1,000 people, mostly of Amhara ethnicity, have been arrested without a court order, confirmed the spokesperson of OHCHR.
  • Concerns are also raised over 250 Tigrayans allegedly detained in Western Tigray by the Amhara police, local militia, and armed youth from Wolkait.
  • Bekele Gerba, one of the main opposition leaders in Ethiopia, has fled to the US and requested a political asylum in fear for his life and due to the deteriorating political situation in Ethiopia. Gerba resigned from the position of vice-president of the Oromo Federalist Congress.

Situation in Tigray (per 31 August)

  • The Women’s Association of Tigray called for an investigation of the recent killing of a woman in Mekelle. A 32-year old woman was killed by unknown attackers on 20 August after being kidnapped on the streets of Mekelle.
  • The Association stated that the crimes and violence against women continue even since the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement was signed in November 2022.

Situation in Eritrea (per 31 August)

  • The Eritrean Chargé d’affaires of the Eritrean Embassy and Permanent Mission to Geneva has reportedly asked for asylum in Switzerland. Osman was one of the supporters of the Eritrean regime and defender of Eritrea’s stance at the UN Human Rights Council.  

Regional Situation (per 31 August)

  • President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, pledged to carry out military operations against al-Shabaab until “achieving a final victory”.
  • The president’s speech was delivered one day after Somali government forces retreated from the village of Cowsweyne after al-Shabaab carried out a deadly  attack. President Mohamud contested claims of al-Shabaab on the losses in the Cowsweyne attack.
  • A mid-level al-Shabaab official, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, surrendered to government forces in Mudug region.
  • 71 Ethiopians, out of which 33 were young men, were arrested by Kenyan police in Machakos town in Kenya. They are suspected of being involved in human trafficking.

International Situation (per 31 August)

  • Military leaders in Gabon ousted President Ali Bongo in a coup following elections. African leaders are working on a response.
  • Mike Hammer, the US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, is travelling to Kenya and Ethiopia for a visit between 28 August and 8 September. He will hold discussions with state officials as well as IGAD and AU officials on the ongoing conflict in Sudan and internal developments in Ethiopia.
  • A representative from the office of the US Ambassador-At-Large For Global Criminal Justice will travel to Ethiopia in order to attend the meeting on transitional justice as well as review the results of population-based study analysing  expectations of Ethiopians on justice and accountability processes.
  • The EU is planning a new mission to West Africa to train and advise local security forces in counter-terrorism and to counter Russian influence in the region. The mission is set to be approved in October by EU Foreign Ministers.
  • Ethiopia was granted a one-year grace period on repaying Chinese debts, following a discussion between Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit.
  • Leaders of the BRICS bloc reached a consensus during the summit in South Africa and adopted the Johannesburg II Declaration, addressing the need to resolve ongoing global disputes through constructive dialogue and inclusive consultation.

Links of interest

Sudan’s military chief Burhan visits Egypt as deadly violence grips Darfur

Anonymous Sudan hacks X to put pressure on Elon Musk over Starlink

In Sudan’s east, murky arms trade thrives as war rages

Regional Sudan Response Situation Update, 29 August 2023

UNHCR’s Grandi urges more support as thousands continue to flee Sudan daily

News: Fighting recommences in several cities of Amhara region after days of normalcy

Deteriorating human rights situation in Ethiopia – OHCHR

News: Women’s Association of Tigray demands thorough investigation into recent brutal killing in Mekelle

Ethiopia: opposition figure seeks political asylum in the United States

Twitter: Radio Erena

Somali President Says Military Operations Against Al-Shabab Will Continue Until ‘Final Victory’

71 Ethiopians arrested over suspected human trafficking in Machakos
African leaders work on response to Gabon military coup

Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Hammer Travels to Kenya and Ethiopia

Anticipating Justice and Accountability Around the World

EU planning new Africa mission in Gulf of Guinea — report

Ahmed : Ethiopia granted 1-year waiver on Chinese debt

15th BRICS Summit: Johannesburg II Declaration

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