Situation in Sudan (per 11 September)

  • At least 40 civilians have been killed in a drone attack in Khartoum. A series of drone strikes in southern Khartoum on Sunday morning hit among others a crowded market at 7am.
  • Medical staff and volunteers were “shocked and overwhelmed by the scale of horror that struck the city today”, stated Médecins Sans Frontières emergency coordinator Marie Burton.
  • Heavy clashes broke out in North Darfur, El Fasher, over the weekend after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked a military facility. El Fasher’s South Hospital is treating civilians that suffer from blast and bullet wounds.
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched an emergency livelihood response plan in Sudan focused mainly on providing seeds and vaccination kits for livestock.

Situation in Tigray (per 11 September)

  • Journalist Mehari Kahsay shared pictures of extensive bruising on his body after allegedly being beaten by police at protests in Mekelle last week. He was detained on Thursday and released on Saturday.

Situation in Ethiopia (per 11 September)

  • Over 70 civilians were killed in the Amhara town of Majete on 3 September amidst the fighting between the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and Fano militia, witnesses state.
  • Witnesses state the ENDF took over the village and started door-to-door searches. The soldiers then rounded up the younger men in the village and shot them in the head.
  • The ENDF is also accused of looting of cattle, food and property. ENDF is accusing the civilians of supporting the Fano militia.
  • The continued tensions in Amhara are causing a shortage of goods and healthcare. The prices of goods have increased and residents remain cautious of the ENDF forces in towns, who have arrested a lot of young persons after taking over towns.
  • Three journalists were arrested under the state of emergency in Ethiopia for publishing about the conflict in Amhara or the state of emergency, stated the Committee to Protect Journalists.
  • Ethiopia will export 1.2 million quintals (1 quintal = 100 kg) of wheat this year, stated the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration. It states the Ethiopian grain prices will not be affected, as a bumper harvest covered the needs of the local market.

Regional Situation (per 11 September)

  • Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is visiting Eritrea today. He is accompanied by Foreign Minister Ali al-Sadiq and Lt. Gen. Ahmed Ibrahim Mufaddal, the head of the Sudanese intelligence service.
  • The delegation will discuss bilateral ties with Eritrean president Isaias Afewerki.
  • Leaders of the Sudanese Democratic Bloc and other Sudanese parties have also gathered in Asmara, Sudan, to discuss the conflict, Eritrean media Tesfanews reports. Most of those that have gathered are thought to have supported the October 2021 coup.
  • The Somaliland army has sent additional troops to the Oog district after SSC-Khatumo forces took over the town of Laascaanood last month.
  • The army is preparing for an offensive on Laascaanood.
  • A drone strike on al-Shabaab in central Somalia killed five civilians, after al-Shabaab fighters hid in a house which also housed a family.
  • The fourth and final phase of the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) reservoir has been completed, states Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
  • The Egyptian foreign ministry referred to the unilateral decision to fill the dam as “illegal” and warned that it compromised the ongoing negotiations about the dam between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.

International Situation (per 11 September)

  • Police in Tel Aviv ordered the temporary closure of four Eritrean churches over the weekend, citing concerns of further clashes between the Eritrean regime supporters and protesters.
  • The clashes at the Eritrean festival in Bergen, Norway, are completely unacceptable, states Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
  • The festivals are dominated by Eritreans who support the regime, and those critical of the regime are banned from attending the festivals, states Norwegian Parliament member Ola Elvestuen.
  • Two reports for Norwegian ministries describing the pressure and control of the Eritrean diaspora by the Eritrean regime in Norway were largely ignored, critics say.
  • Possibilities for peace in Sudan are absent in the current circumstances and the worst is yet to come, states Marina Peter, chair of the Sudan and South Sudan Forum.
  • She warns that any hope for a sustainable peace must come through one platform for peacebuilding, which has to fully integrate Sudanese civil society from the beginning, no matter how long it may take.
  • The international community can support through making space for Sudanese civil society to meet, discuss and make their voices heard; assist in local reconciliation and peace building efforts, and be patient in receiving and hosting refugees.
  • The plurality of mediation initiatives on Sudan leads to ‘forum-shopping’ by Sudanese elite, which is divisive and counters peace building efforts, warns think tank European Council on Foreign Relations.
  • UN Relief Chief Martin Griffiths spoke with RSF commander Hemedti over the weekend in relation to the need to provide access to people in need in Sudan.
  • The UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution to allow Somalia to sell off its charcoal stockpiles. This is an exemption on the resolution banning the import of charcoal from Somalia.
  • The UNSC also discussed the broader situation in Somalia, including the situation in Laascaanood.

Links of interest

At least 40 civilians killed in airstrike on Khartoum market in Sudan

X: MSF Sudan
Sudan: FAO launches emergency response plan to protect and restore agricultural livelihoods amid conflict

Sudan’s Al Burhan heads to Eritrea to shore up regional support

Ethiopian troops accused of mass killings of civilians in Amhara region
Shortage of Goods, Reduced Health Care Hit Ethiopia’s Volatile Amhara Region

Ethiopia Arrests 3 Journalists Under New State of Emergency

Ethiopia Set to Export 1.2 Million Quintal of Wheat Bumper Harvest

Sudan Political Parties Meet in Eritrea
Somaliland deploys more forces to Oog, announces military action against SSC-Khaatumo

Suspected drone strike kills five in central Somalia, local leaders say
Egypt angry as Ethiopia fills Nile dam reservoir amid water row

After riot, police said to order closure of Tel Aviv Eritrean churches over weekend

Får Eritrea-kritikk: Dette svarer han

Conflict and interests: Why Sudan’s external mediation is a barrier to peace

X: Martin Griffiths

Addressing Disposal of Somalia’s Charcoal Stockpiles, Security Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution 2696 (2023)

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