Situation in Sudan (per 2 November)

  • Rapid Support Forces (RSF) captured Balila airport and some parts of the Balila oilfield in West Kordofan after launching an attack on this area on Monday. RSF stated they have taken over the strategic area.
  • Balila airport is of strategic importance to RSF as it provides an opportunity for arms and supply delivery in addition to Nyala airport, which was captured by RSF back in April.
  • Balila oilfield workers were alerted through warnings circulated on Saturday that an attack of RSF affiliated forces was imminent, and were evacuated to El Fula military base.
  • Efforts are being made to restore the work on the oilfields, confirmed Minister of Energy and Oil, Mohamed Abdullah Mahmoud, before he was released from duties on Wednesday.
  • Fierce fights between RSF and Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) near El Fasher, North Darfur, on Tuesday caused civilian casualties and destruction of homes.
  • The governor of North Darfur, Nimr Abdel Rahman, called on RSF and SAF to allow for a safe evacuation of civilians to prevent any further deaths and appealed to citizens to avoid places where warring parties are present.
  • Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chair of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, appointed 5 new ministers, partially restructuring the Sudanese cabinet.
  • Previous ministers were released from their duties on Wednesday. The changes include the ministries of energy, transport, trade, livestock and labour.
  • Disease outbreaks, including cholera, measles, dengue and malaria, as well as severe malnutrition, is on the rise as “[t]he health system in Sudan is stretched to breaking point”, warned Ni’ma Saeed Abid, WHO representative in Sudan, on Tuesday.
  • RSF released 64 detainees of SAF who were transported from Khartoum to Wad Madani, said the International Committee of the Red Cross which facilitated the release and carried out the neutral intermediary role.

Situation in Ethiopia (per 2 November)

  • Due to ongoing violence in the Amhara region, at least 200 victims of rape have been registered at different health facilities, and multiple civilian deaths have been documented in October 2023, said the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in its new report.
  • The EHRC raised concern over multiple reports of extrajudicial killing of civilians by government security forces between September and October 2023.
  • Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Western Oromia are facing a critical humanitarian situation due to lack of aid and ongoing insecurity posed by the conflict between the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and governmental forces.
  • There are an estimated 1.4 million IDPs across the Oromia region, according to an assessment by a humanitarian organisation obtained by Addis Standard. There are many reports of IDPs who have been forcefully returned from IDP camps to their homes without any assistance or assurance for their safety.

Situation in Tigray (per 2 November)

  • Today marks the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) Agreement in Pretoria.
  • Despite the silencing of guns, “the warring parties have continued to commit human rights abuses in Tigray”, says Human Rights Watch (HRW).
  • Eritrean forces have been continuously present in several areas of Tigray, perpetrating killings, sexual violence and obstructing humanitarian assistance to be delivered to civilians in need.  Furthermore, Amhara regional forces have continued expelling Tigrayans from disputed areas, added HRW.
  • “Governments supporting Ethiopia’s fragile truce cannot afford to look away as crises in Ethiopia mount,” said Laetitia Bader, HRW deputy Africa director.
  • Facebook social media platform, owned by Meta, has been accused of contributing towards human rights violations carried out during the two-year Tigray war, through their “content-shaping algorithms and data-hungry business model”, according to an Amnesty International report.
  • A lot of content published through Facebook, which is Ethiopia’s most widely used social media platform, has been instigating hatred, violence and discrimination against the Tigrayan community.
  • According to the report, the violent content was published by various actors including government officials, government-affiliated activists, and government-aligned media.
  • Despite multiple attempts to raise awareness about the issue, “Meta failed to adequately mitigate the human rights risks of its operations in Ethiopia”, states the report.
  • Tigray ex-combatants are facing a lack of medical attention, low resources for proper rehabilitation, and feel they are “forgotten” by the Tigray Interim Administration, said Addis Standard.

Regional Situation (per 2 November)

  • The mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) has been extended by unanimous adoption of the resolution at the UN Security Council on Tuesday.
  • The role of the UNSOM lies in supporting national reconciliation, and providing strategic and policy advice on various aspects of peacebuilding and state-building.

International Situation (per 2 November)

  • On the one-year anniversary of signing the CoH agreement, 10 country embassies in Addis Ababa called on Ethiopia to promote peace in the country through constructive dialogue. While applauding the progress made, a joint statement urged for full implementation of the agreement as soon as possible.
  • Similarly, the EU expressed concerns over ongoing conflicts in Ethiopia, imposing the recent state of emergency and human rights violations.
  • “We call again for the protection of civilians, cessation of hostilities and a start of political settlements, as well as an inclusive dialogue”, said the statement by the EU High Representative for foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell.

Links of interest

Sudan oilfield workers narrowly avoid RSF attack

السودان: تحركات مكثفة لإعادة تشغيل حقول نفط سيطرت عليها قوات الدعم السريع

North Darfur governor calls to allow civilians to evacuate potential conflict zones

Sudan’s al-Burhan announces limited cabinet reshuffle

Disease Outbreaks Rise in Sudan as Health System Breaks Down

Sudan: ICRC facilitates release of 64 detainees

Conflict in Ethiopia’s Amhara kills dozens, rights body says

አማራ ክልል:- ለወራት የቀጠለው የትጥቅ ግጭት ዐውድ እና አሉታዊ የሰብአዊ መብቶች እንድምታው

In-depth: IDPs in Western Oromia suffer from lack of aid, forced returns amid volatile security

Ethiopia: Atrocities Mar Ceasefire Anniversary

Ethiopia: ‘A death sentence for my father’: Meta’s contribution to human rights abuses in northern Ethiopia

Feature: A year after Pretoria peace agreement, challenges persist in rehabilitation of Tigray’s ex-fighters

Security Council Extends Mandate of United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia

Joint statement on the one-year anniversary of the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement

Ethiopia: Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell to mark one year of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement

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.