Situation in Sudan (per 12 February)

  • Humanitarian aid will not be allowed into areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), stated Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Sunday.
  • RSF leader Hemedti appealed to international organisations to bypass the Sudanese government and deliver aid to RSF-controlled areas; Al-Burhan states this will not happen until RSF has been driven out.
  • Over 700,000 children in Sudan are likely to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, of which 300,000 are currently not accessible for aid organisations, warns UNICEF. Without aid access, tens of thousands will likely die.
  • Spreading of the conflict into the Southeast of Sudan is accelerating the food assistance needs, states UN OCHA. The 2024 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan appeal is only 3.5 percent funded.
  • The UN Security Council raised concern over the escalating violence in the disputed region of Abyei, and condemned the attacks that resulted in the deaths of two UN peacekeepers on 27 and 28 January.
  • The flare-up of violence between Twic Dinka and Ngok Dinka in Abyei has killed at least 75 people, including three children, and displaced 2,200 in the last two weeks.
  • The shutdown of telecommunications services across Sudan was caused by a raid of the RSF on providers Zain, MTN Sudan, and Sudatel in Khartoum on 4 February, states Fikra for Studies and Development.
  • RSF reportedly directed engineers at gunpoint to shut down telecommunications across Sudan, as retribution for the SAF alleged instruction to cut off telecommunications in Darfur.

Situation in Ethiopia (per 12 February)

  • The Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives approved the appointment of Temesgen Tiruneh as Deputy Prime Minister, and Taye Atske Selassie, a former ambassador to the United Nations, as Foreign Minister.
  • Redwan Hussein is replacing Temesgen as head of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).
  • More witnesses of the massacre in Merawi, Amhara, on 29 January have given accounts of Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) soldiers executing civilians. Witnesses report seeing dozens of bodies lying in the streets.
  • Civilians were reportedly accused of being Fano fighters and shot ‘execution style’.
  • The US Embassy in Addis Ababa called for an investigation into the massacre.
  • Inhabitants of the Jara Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the North Wollo Zone of the Amhara region staged a protest after having received no aid for over two months.

Situation in Tigray (per 12 February)

  • A delegation led by Getachew Reda, President of the Tigray Interim Administration (TIA) and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) leaders held a meeting with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other Ethiopian government officials on Friday.
  • The meeting reportedly relates to an in-depth review by the federal government of progress since the inception of the TIA, post-conflict reconstruction and the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.
  • The Tigray Regional Agriculture Bureau states that 52% of the agricultural land in the Tigray region is occupied by Amhara and Eritrean forces, and only 37% of the planned grain harvest has been achieved.

Situation in Somalia (per 12 February)

  • A Somali soldier opened fire during a training by United Arab Emirates (UAE) soldiers for Somali forces, killing at least five people. UAE stated this included four UAE soldiers and one Bahraini officer.
  • Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Situation in South Sudan (per 12 February)

  • A humanitarian convoy escorted by United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) peacekeepers was attacked by armed men in Jonglei State on Friday. UN peacekeepers returned fire. There were no casualties.
  • 541,888 people have arrived in Renk, South Sudan, from Sudan since the start of the war in April 2023. The highest number of people arrived in December 2023.
  • 23,000 people are currently in the transit centre in Renk, built for 4,000 people. Diseases and malnutrition are on the rise amidst severe inadequacies in basic resources.

International Situation (per 12 February)

  • Turkey and Somalia signed the Defense and Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement which involves cooperation on terrorism and financial-military issues.
  • The 37th African Union (AU) Summit will take place in Addis Ababa on 17-18 February. The Summit will cover a range of topics, including peace and security.
  • African ministers of foreign affairs will meet ahead of the summit on 14-15 February.
  • A US delegation with among others Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee and Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Ambassador Mike Hammer will travel to Ethiopia between 12-17 February for the AU Summit.
  • Phee will also hold a discussion with Ethiopian officials relating to bilateral and regional issues.
  • The third Ethiopia-Rwanda Joint Ministerial Commission meeting is being held from 11 – 13 February in Addis Ababa. It is expected that several new cooperation agreements, including on military cooperation, trade and investment, will be signed.

Links of interest

Sudan’s Burhan rejects aid delivery to RSF-held areas

Sudan war leaves 700,000 children facing life-threatening malnutrition

Sudan Humanitarian Update (12 February 2024)

Security Council Press Statement on Peacekeeper Deaths in Abyei

South Sudan: At least 75 people killed including three children as violence surges in Abyei

Sudan: Complete Shutdown of Telecommunications Services in Sudan

Ethiopia intelligence head Temesgen approved as deputy prime minister

የትግራይ ክልል 52 በመቶ የእርሻ መሬቱ በአማራና በኤርትራ ኃይሎች መያዙን አስታወቀ

Dozens of civilians killed by Ethiopian state troops in Amhara region, say reports

News: Urgent humanitarian crisis unfolds at Jara IDP center in North Wollo Zone, leaving thousands without food aid for over two months                              

Tigray’s Performance Evaluation in Addis Ababa as Abiy meets Debretsion (officially?) for the first time since the war

At least five dead after soldier opens fire at military base in Mogadishu

South Sudan regrets attack on humanitarian convoy in Jonglei

Photos: Inside South Sudan’s worsening refugee crisis, in Renk and Maban

Turkey, Somalia sign defense deal in wake of Ethiopia-Somaliland agreement

Key AU summit in Addis Ababa to focus on most pressing issues facing Africa – The North Africa Post

Assistant Secretary Phee’s Travel to Ethiopia

Third Ethiopia-Rwanda Joint Ministerial Commission Meeting Started

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