Situation in Sudan (per 30 May)

  • Hospitals in El Fasher are being hit by mortars and shelling, warns Médecins Sans Frontières. South Hospital in El Fasher was hit twice in the last days, killing and injuring patients. 
  • All three major medical facilities in El Fasher have been damaged by the continuous fighting, and one of those is no longer able to function. South Hospital has received over 1,000 patients since the fight over El Fasher began on 10 May. At least 123 civilians have been killed in the last two weeks.
  • The founding conference of the Civil Democratic Forces alliance (Taqadum) was held in Addis Ababa from 27 – 30 May. It is reported that former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was chosen as the head of the body.
  • The Sudanese government has declined the request by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to resume peace negotiations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council Malik Agar announced.
  • Agar stated that the Sudanese government will only resume peace talks with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) upon prior consultation and establishing of certain prerequisites.
  • Prices of basic food items, including millet, sorghum, and wheat, are rapidly rising in all locations where the prices were measured by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET).

Situation in Ethiopia (per 30 May)

  • Clashes in the Amhara region intensified last week, as fighting was reported in West Gojam, Awi, North and South Wello, North Shewa, and South, Central, and West Gondar zones. Fighting was reported from Lalibela.
  • Unidentified gunmen attacked a humanitarian convoy between Gondar and Metema on 24 May, killing a humanitarian worker and injuring several others.
  • The conflict in Amhara has disrupted the provision of healthcare and resupply of medicine, states the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
  • There is a renewed crackdown on civic space in Ethiopia, as security forces are harassing civil society organisations, detaining artists, and arbitrarily arresting journalists, warns the Center for the Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD). 
  • CARD calls on the Ethiopian government to lift the state of emergency, implement measures of accountability and uphold and protect civic space.

Situation in Somalia (per 30 May)

  • Death sentence executions in Somalia increased from 11 in 2022 to 38 in 2023, states Amnesty.
  • Clashes broke out between Al-Shabaab and Daesh in the Galgala mountains in Puntland. The fighting lasted for several hours. Both sides suffered deaths and injuries, but it is unclear how many, states the Shabelle Media Network.
  • Cholera outbreaks in Somalia have led to 10,000 reported cases and 120 deaths in seven states across Somalia since January.

International Situation (per 30 May)

  • An Eritrean pro-democracy asylum seeker was killed in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday night after a mass brawl with pro-regime Eritreans. Two others were seriously injured.
  • The murder occurred in the Tikva neighbourhood, at a bar where four others were injured last week, and the owner was murdered last month.
  • Regime supporters reportedly arrived at the bar with stones, iron rods and axes. Following the increased frequency of violence, asylum seekers in Israel are increasingly afraid for their lives.
  • 30 NGOs call for the extension of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Eritrea. 
  • The letter by the NGOs calls for a substantive resolution to extend the mandate, which “should clearly spell out and condemn the ongoing grave human rights violations committed by Eritrean authorities in a context of widespread impunity”.
  • Egypt’s foreign ministry has invited Sudanese civil society and political groups to a conference in late June with the aim of reaching consensus among Sudanese political and civil forces.
  • The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that any peace efforts in Egypt must recognise the current government in Sudan, preserve national institutions, and warned that it will reject any efforts to undermine these, in a response on Wednesday.
  • Ethiopia and Kuwait have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create a legal framework of rights and benefits for Ethiopian workers in Kuwait. 

Refugee and Migration Situation (per 30 May)

  • 15 EU member states, led by Denmark, have issued a joint call to the European Commission to develop a policy to outsource migration management and asylum. 
  • The countries call for “comprehensive, mutually beneficial and durable partnerships” with countries along migration routes, building on the deals with third countries such as Turkey and Tunisia, as well as bilateral deals such as the agreement between Italy and Albania.
  • The member states also call for a mechanism where asylum seekers could be removed from the EU to a “return hub mechanism” while they await return to their countries of origin; and sending asylum seekers to a “safe third country alternative” for processing asylum applications.
  • The EU pledged an additional 2 billion euros to support displaced Syrians, of which 560 million euros goes to support refugees and displaced persons in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan and a further 1 billion euros goes to Turkey.
  • 53,600 people have arrived via the Mediterranean Sea from Africa so far in 2024, states the UNHCR. At least 726 people are dead or missing at sea. The Central Mediterranean Route is the deadliest, with 409 people dead or missing.

Links of interest
Nowhere safe from violent fighting in El Fasher as hospitals are repeatedly hit

Tagadom launches awaited conference to end Sudan war

Sudan’s Agar refuses U.S. invitation to resume Jeddah talks

Sudan Price Bulletin, May 2024

Ethiopia: EPO Weekly Update (28 May 2024)

Ethiopia: Thousands of people unable to access healthcare services after upsurge in violence

Death Penalty 2023: Executions more than tripled in sub-Saharan Africa, as global executions soar to highest number in almost a decade

Somalia: Intense Clashes Erupt Between Al-Shabaab and Daesh in Eastern Puntland

US$2 Million Allocated for Urgent Response to Cholera Outbreak in Somalia

Egypt to host Sudanese civil and political groups to discuss ending war

Sudan issues conditions for Egyptian-led peace conference

Asylum Seeker Killed in Tel Aviv Brawl Between Supporters, Opponents of Eritrean Regime

Addis Standard on X

15 EU countries call for the outsourcing of migration and asylum policy

With few signs of Syria solution, EU pledges more support to refugees

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.