Situation in Ethiopia (per 9 April)

  • Ethiopian police arrested Yetbarek Dawit in Shire, Tigray region, accused of running a multi-million-dollar human trafficking network since 2018, along with nine alleged accomplices, following a cross-border investigation.
  • The network allegedly operated five detention warehouses in Libya where victims were tortured and forced to call their relatives to pay ransom. According to witness statements, the network is responsible for  over 100 deaths and the sexual abuse of more than 50 women.
  • Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed extended the mandate of the President of Tigray Interim Regional Administration General Tadesse Werede by one year, coming to an effect as of 9 April.
  • Tadesse Werede met the PM Abiy ahead of the renewal of his mandate in Addis Ababa, presenting a report on the regional progress over the past year. The details of the progress report are not known.
  • Ethiopian opposition party Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP) called for nationwide peaceful protests on 8 May in major cities such as Addis Ababa, Mekelle, and Bahir Dar, alleging that the ruling Prosperity Party is staging a “pseudo-election” without democratic prerequisites.
  • The EPRP party also condemned the arrest of a Dire Dawa City Council candidate, Wondwosen Kidane, who was allegedly detained for distributing conflict-inciting content on social media.

Situation in Sudan (per 9 April)

  • A drone attack reportedly carried out by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted Al‑Jabalain hospital in White Nile state during a children’s immunisation campaign on 2 April, resulting in at least 10 deaths, of which seven were medical staff members.
  • The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) recaptured the town of Al-Tukma and managed to reach Dilling, South Kordofan, reopening the route between South and North Kordofan and linking previously isolated areas.
  • SAF and its allied forces are arbitrarily detaining, torturing, and abusing civilians accused of collaborating with the RSF and rival factions in areas under the SAF control, said Human Rights Watch.
  • Sudanese authorities temporarily closed an area in eastern Khartoum to search for unexploded ordnance after a buried shell detonated when residents burned trash over it in a residential block.
  • Dozens of protesters demonstrated against persistent power outages in Abri town, Northern State, on Wednesday, blocking the main highway between Sudan and Egypt.
  • An alarming increase in targeted attacks on aid convoys and humanitarian operations has been reported by Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese legal monitoring group, since the outbreak of war in 2023.

Situation in South Sudan (per 9 April)

  • Thousands of South Sudanese joined a Good Friday peace march through Juba, with religious leaders, including the auxiliary bishop of Juba, urging for an end to fighting as the UN warned the country is at a “critical juncture”.
  • South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir sacked parliament Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba and her deputy, Permena Awerial Aluong, following accusations by ruling party caucus members that Kumba mismanaged parliamentary funds, appointing Joseph Ngere Paciko and Abuk Paiti Ayiik as replacements.

International and Regional situation (per 9 April)

  • The UN reopened its headquarters in Khartoum after three years of suspension, alongside the resumption of activities by the United Nations Development Programme.
  • According to the World Food Programme (WFP) the number of people receiving emergency food assistance in Somalia will decrease from 1.1 million in August to 350,000 in November due to “critical funding shortfalls”.
  • The US State Department renewed its travel advisory for Ethiopia on 1 April, urging citizens to reconsider their travel plans “due to unrest, crime, kidnapping, terrorism, landmines, communications disruptions, and exit bans” across several Ethiopian regions.

Refugee and Migration Situation (per 9 April)

  • Millions of displaced people across Sudan and in neighbouring countries face extreme hunger, repeated displacement, and collapsing livelihoods as resources and solidarity run out, according to a Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) survey.
  • Approximately 1,725 people fled Geisan towards El Roseires, in Sudan’s Blue Nile State, on Monday amid renewed clashes between the SAF and RSF, reported the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
  • At least 990 people have died crossing the Mediterranean Sea in 2026, with deaths in the Central Mediterranean alone increasing by 150% compared to the same period in 2025, reports the IOM.
  • A recent series of shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea caused that over 180 people are feared dead or missing, including a capsizing boat off Libya coast causing death of over 80 and two separate incidents near Lampedusa killing 19.
  • Thousands of Sudanese refugees in Chad’s Wadi‑Fira province are living in dire conditions, with many in overcrowded, makeshift camps like Goudrane with insufficient shelter, sanitation, and healthcare.
  • UNHCR and WFP warn that over a million Sudanese refugees in Chad face several cuts to food, water, shelter, protection and healthcare unless the $428 million funding gap is closed, as the conflict in Sudan nears its third year.

Links of interest

Strike on Al‑Jabalain hospital results in 10 fatalities, including seven medical staff

The army breaks the siege of Dilling and regains control of the town of Al-Tukma

Sudan: Arbitrary Detention by Army, Security Forces

Sudan legal group warns of systemic attacks on aid and drone strikes

Sudan authorities close part of Khartoum after shell explosion

Sudanese protesters block highway to Egypt over power cuts

Ringleader of suspected human trafficking network arrested in Ethiopia

Ethiopia renews tenure of Tigray regional leader | Africanews

EPRP calls for nationwide protest on May 8 amid concerns over electoral conditions – Addis Standard

South Sudanese Christians hold Good Friday march for peace | Africanews

South Sudan’s Kiir sacks parliament speaker and deputy | Reuters

UN reopens Khartoum headquarters after nearly 3 years

U.N. food agency to suspend food aid for 750,000 people in Somalia

Travel Advisory: Ethiopia – April 2026

Sudan war refugees pushed into hunger as livelihoods collapse across the region

Sudan displacement surges as Blue Nile clashes compounds suffering

Over 180 Feared Dead as Mediterranean Death Toll Nears 1,000 in 2026 | International Organization for Migration

 Chad: emergency shelters for Sudanese refugees in Goudrane camp

 Funding shortfalls put lifelines at risk for Sudanese refugees in Chad

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.