EEPA Fact Sheet, Horn of Africa, No. 567, 15 August 2024 – Martin Plaut

No. 567, August 15, 2024

Sudan situation (August 15)

• The first day of Sudanese peace talks in Switzerland ended on Wednesday. Neither the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) nor the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) sent representatives to the talks, although the RSF had confirmed before the talks that it would take part in the talks and travel to Switzerland.
• The United States, a supporter, said it would continue negotiations despite its absence.
• Diplomats from the United Nations, the African Union, as well as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and other countries attended the talks.
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says floods in Sudan have killed at least 75 people and displaced more than 30,000.
• Darfur is the region worst affected by the floods, with the majority of displaced people living in North Darfur. The floods destroyed vital infrastructure and homes, making it more difficult to access aid and health services.
• Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said at least 15 people had been killed and 130 injured in El Fasher, North Darfur, since Saturday. Fighting has intensified and is expected to escalate further in the coming days.
• The Saudi hospital was attacked for the 11th time, damaging the surgical ward and maternity ward, killing a patient’s attendant and injuring five others. The hospital is the last one still operating in the city and is only partially operational.
• Sudan’s sovereign council said it would open the Adre border crossing between Sudan and Chad for three months to allow aid to pass through.
• The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, which controls parts of the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile state, said 20 percent of households were facing severe food shortages and declared famine in an Arabic-language statement.

Situation in South Sudan (15 August)

• The South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) and the Sudanese government met in Rome for the first time in months from 12 to 14 August to discuss the Toumani Initiative aimed at resolving the conflict in South Sudan.

The situation in Ethiopia (August 15)

• The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement thanking Turkey for hosting talks between Somalia and Ethiopia on tensions arising from the Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime Access signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland.
• The statement stressed Ethiopia’s “legitimate interests and its quest to secure reliable access to the sea in a peaceful manner.”
• The statement also said Ethiopia looked forward to “a more fruitful third round of talks with Somalia,” which would be held on September 17.
• Somaliland, meanwhile, has criticised Turkey’s mediation efforts and said it would go ahead with a plan to lease some of its land to Ethiopia for access to the sea.
• An Ethiopian aid worker has been killed after he was kidnapped and held for ransom by an unidentified group in Dawent Woreda, North Welo district, Amhara region, the United Nations said.
• Yared Melese was kidnapped on July 22 and confirmed dead on August 9. He was the eighth aid worker killed in Ethiopia this year.

Situation in Tigray (August 15)

• The National Steering Committee established to resolve the Tigray-Amhara dispute announced its intention to hold local government elections in the western and southern regions of Tigray.
• The announcement came as the commission said significant progress had been made in repatriating displaced persons to the Raya and Tselemti regions.
• The commission said the local government elections will be held under the coordination of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), with the assistance of leaders appointed by the Ethiopian government and with the full participation of the people.

International Situation (August 15)

• Nicholas Haysom, the UN special envoy to South Sudan, warned that “South Sudan faces a perfect storm of humanitarian and economic prospects” caused by food shortages, a rapidly deteriorating economy, domestic political instability and the spillover of conflict from Sudan.
• Haysom urged the South Sudanese government to prioritize paying public sector wages and providing social security and basic services.
• Haysom said it was difficult to set December 22 as the final date for South Sudan’s elections due to ongoing tensions during the electoral process and consultations among political stakeholders.
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that “our food security experts’ mid-year forecasts show that floods combined with conflict could lead to famine between June 2024 and January 2025.”
• Flooding could affect up to 3.3 million people during the peak flood season in September-October.

Refugee and Migrant Status (as of August 15)

• Hundreds of Eritreans protested in The Hague, Netherlands, on Monday against the enduring influence of the Eritrean regime.
• The International Rescue Committee (IRC) says the situation of nearly 100,000 Sudanese refugees who have fled to Libya is dire and their humanitarian needs are increasing.
• UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has published a brief to help municipalities hosting refugees and develop integration and inclusion strategies.
• Germany’s interior minister has announced his intention to extend border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland in an effort to stem illegal immigration. The original deadline was December 15, 2024.

Links of interest

Sudan peace talks end first day without army
Floods: People and areas affected
Heavy rains in Sudan’s Darfur exacerbate ‘one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises’
Sudan: El Fasher’s last hospital at risk of closure as city is bombed
Sudan to open Adre border crossing for three months to deliver aid
Sudan’s SPLM-North rebels declare famine in their territory
South Sudan government and South Sudan Aid Association hold first meeting in months, agree to political dialogue
Somaliland rejects Turkey’s efforts to end Somalia-Ethiopia rift
UN says kidnapped Ethiopian aid worker killed
News: Steering Committee pushes for local elections after “successful” repatriation of IDPs in Western and Southern Tigray
Statement to the Security Council by Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS (14 August 2024)
Hundreds of Eritreans demonstrate during unrest in The Hague
Libya: Iranian rescue committee launches emergency aid operation for nearly 100,000 Sudanese refugees
UNHCR launches new publication for European cities to galvanize existing refugee inclusion and integration efforts
German Interior Minister announces intention to extend border controls

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