The European Union started this week with a Foreign Affairs Council centered on the relations between the EU and Africa. More specifically, the 28 EU foreign affairs ministers discussed the relations with the African Union and the future of this partnership, as well as the core issues on which this cooperation will focus.
In this week’s news highlights, the Dutch-Eritrean community and Dutch politicians are disturbed by an Eritrean conference with a high-level official in attendance, a report shows possible scenarios for Europe’s refugees and migrants, and IOM has disturbing reports on slave markets and extortion in Libya. In the Horn of Africa, Djibouti hosts many refugees and there are reports of child abduction in Ethiopia by a South Sudanese tribe. Furthermore, there are concerns about how EU aid is affecting Sudan’s “militia state”.
This week’s news highlights include the outcomes of the EU Foreign Affairs Council held in Luxembourg this Monday, an investigation showing little evidence of the allegations of NGO connections with human smugglers in the Mediterranean Sea and an update of the arrivals in EU. A new deal between Italy and Libya on the Libyan Southern border was reached. Eritrea was put under new sanctions by the United States while the flow of people fleeing the country towards South Sudan is increasing.