Horn Highlights: Foundation announces legal action on Eritrea, Witnesses say Amhara forces are hiding atrocity evidence, Prisoners tortured in Sudan

In this week’s Horn Highlights: Foundation announces legal action on Eritrea in 10 May press conference; Amhara security forces hiding evidence of ethnic cleansing, say witnesses; Aid flow to Tigray remains trickle; CPJ calls for the release of journalists in Ethiopia who could face death penalty; UN’s Bachelet condemns religious violence in Ethiopia; Civilian casualties in Oromia; Eritrea-Tigray rivalry role in famine; Analysts warn resumption of Ethiopia conflict imminent; Rock-hewn churches at risk; Tigrayans call for release of prisoners; GERD cyberattack; Lawyers accuse Sudanese authorities of torturing prisoners; Sudan opposition group refuses to participate in UN-led dialogue; Eritrean Press Agency claims Russia sent drones to Eritrea in exchange for naval base; Eritrean asylum seeker challenges Swiss return of Eritreans with torture story; Somalia set to elect president of 15 May; and Pope to visit South Sudan in July. 

Ecological and political factors are stacking the deck against the population in Ethiopia amidst severe drought

On 19 April, the World Food Program announced that the number of people pushed to hunger by the severe drought in the Horn of Africa could rise from the current 14 million to 20 million by the end of the year. This is the latest in a long list of warnings from various international organisations that have been drawing attention to the agropastoral and food crises caused by this drought  since 2020. But contrary to the 2016-2017 drought in the Horn, sufficient measures have not been put in place upstream, organisations warn. Although the whole region faces alarming consequences, with for example half a million already starving people in Kenya, Ethiopia is currently the most affected country with more than 7 million people already affected by famine. This is due to various climatic, but also political circumstances.

News Highlights: Millions face humanitarian crisis in the Horn, Hundreds forcibly returned to Libya, UK pushback plan abandoned

In this week’s News Highlights: UN warns of humanitarian catastrophe in the Horn of Africa; Tigray forces say they have withdrawn from the Afar region; ‘Collapse’ of the health system in Tigray; Twenty muslim worshippers killed in clash in Ethiopia; UN pushed towards the exit door of Sudan; UN warns against escalation in Darfur; 171 migrants and refugees rescued, hundreds more forcibly returned to Libya; 17 migrants and refugees found dead off Tunisian coast, several others still missing; New European plan to facilitate legal immigration; Pushback plan in the Channel from the UK abandoned for legal reasons; EU questions ecological aspects of the anti-migrant wall between Poland and Belarus; Bulgarian human trafficking network targeted in France.