News Highlights: Experts call for de-escalation of Tigray conflict, Nearly 1,000 refugees returned to Libya, UN calls for new resettlement system in the UK

In this week’s news highlights: Experts call for de-escalation of violence in Ethiopia as military offense starts against Tigray; 54 Amhara people killed in Oromia region of Ethiopia; Renewed relations between Sudan and Israel leaves refugees in fear of deportation; Increase in COVID-19 cases in the East and Horn of Africa; 1,000 refugees returned by Libyan coastguards within days; Statistical analysis on migrant vulnerability on the move in Libya; UN calls for new resettlement system in the UK after tragic family death; Two smugglers taken into custody for piloting boats across the Channel; 1,600 refugees arrive in Lampedusa and 300 await to disembark; Fires burn down tents in refugee centre on the island of Samos; Dutch Government leads a project for digital transition in Africa; Second COVID-19 wave puts women, children, and migrants in danger of human trafficking; 10 countries that receive the most refugees.

The EU and the Horn of Africa: Migration in the middle

“[I]t is a partnership of equals, where both sides share opportunities and responsibilities. Africa will be a key partner in building the world we want to live in – whether on climate, digital or trade,” stated President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen, during her speech at the State of The Union conference on Monday 16 September in front of the European Parliament. This is the guideline that the Commission means to take forward this year with regard to relations between the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU).

Difficulties within the EU-Africa relationship

The recent developments between the EU and Turkey have highlighted how easily migration partnerships, or ‘deals’, can lead to breakdown which can have far-reaching consequences. The decision to extend the post-cotonou agreement to allow extra time for negotiations and the recent working paper released by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) show the difficulties – especially on the issue of migration – in the relationship between two other partners, namely the European Union (EU) and the African Union.