News Highlights: Rising tension in Horn of Africa, Sudan closes border with Eritrea, Belgian authorities linked to Sudan torture

In this week’s news highlights: Rising tension in the Horn of Africa region; Sudan deploys thousands of troops; Sudanese ambassador in Egypt is called back; Eritrean President Afewerki meets with Egyptian counterpart; Human Rights Concern Eritrea writes to Italian politician about the mistaken identity case of Medhanie Berhe; Belgian migration office accused of deportation scandal to Sudan; Eritrean protest in Brussels draws large crowd; EU Southern States summit kicks off in Rome; and EU asylum reform going at a slow pace.

Rising tension in Horn of Africa region

In the initial weeks of 2018, the Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir announced the closure of the border with Eritrea which was was followed by the deployment of militia forces to the bordering regions. The reason for the border closing has not officially been made clear and Sudan has denied tension between the two countries. This manoeuvre comes just after the declaration of a six-month state of emergency in the Sudanese regions of Kassala and North Kordofan. The official motivation given for the state of emergency  was the Sudanese campaign against the trafficking of human beings, weapons, and drugs and in those border regions.

News Highlights: EU engagement Eritrea failing, leaked document EU-Ethiopia repatriation, EP resolution Sudan

In this week’s news highlights: EU attempts at engagement with Eritrea “producing little[…] in terms of tangible results”; concern over 700 people that may soon be deported from the United States to Eritrea; Ethiopia and EU may soon sign a deal on repatriation, according to leaked draft document; EU-AU summit ends without agreement on forced returns statement; European Commission sets out key points for combatting human trafficking; EU Parliament adopted a resolution on freedom of expression in Sudan; Amnesty International press release on Libya; and some German pilots refuse to repatriate Afghan people.