BRUSSELS | 12 November 2026 (IDN | EEPA) — The following are the situation reports on the migration and refugee situation, the situation in Ethiopia, the situation in Sudan, the regional and international situation, Kenya’s high court rules on refugees right to work, 65 people killed in Benishangul-Gumuz, ENDF fires artillery near Badme
Migration and refugee situation (per 12 November)
- Kenya’s High Court has ruled that administrative obstacles preventing refugees from securing work permits are unconstitutional and discriminatory. The court ordered the immigration department to reform the process so refugees can apply for permits fairly and access formal employment.
- Eritreans with temporary admission status in Switzerland no longer need to visit their embassy to obtain documents from their home country when applying for a long-term residence permit, based on a new federal reform.
- At least 139 people died and 84 went missing when a boat sank off the coast of Djibouti on 11 November. The passengers were mostly Ethiopians and were trying to reach Yemen.
- At least 22 migrants died in two shipwrecks off the coast of Crete. 28 Sudanese refugees were rescued during the first incident, while 18 people survived the second.
- Finland suspended humanitarian aid projects in Somalia, amounting to about €4 million, citing insufficient cooperation on the return of migrants.
- Around 2,510 people fled five villages in the Um Baru locality of Sudan’s North Darfur state, the majority of whom crossed into Chad in October due to the area’s unstable situation. Additionally, 115 people fled Al-Farshaya village in South Kordofan’s Dilling locality on 7 November.
- More than one million Sudanese refugees in Egypt are facing a precarious legal situation because of restrictive entry and residency policies on top of poverty, violence and a serious risk of deportation.
- Yemen’s Coast Guard intercepted a boat carrying 180 African migrants, most of whom were women, in the western Gulf of Aden, while four individuals were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.
Situation in Ethiopia (per 12 November)
- The Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) fired heavy artillery toward Hadish Mender, located near Badme, along the disputed territories between Eritrea and Ethiopia. This was done in response to alleged intelligence surveillance carried out by Eritrea in Sembel, near Badme.
- Heavy clashes are ongoing around Rama and Sheraro in Tigray. Internal sources indicate that most of the casualties are among combatants, not civilians, though the exact numbers are not known.
- Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces and ENDF clashed in Adi-Klte Tabia in Lailay Adiyabo woreda of Northwestern Tigray zone on 10 November.
- Over 65 people, including at least 27 civilians, were killed in an armed attack in Dalati, Assosa Zone, in the Benishangul-Gumuz region. Residents said the violence continued for nearly two days on 5 and 6 November and that federal forces did not intervene during the fighting.
- A regional police commissioner accused the armed group Oromo Liberation Front-Shene of the attack.
- Allied Gold, a Canadian mining company, has produced its first gold in Kurmuk mine, as it aims to move towards commercial production. The company expects to finish the remaining infrastructure and reach full capacity in early 2027.
Situation in Sudan (per 12 November)
- Nine civilians were killed and several others were injured in a drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the village of Bani Shako, Kurmuk county, in the Blue Nile region on 10 November.
- The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced to have shot down two Chinese drones operated by the RSF in West Kordofan and East Darfur on 11 November.
- Yasir Arman, a Sudanese political leader, accused the rival military groups of hiding growing famine in the country caused by damaged farms, city blockades and attacks on water and power stations.
- Sudanese teachers from Khartoum state and other states entered their third week of strikes over low wages and war-damaged schools on 9 November.
Regional and international situation (per 12 November)
- South Sudanese authorities and the UN peacekeeping mission (UNMISS) failed to act on warnings of an imminent attack before more than 200 people were killed by Nuer fighters in Abiemnom village on 1 March 2026, according to a new report by Amnesty International.
- Getachew K. Reda, Ethiopian Prime Minister’s advisor on the Horn of Africa, accused both Eritrean President, Isaias Afwerki, and SAF chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, of arming insurgents and coordinating drone attacks against Ethiopia, during his meeting with UN Special Envoy Guang Cong on 11 November.
- Judges in the court case of an alleged human smuggler Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam approved a list of witnesses who are going to be investigated in the coming year. Some witnesses proposed by the Dutch public prosecutor have been rejected while two witnesses have been admitted conditionally.
- The next pro-forma hearing is scheduled for 19 January 2027, at 10am, in Zwolle, The Netherlands.
- Five US democratic senators sent a second letter to the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for immediate democratic action to stop fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray, Amhara, and Oromia regions and to prevent tensions with Eritrea from becoming a wider regional war.
- Sudanese women from diverse backgrounds took part in a consultation hosted by the Quintet (AU, IGAD, League of Arab States, EU, and UN) in Nairobi.
- China’s foreign minister announced that three special envoys will conduct diplomatic visits across the Horn of Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, including Ethiopia, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia during November. The mission aims to promote peace talks amid escalating tension.
- Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded an explanation from Somalia after nine members of its official delegation went missing in Pristina on 27 October. Their whereabouts are unknown.
- This incident sparked visa fraud allegations which remain to be unverified, though two accused federal ministers have reportedly been dismissed in connection with the affair.
Links of interest
High Court upholds refugees’ right to formal employment in Kenya
Controversial federal reform: Eritreans should be able to obtain a B permit more easily.
Djibouti shipwreck: Death toll rises to 139 as 84 remain missing
Shipwrecks off Senegal and Crete Kill at Least 56 Migrants
Finland freezes aid projects to Somalia due to lack of cooperation on migrant returns
Yemeni Coast Guard Foils Smuggling Attempt of 180 African Migrants in Gulf of Aden
Over 2,500 flee villages in Sudan’s North Darfur state as insecurity worsens: IOM
Sudanese refugees in Egypt: caught between war, borders and European money
News: More than 65 killed in armed attack in Benishangul-Gumuz’s Assosa Zone, residents say
Allied Gold pours first gold at Ethiopia’s Kurmuk Mine
RSF drones kill nine civilians in Blue Nile region, official says
Sudan army shoots down two RSF drones in Kordofan and Darfur
Sudan warring parties concealing imminent famine, political leader says
Sudan teachers go on strike over meagre salaries and dilapidated schools
South Sudan: Authorities, UN must investigate failure to protect victims of Abiemnom massacre
News: Ethiopia tells UN envoy Eritrea, Sudan backing armed groups and drone attacks
News: U.S. senators send second letter to Rubio urging action to avert widening conflict in Ethiopia
Sudanese women share priorities for the country’s political future in Quintet consultation
Chinese special envoys to visit Middle East, Africa to promote talks, ease tensions
Kosovo raises concern over nine missing Somali delegation members amid visa scandal
Europe External Programme with Africa is a Belgium-based Centre of Expertise with in-depth knowledge, publications, and networks, specialised in issues of peacebuilding, refugee protection, and resilience in the Horn of Africa. EEPA has published extensively on issues related to the movement and/or human trafficking of refugees in the Horn of Africa and on the Central Mediterranean Route. It cooperates with a wide network of universities, research organisations, civil society, and experts from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and across Africa. The Situation Reports can be found here. To receive the situation report in your e-mail, click here. You can unsubscribe at any moment through the link at the bottom of each e-mail.
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