BRUSSELS | 24 August 2026 (IDN | EEPA) — The following are the situation reports on Sudan, Ethiopia, Flash floods in Sudan, Ethiopia’s national dialogue concludes talks and Sharp rise of child-malnutrition in Somalia.
Situation in Sudan (per 24 August)
- Forces allied with Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) claimed to have defeated a Rapid Support Forces (RSF) convoy in the desert near the Libyan and Darfur borders, capturing vehicles, fuel and drone equipment. The claims have not been independently verified yet.
- The operation was described as an attempt to disrupt supply routes allegedly used to smuggle weapons and fuel from Libya, claiming that dozens of RSF fighters were detained.
- Flash floods in South Kordofan and North Darfur have displaced 63 families and damaged or destroyed 130 homes, according to the International Organisation for Migration. Many of those affected are sheltering in temporary open-air locations.
- 68 civil society organisations urged the UN Human Rights Council to renew Sudan’s independent fact-finding mission, arguing that the mission remains essential for documenting abuses, preserving evidence and identifying those responsible for possible international crimes.
- Sudanese civilian and political groups have rejected Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s proposed national dialogue after meeting in Addis Ababa over the weekend, arguing that a process organised under military control would legitimise only one side.
- Displaced Sudanese families living outside official camps are facing escalating poverty, with limited access to food, clean water, healthcare, education and reliable income. Women, children and vulnerable populations are particularly exposed amid a weakened healthcare system and lack of aid.
- Delayed, below-average rainfall linked to El Niño has sharply reduced Nile water levels, leaving farming fields dry, and crops abandoned, making Sudan’s farmers facing an exceptionally difficult growing season with much of the country’s arable land unused.
- The UN Security Council (UN SC) will convene a briefing on 24 August to examine civilian protection and the humanitarian impact of Sudan’s ongoing war, including attacks on healthcare and the conflict’s disproportionate effects on women.
- Members of the UN SCare expected to be briefed by Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Tom Fletcher, Peacebuilding Affairs and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.
Situation in Ethiopia (per 24 August)
- At least 13 casualties were reported in relation to drone strikes that hit Mekelle, Tigray region, last week, with victims being treated in the Ayder Specialized Hospital.
- Ethiopia’s national dialogue conference has been concluded after 40-days of discussions involving about 4,000 delegates from across the country and diaspora.
- Although the government presented the process as a success, opposition participants criticised its handling of divisive issues, especially Addis Ababa’s constitutional status. Critics also previously argued the dialogue is an effort to legitimize the agenda of the ruling Prosperity Party.
- The general assembly of the national dialogue had to be postponed after Oromia representatives objected to how the status of Addis Ababa was being addressed.
- The delegates demanded a constitutional acknowledgement of the capital as Oromia’s seat and threatened to leave unless the issue was included.
- The Tigray Communication Affairs Bureau urged for immediate international diplomacy to prevent escalating tensions with Ethiopia’s federal government from developing into war. The statement came in the aftermath of recent drone strikes on Mekelle.
- Celebration of an annual cultural and religious Ashenda festival which was supposed to take place at a stadium in Mekelle on Saturday was cancelled in fear of further drone strikes.
International and regional situation (per 24 August)
- Sudan’s Defence Ministry said its forces intercepted a drone over Blue Nile state near the border town of Kurmuk, alleging it entered the country from Ethiopia. Ethiopian authorities have not responded to the accusations yet.
- Somali pirates have reportedly seized the Eritrean-flagged tanker M.T. Sibu 1 off Yemen and took it towards the Puntland coast, marking it the sixth piracy attack on the Gulf of Aden since April this year.
- The vessel was carrying 20 crew members and had previously been sanctioned by the United States over alleged links to an Iranian oil-smuggling network.
- Somalia is experiencing a sharp rise in life-threatening child malnutrition after international aid reductions forced more than 200 health and nutrition facilities to close. The number of children admitted to the stabilisation centres in Somalia rose by 32%, reports UNICEF.
- Drought, displacement, food shortages and soaring water costs are worsening conditions, with nearly 1.9 million children expected to face malnutrition in Somalia this year.
- Canadian mining company Allied Gold has sold a 9.2% stake in its mining assets to China’s Zijin Gold International for nearly $300 million, including rights to the Kurmuk concession in Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia.
- The deal brings Chinese and Emirati interests together in a conflict-affected area near Sudan and Ethiopia border, raising concerns about possible links to the RSF and the use of gold mining revenues to support armed groups.
- South Sudanese President Salva Kiir is meeting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during the state visit in South Africa to discuss the peace process and address growing tensions before South Sudan’s elections scheduled for December.
- Around 10,000 people from Kenya and Uganda have travelled to Cheporor in West Pokot, Kenya, after reports of a potentially significant gold discovery.
- The influx has created hundreds of new businesses but is also placing severe pressure on the village’s water, sanitation and other basic services.
Links of interest
Sudanese joint force says it destroyed RSF convoy near Libyan border
Flash floods displace 63 families, damage dozens of homes in Sudan
Sudanese Powers Reject Burhan’s Call for National Dialogue
Displaced Sudanese outside camps face mounting health and economic crises
Sudan farms lie barren as El Nino leaves Nile banks dry
Sudan: ICJ joins call to extend UN Fact-Finding Mission and strengthen accountability
News: Drone strikes in two locations in Mekelle, 13 casualties received at Ayder Hospital
Ethiopia’s National Dialogue Concludes Amid Success Claims and Opposition Concerns
National Dialogue Postponed Amid Oromia Dispute Over Addis Ababa
News: Tigray region authority urges urgent diplomatic intervention amid escalating attacks
Ethiopia’s Virgin Mary festival in Tigray cancelled over drone strike fears
Sudan says it downed ‘hostile’ drone near Ethiopian border
Somali pirates hijack oil tanker off Yemen in latest attack
Somalia: Humanitarian aid cuts leave millions of children vulnerable to hunger
UAE-backed Chinese company acquires stake in Ethiopian gold mine near Sudan war zone
South Sudan President in SA for peace talks with Ramaphosa
EU criticises peace deal changes as South Sudan faces delayed constitutional ambitions
Thousands flock to a village in Kenya in search of gold
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