BRUSSELS | 16 July 2026 (IDN | EEPA) — The following are the situation reports on Sudan, Ethiopia, Company operating RSF supply aircraft linked to US and migrant boat capsizes in the Mediterranean.
Situation in Sudan (per 16 July)
- Military sites and an electricity substation in Al-Dabbah, in Northern State, were targeted by a drone suspectedly launched by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), resulting in a power outage in Al-Dabbah.
- The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) shot down a Chinese-made drone near El Obeid, North Kordofan.
- The RSF have responded to the US peace proposal, agreeing to a three-month truce to facilitate the delivery of aid supervised by the United Nations, while rejecting the demand to withdraw from captured territories.
- The RSF have also demanded for a restructuring of the Sudanese national military to include better regional representation, as well as a restructuring of state security institutions.
- The number of cholera cases in West and North Kordofan States have risen to 1,547, according to the Ministry of Health.
- Khartoum is facing a severe drinking water shortage in the neighbourhoods and villages of South Omdurman due to a drop in the water levels of the Nile.
- It is estimated that 22-23 million people will be in need of humanitarian food assistance in September, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, with a risk of famine in seven areas of northwestern and central North Darfur, Dilling, Kadugli, and nearby rural areas of South Kordofan.
- The G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union have issued a joint statement urging for a cease-fire in El Obeid.
Situation in Ethiopia (per 16 July)
- Security forces reportedly blocked the former Tigray Interim Regional Administration President, Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede, from attending a meeting with the United States Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ervin J. Massinga during his visit to Tigray on 15 July.
- Ethiopia’s National Dialogue Conference opened in Addis Ababa with over 4,000 participants, aiming to use a month-long platform to address key issues that are a source of divide for the country. Opposition groups criticised the process as not inclusive, credible, or sufficiently focused on ending ongoing wars.
- PM Abiy Ahmed stated in his opening speech that the discussions could potentially lead to constitutional changes.
- Three Orthodox Christians were killed in separate attacks, in Asako district of East Arsi, Oromia region. Witnesses describe unprovoked shootings in people’s homes and widespread panic that has driven some families to flee their houses for relatives or nearby towns.
- Sexual violence against female soldies within the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) was widespread during the 2020-2022 war, but systematically underreported and neglected to preserve the image and “unity” of the TDF, reports The New Humanitarian.
International and regional situation (per 16 July)
- Companies owned by a longtime US government and military contractor operated several airplanes that linked regional supply routes to the stronghold of the RSF, according to an investigation by Reuters.
- A Kremlin-controlled paramilitary group, Africa Corps, is committing war crimes in the Sahel region, according to a report by the Sentry. The war crimes include rape, torture, beheadings, mutilations, and summary executions.
- Around 250,000 people have been affected by severe drought conditions in Somalia, while 570,000 people require immediate water assistance and an estimated 6 million people across the country are facing critical levels of food insecurity.
- The Sudanese Foreign Ministry criticised the decisions by South Sudan’s National Elections Commission to include the Abyei Administrative Area in its electoral districts, calling it a violation of the Abyei Area agreement stipulating that Abyei remains under Sudanese sovereignty until an agreement is reached.
- The Council of the European Union has banned the purchase, transport, or import of gold originating from Sudan, as well as the sale, supply, transfer or export of mercury and cyanide to Sudan. The EU stated that the ban was meant to restrict the primary revenues used for funding the war.
- The Catholic Relief services have made an agreement with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide more than 110,000 metric tons of US-grown agricultural commodities to Ethiopia and Sudan.
- A World Health Organisation (WHO) official has warned that the number of ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is likely double the official counts, with most deaths occurring outside of medical centres.
Migration and refugee situation (per 16 July)
- A boat carrying around 60 migrants bound for Europe capsized off the coast of Libya, with the majority of the passengers being dead or missing, while 10 survivors were able to swim to safety.
- 46 Human Rights and Humanitarian Organisations have released a joint statement calling the EU and its member states to denounce human rights violations in Tunisia and to stop funding abusive migration control activities.
- The statement states that the MoU signed between the EU and Tunisia three years ago to prevent boats carrying migrants and asylum seekers from irregularly departing for Europe has fueled and normalised serious human rights violations in Tunisia.
- According to a survey conducted by UNHCR support for refugees has remained stable and stronger than public debates suggest, with the strongest percentage of support measured in Sweden and the Netherlands.
Links of interest
Suspected RSF drone strike hits power station, military sites in Sudan’s Al-Dabbah
Sudan army says it shot down advanced Chinese drone near El Obeid
RSF accepts truce but rejects withdrawal in response to U.S. Sudan peace plan
Sudan cholera cases in Kordofan rise to 1,547 as rainy season begins
Khartoum faces drinking water crisis as Nile levels drop sharply
Emergency and risk of Famine to persist through harvest in the worst-affected areas
Joint Statement of G7 Foreign Ministers on El-Obeid (Sudan), 14 July 2026
Ethiopians Gather for Historic National Dialogue
Three Orthodox Christians Killed in Separate Targeted Attacks in East Arsi
As war fears grow in Ethiopia, women soldiers recount the sexual violence they experienced
The US army veteran and the mystery Boeings flying Sudan’s war routes
Doubling Down: Russia’s Military Network in West Africa
UN Sounds Alarm on Somalia – Millions Facing Drought and Conflict
Somalia: UN Warns Famine Risk Looms for 6m Somalis
Sudan rejects South Sudan’s inclusion of Abyei in electoral districts
News: Catholic Relief Services secures up to $235 million U.S. food aid package for Ethiopia, Sudan
EU bans Sudan gold to target war economy
WHO warns DR Congo Ebola outbreak may be double the official tally
A boat carrying migrants capsizes off Libya’s coast, with at least 50 dead or missing
EU: Tunisia Migration Deal Worsening Human Rights Violations
People continue to stand by refugees, Gen Z shows most empathy
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