BRUSSELS | 11 May 2026 (IDN | EEPA) — The following are the situation reports on Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan and the region and how the EU and the UN view it.
Situation in Sudan (per 11 May)
- The town of Al-Kayli in Blue Nile State was recaptured by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on 9 May, after clashes with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) faction led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu near the Ethiopian border.
- The Sudan Founding Alliance accused the SAF of killing 15 civilians in a drone strike on a truck carrying civilians in South Kordofan.
- The SAF carried out drone strikes on RSF positions on Sunday, 10 May, in Nyala for a second consecutive day, targeting sites including the airport and a reported training centre while RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) was reportedly in the city.
- The SAF and RSF are reportedly preparing for confrontations in the Sudan-Libya-Egypt border triangle, with clashes expected to break out within weeks.
- A group of 166 Sudanese nationals returned from Tripoli to Port Sudan under a voluntary repatriation programme expected to bring back around 1,000 citizens on six flights.
Situation in Ethiopia (per 11 May)
- Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede, President of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration, warned that “those seizing the power of the Interim Administration by force will be held accountable for any ensuing consequences”.
- The statement comes after the Tigray State Council resumed its operation and elected Debretsion Gebremichael a President of Tigray regional government.
- Haftu Kiros, deputy president of the Democratic Solidarity Tigray (Solidarity) Party, warned in an interview that post-war Tigray has descended into lawlessness and illegitimacy, rejecting both the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)’s and interim authorities’ legitimacy while calling for new elections.
- Ethiopia is expected to face worsening food insecurities throughout 2026, as conflict, funding shortfalls, and below-average rains strain aid delivery and livelihoods, according to a Reliefweb report.
Situation in South Sudan (per 11 May)
- Humanitarian needs in South Sudan are rapidly worsening as conflict, displacement, disease, and climate shocks strain already fragile systems, leaving millions in urgent need of aid amid limited access to services, according to an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) news release.
- After a two week strike along the Juba-Nimule Highway, truck drivers reached an agreement with the South Sudanese authorities aimed at improving the security and welfare of the drivers.
- Juba police launched an investigation into suspected child trafficking after intercepting a vehicle carrying 46 children between 4 and 12 years old from Aweil South County to Juba without legal documents or parental consent.
- Experts warn that South Sudan is edging toward a potentially more dangerous conflict than its 2018 civil war, as economic collapse, fragmented armed groups, and regional militarization are converging to undermine state authority and risk triggering wider violence.
Situation in Somalia (per 11 May)
- Voters in Somalia’s Southwest State cast ballots in direct elections for the regional House of Representatives and district councils across 13 districts. Opposition groups have accused the federal government of manipulating results, with one of the main opposition alliances boycotting the election.
- Somali security forces killed at least one person and injured another while dispersing an anti-government protest in Mogadishu’s Deyniile district. Opposition leaders condemned the “brutal attack” on demonstrators protesting government-ordered evictions.
International and Regional situation (per 11 May)
- The UN Security Council (UNSC) convened a meeting on the situations in Sudan and South Sudan.
- The United Kingdom (UK) warned that restrictions on the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), unauthorised armed groups, and delays by Sudan and South Sudan in meeting benchmarks are undermining stability in Abyei.
- France’s deputy ambassador to the UNSC Jay Dharmadhikari has urged the immediate RSF withdrawal from the Abyei region, warning that their presence violates agreements and is worsening insecurity in the disputed region while heightening the risk of spillover from Sudan’s conflict into South Sudan.
- Egypt is reportedly investing over $23 million to build two solar power plants in Eritrea. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy Use this investment aims to localize technology, technical support and training, and contribute to regional expansion in the Horn of Africa region.
- The Bishop of Adrigat has called upon Saudi Arabia not to execute the 200 Ethiopian migrants who are facing the death penalty for drug-related offences.
- Sudan stated it is preparing a dossier for submission to the UN and the UN Security Council (UNSC) documenting alleged cross-border drone operations originating from Ethiopian territory.
- South Sudan has reportedly ordered the closure of an Egyptian military base in the Jute area, Upper Nile State, near its border with Ethiopia. Neither Cairo nor Juba has issued detailed official statements on the exact reasons or timeline for the closure.
- Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh was sworn in for a sixth consecutive term, with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and other regional leaders attending the inauguration ceremony.
Links of interest
Sudan army retakes area on Ethiopia border after RSF clashes
Sudanese army drones strike RSF strongholds in Nyala during Hemetti visit
More than 160 Sudanese return from Libya in voluntary repatriation flight
General Tadesse Warns of “Dangerous Path” After Debretsion Holds Cabinet Meeting in Mekelle
Opposition Leader Rebukes Lawlessness in Tigray, Calls for Elections
South Sudan: The country’s humanitarian needs continue to rise
Regional truck drivers enter S. Sudan after striking deal with authorities
Dozens of children in suspected Juba trafficking case returned to NBGs
Tremors in South Sudan are a warning of worse to come
Somalia’s Southwest State holds direct elections as opposition boycotts vote – Hiiraan Online
One killed as Somali forces break up protest: opposition
Security Council Meets on Situation in Sudan and South Sudan | UN Photo
France urges withdrawal of RSF from Abyei
Egypt–Eritrea Energy: Cairo Launches $23m Solar Projects to Support Power Supply
Bisschop van Adrigrat roept Saoedi-Arabië op Ethiopiërs niet te executeren
South Sudan closes Egyptian military base near Ethiopia border
President Kiir in Djibouti for Ismaïl Omar Guelleh’s inauguration | APAnews – African Press Agency
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.
Disclaimer: All information in this Situation Report is presented as a fluid update report, as to the best knowledge and understanding of the authors at the moment of publication. EEPA does not claim that the information is correct but verifies to the best of ability within the circumstances. Publication is weighed on the basis of interest to understand potential impacts of events (or perceptions of these) on the situation. Check all information against updates and other media. EEPA does not take responsibility for the use of the information or impact thereof. All information reported originates from third parties and the content of all reported and linked information remains the sole responsibility of these third parties. Report to info@eepa.be any additional information and corrections.
Warning: Undefined variable $url in /var/www/html/wp-content/themes/cnote-child/template-parts/content-single.php on line 60 Warning: Undefined variable $source in /var/www/html/wp-content/themes/cnote-child/template-parts/content-single.php on line 60 Warning: Undefined variable $description in /var/www/html/wp-content/themes/cnote-child/template-parts/content-single.php on line 60 Warning: Undefined variable $imgurl in /var/www/html/wp-content/themes/cnote-child/template-parts/content-single.php on line 60