BRUSSELS | 10 September 2026 (IDN | EEPA) — The following are the situation reports on Ethiopia, Sudan and the international and regional situation, Brussels demonstration for Eritrean refugees in Libya, drone strike kills 3 in Tigray, thousands displaced in Sudan’s Blue Nile.
Migration and refugee situation (per 10 September)
- A demonstration calling for an end to arbitrary detention and justice for Eritrean refugees in Libya organised by Eritrean diaspora activists will be held on 12 September, between 2-4pm at Place du Luxembourg, in Brussels, Belgium.
- Refugees and asylum seekers remain trapped in Libyan detention centers exposed to violence, torture, rape, extortion, poor conditions, and lack of essential care. Eritrean human rights defenders are calling on the EU to take immediate actions to protect refugees.
- The ministers of 5 EU countries, including Germany, Austria, Denmark, Greece and the Netherlands, are expected to reach an agreement with a third country on the construction of the “return hubs” by 2027. The announcement comes after their 4 September meeting in Denmark.
- While the first rejected asylum seekers are expected to be transferred by 2027, the ministers have not yet disclosed the full list of countries they are currently in talks with to host the “open facilities”. Previous reports point toward Rwanda and Uganda.
- At least 24 migrants and refugees died in Egyptian detention centers between December 2025 and July 2026, states a new report by the Refugees Platform in Egypt (RPE).
- 18 of the victims were under official protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), while the majority of the deaths were Sudanese nationals.
- The findings attribute the deaths to overcrowding, poor ventilation, inadequate healthcare, delayed treatment and possible abuse, with mortality rising sharply during intensified security operations.
- 33,000 people have been repatriated in the first half of 2026, says Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, and unauthorized entries have fallen to 49,000, which is a 37% decrease compared to the same period last year.
- Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, has confirmed the intention to strengthen Frontex’s support from Member States on returns, with the aim of increasing this figure in the next few months.
- Vulnerable migrants and refugees in Kenya could lose their livelihoods and become more exposed to exploitation, warned the Network Against Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants after the new regulation ordering shut down of foreign national businesses came into effect.
- People reportedly stormed a center operated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Tripoli, Libya, on Monday, damaging the property and forcing staff to leave. The UN has condemned these “aggressive acts” prompting Libyan authorities to launch an investigation.
Situation in Ethiopia (per 10 September)
- Three people, including a toddler, were killed and four others were injured in drone strikes by Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) in the Hintalo District in southeastern Tigray. The district is known as a civilian area.
- The Ethiopian federal government has not released any statement regarding the attack or the victims yet.
- Ethiopia is increasing its production of domestic drones, with two factories, SkyWin Aeronautics and Aero Abay, currently responsible for manufacturing.
- An armed assault on the Tulu Kapi gold mining facility in West Wollega Zone, Oromia, resulted in numerous casualties, including members of the local community and one employee. Following the attack, London-listed Kefi Gold and Copper announced the suspension of all operations at the site.
- The Fano forces claim to have defeated the 71st division of the ENDF in the Dawut area of Wollo, Amhara. According to the group, around 150 ENDF soldiers were captured, while hundreds more were killed.
- Olusegun Obasanjo, the African Union Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, has dismissed the recent accusations by Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), that he is biased in his mediation between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray leadership.
Situation in Sudan (per 10 September)
- More than 175,000 people have been displaced from the Blue Nile region due to intensification of fighting between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forces, allied with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).
- Cuts to humanitarian aid funding are causing many local clinics across Sudan to close. This results in patients having to travel long distances to access care, and the remaining facilities being overwhelmed with the extra demand, reports Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), urging donors to protect health care services.
- At least 13 people have been killed and 20 others wounded in a drone attack by the RSF on a court in Um Rawaba, North Kordofan state.
- Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, met with the Quintet representatives on Wednesday to discuss “peace efforts and the political process in Sudan”.
- The visit was described as “constructive” by Mohamed Ibn Chambas, head of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan. Chambas stressed that conflict cannot be resolved militarily while a democratic government should reflect the needs of the Sudanese people.
International and regional situation (per 10 September)
- Human Rights Watch called on the German government to publicly condemn the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) role in the war in Sudan, ahead of the meeting between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz with the UAE president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan scheduled for 10 September.
- South Sudan’s transitional government is expected to be dissolved in October and replaced with a caretaker government, despite electoral law requiring its dissolution three months before the planned elections in December.
- The government attributes the delay to the South Sudan President’s attendance at the UN General Assembly planned for the end of September.
- South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has nominated his son, Atem Salva Kiir, to lead the Tiger Division, the presidential guard.
Links of interest
Free the Refugees Detained in Libya and Protect Semira’s Daughter
Five EU countries set 2027 target for migrant return hubs
At least 24 refugees died in Egyptian detention facilities, report shows
Anti-trafficking network warns Ruto’s foreign trader crackdown could push migrants into exploitation
IOM offices stormed in Tripoli as tensions erupt over illegal migrants
News: Drone strike kills three, including two-year-old child, in southeastern Tigray
News: Ethiopia expands domestic drone production as conflicts persist across regions
Several Killed in Armed Attack on Tulu Kapi Gold Mine in Oromia
Fano Forces Claim they captured over 150 government soldiers in Dawunt
Obasanjo’s Office Rejects Bias Claims in Ethiopian Mediation Effort
Aid cuts force mass clinic closures across Sudan, leaving millions without healthcare
Video: RSF drone attack on Sudan court kills at least 13 people
Sudan’s Sovereignty Council chief discusses peace efforts, political process with Quintet delegation
Displacement tops 175,000 in Sudan’s Blue Nile as famine threatens, civil group says
Germany: Confront UAE Role in Sudan, Repression at Home
Government may be dissolved in October — spokesperson
Kiir appoints son as presidential guard commander
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