Situation in Sudan (per 28 July)
- A rival parallel government led by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti) was formed on Saturday. The creation of a 15-member Presidential Council was announced.
- Mohamed Hassan Al-Ta’aishi, a former member of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, was appointed as Prime Minister.
- The parallel government has been formed by the Sudan Founding Alliance, composed of RSF and its allied forces, nearly five months after it first announced the intention to do so.
- The presidency of the Council will be chaired by Hemedti while Abdelaziz Adam al-Hilu, head of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), was named vice-president.
- Experts fear that the formation of Hemedti’s new council will cause further fragmentation across Sudan with escalation of violence against civilians.
- Sudan’s transitional government operating from Port Sudan strongly condemned the formation of the parallel government and urged the international community not to recognise the newly created council.
- Five ministers were appointed by Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamil Idris with Lemia Abdel Ghaffar Khalafallah becoming the first female minister to preside over the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs.
- The other four appointed ministers will assume posts at the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Digital Transformation and Communications, Ministry of Education and National Pedagogy and Ministry of Youth and Sports.
- Reports have been received of abductions and rape of young women in Nyala, South Darfur, in June and July. One of the locations mentioned is the Aldman Hotel in Nyala, where more victims are reportedly held, tortured and raped.
- More than 1 million internally displaced persons and about 320,000 Sudanese refugees have returned to their homes over the past year, reports the UNHCR, with Khartoum, Sennar and Al Jazirah States being the most preferred areas for returnees.
- Returnees, however, face widespread devastation, damaged public infrastructure, lack of essential services, and ongoing dangers, highlighting the urgent need for increased humanitarian support and efforts for Sudan’s recovery.
- The agricultural sector in Al Jazirah is threatened by the ongoing conflict and lack of support, with farmers facing the third year without harvest.
- Farmers have been forced to abandon traditional crops like wheat for vegetables due to rising input costs, lack of water, and insufficient resources.
Situation in South Sudan (per 28 July)
- Clashes between South Sudan’s government forces and an armed group in Tambura County, Western Equatoria State, resulted in at least 17 deaths, including 3 civilians, and the displacement of thousands of people.
- “Civilians in areas like Sanakpuro, Bangaru, Zangia, and Nabaria are fleeing into the forests without food, shelter, or medical help,” said Edmund Yakani, head of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), urging the authorities to intervene.
- A Ministry of Health (MoH) staff member was abducted from an ambulance car of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) by armed individuals in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State, on 25 July.
- Even though the staff member was released unharmed the next day, MSF strongly condemned this incident, stating that the ongoing threats to medical services are “a direct assault on the healthcare system meant to serve the most vulnerable in our communities”.
Situation in Ethiopia (per 28 July)
- Tigray political parties and civil society groups condemned the recent leadership changes in the Southern zone of the Tigray region which was announced last week by Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede, head of the Tigray regional Interim Administration (TIRA).
- Opposition groups criticised the TIRA for consolidating power within a single political faction, neglecting inclusive governance and causing further division across Tigray, and called on the current leadership to ensure region-wide and inclusive dialogue.
- Protests erupted in Maichew town following the TIRA’s announcement of changes in leadership, which protesters claim are an attempt to exert forceful control over the region.
- Heavy rainfall in Gambella city has led to flash floods that damaged over 50 homes, particularly in low-lying neighborhoods, prompting evacuations. There were no reported injuries.
- Gambella residents described this flooding as unusually severe compared to past rainy seasons, with city officials noting that clogged drainage systems worsened the situation.
Regional Situation & International Situation (per 28 July)
- Al-Shabaab took control of the central Somali town of Mahaas following a coordinated attack, after federal and local forces withdrew from the area. Located about 350 kilometers north of Mogadishu, Mahaas has been a strategic place of Somali government in the fight against Al-Shabab.
- In another attack, the Al-Shabaab group launched an assault on a military base housing Ugandan and Somali forces in Sabiid, located southwest of Mogadishu. The joint forces successfully repelled the attack, forcing the group to retreat.
- Ethiopia is hosting the United Nations Food Systems Summit in Addis Ababa from 27 to 29 July, in partnership with Italy and the United Nations, aiming to address topics relating to food security and sustainable agriculture, combating hunger and enhancing food systems.
- Regional as well as world country leaders travelled to Ethiopia to attend the summit, including Kenyan and Somali presidents as well as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
- 31.000 South Sudanese refugees have been transported for resettlement from temporary settlements in Mattar and Maun to Gambella, Luak-dong, in Ethiopia. Limited services are currently available and access to the camp is difficult due to heavy rain and lack of an access road.
Links of interest
Hemedti named president of RSF-led presidential council
Sudan’s government rejects RSF-led parallel authority
Sudan PM appoints new ministers, names first woman to key cabinet post
Sudan’s pastoralists pay heavy price for war – 7 mln affected
Urgent support needed as over 1.3 million war-displaced Sudanese begin to return home
Agriculture in Sudan’s El Gezira is collapsing after three years without harvest
Clashes leave 17 dead in Western Equatoria
MSF condemns abduction of Health Ministry staff in Morobo County
News: Tigray political parties oppose leadership reshuffle in Southern zone
Protests Erupt in Raya Maichew Over Tigray Interim Administration Appointments
Over 50 homes damaged by flash floods in Gambella City following heavy overnight rainfall
Extremist rebels capture remote but key town in central Somalia
Al-Shabaab says it overruns Somalia army, Ugandan military bases near Mogadishu
Ethiopia hosts 10th world food summit
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