Situation in Sudan (per 26 February)
- The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted and killed people with disabilities during and after its October 2025 takeover of El Fasher in North Darfur, reported Human Rights Watch (HRW), documenting executions, torture, and extortion that it said may constitute war crime and crimes against humanity.
- The RSF carried out an assault on Misteriha in North Darfur, killing at least 28 people and injuring 39, and destroying the town’s only health centre. One healthcare worker has been detained, and is still missing.
- The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) included four senior RSF leaders on the sanctions list, including Abdel Rahim Hamdan Daglo, the RSF deputy leader and a brother of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti). Sanctions impose a travel ban and freeze assets.
- The UNSC further condemned attacks on civilians carried out by the RSF, denouncing mass killings, sexual violence, arbitrary detentions and strikes on humanitarian workers including World Food Programme (WFP) staff.
- The Sudan Core Group at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), composed of Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom, condemned violence by the RSF in El Fasher during their siege of El Fasher, North Darfur, as detailed in the findings of the UNHRC Fact Finding Mission.
- The Sudan Core Group called for an expanded arms embargo, humanitarian access, accountability mechanisms, and an immediate ceasefire in Sudan.
- At the UNHRC, Sudan’s justice minister Abdullah Mohammed Dirif accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of sponsoring the RSF and said international inaction had prolonged what he described as a “proxy war” between the RSF and the SAF in Sudan.
- António Guterres, the UN Secretary General, appointed Pekka Haavisto as UN Personal Envoy for Sudan to mediate the conflict between the SAF and the RSF.
Situation in Ethiopia/Eritrea (per 26 February)
- More than 1,000 teachers resigned in the Amhara region of Ethiopia during the 2025/26 academic year, with many reportedly migrating to Arab states due to economic pressures and low salaries.
- The Federal High Court in Addis Ababa temporarily suspended the decision by the National Election Board (NEBE) to put five districts in Tigray under national oversight during the federal elections, pending a full hearing on a petition filed by the Tigray Democratic Solidarity (Simret Party) in Ethiopia.
- Authorities in Ethiopia revoked the media license of Addis Standard, stating that the news outlet repeatedly published content deemed to violate national laws and interests despite prior warnings.
- HRW condemned this revocation, stating it “risks silencing one of the last independent media outlets in the country”.
- Egypt reportedly offered to support Ethiopia in securing commercial access to the Red Sea through regional ports if Addis Ababa shows flexibility in negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and drops plans for a military presence on the coast.
International and regional situation (per 26 February)
- The United Arab Emirates has been accused of helping to construct and fund a training facility for the RSF in Ethiopia. The UAE also reportedly provided military trainers.
- Satellite images show that activity in the RSF camp in Ethiopia picked up in October 2025..
- Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Ethiopia to meet with President Taye Atske Selassie and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and discuss cooperation between African nations.
- The visit followed that of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s state visit to Ethiopia, and is perceived by some as a strategic move to gain more influence in the Horn of Africa.
- The WFP warns of extreme hunger in Somalia due to worsening drought and lack of humanitarian funding, with more than 1.8 million children under five facing acute levels of malnutrition.
- Turkey’s Defense Ministry denies claims circulating on social media that it is planning to deploy Russian-made S-400 air defense systems to Somalia.
Refugee and Migration Situation (per 26 February)
- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned that the $29 million funding gap is putting nearly 1.9 million displaced people at risk in South Sudan.
- Members of the European Parliament delayed vote on the EU deportation bill to 9 March amid disputes over return hubs in the countries outside Europe and safeguards for migrants and refugees.
- More than 600 people died or went missing in Mediterranean crossings in early 2026, marking the deadliest start to a year in over a decade, said the IOM .
- More than 80,000 instances of illegal pushbacks have been documented at Europe’s external borders, reports a coalition of human rights organisations led by Brussels based organisation 11.11.11. The pushbacks involve migrants and refugees being forcibly returned without access to asylum.
- The report shows that the pushbacks are part of “systematic policy” rather than just isolated events, which violates European law and the UN Refugee Convention.
- The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) carried out an emergency evacuation of 164 refugees from Libya to Rwanda last night, in order to address the precarious situation of refugees in Libya.
Links of interest
Sudan: People with Disabilities Targeted in North Darfur
At least 28 people killed as Sudan paramilitary force tears through Darfur town killing 28 doctors
UNSC condemns RSF attacks in Sudan’s Kordofan, calls for an end to the war
UN Fact Finding Mission report on El Fasher: Sudan Core Group foreign ministers’ statement
Inaction from UAE is prolonging war
Egyptian Government Condemns the RSF Militia’s Targeting Of Civilians in North Darfur
Pekka Haavisto appointed UN envoy for Sudan
Ethiopia: Over 1,000 Teachers Resign in Amhara Region, Many Reportedly Migrating to Arab States
Decision On Five Electoral Districts In North Ethiopia Adds Fuel To Tension In The Region
Ethiopia Shutters Key News Outlet
Egypt said Cairo offered support to Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s secret RSF camp: A dangerous new phase in Sudan’s war
Egypt Vies for African Influence
Herzog in Ethiopia as Israel Expands Footprint in Divided Horn of Africa
Türkiye denies claims of sending S-400 systems to Somalia
MEPs delay vote on deportation bill to March amid return hubs dispute
More than 600 people have died trying to cross Mediterranean in 2026, UN says
80,000 illegal pushbacks recorded at Europe’s external borders in 2025: NGOs report
UN transfers 164 refugees from Libya to Rwanda in emergency evacuation
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