UN Report on Hallmarks of Genocide in Sudan

 The UN Human Rights Council published on 8 July 2026 a 26-page report titled "Information Supplementing the Report 'Sudan: Hallmarks of Genocide in El Fasher'."

This report provides detailed references not included in the initial 19 February 2026 report and additional information that the UN Human Rights Council gathered following continued investigations since the publication of the original report.  

It also helps develop the legal basis for the conclusions that were drawn in the original report, that the mass killings and related atrocities committed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in and around El Fasher were indicators of a genocidal path.

Instability in the Kenya--Somalia-Ethiopia Borderlands

 The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies published on 15 April 2026 a paper titled "Instability in the Kenya-Somalia-Ethiopia Borderlands" by Christopher Hockey, Timothy Kimaiyo, and Martine Zeuthen.  

The paper provides critical insights into the complex dynamics of instability in the Kenya-Somalia-Ethiopia borderlands.  It highlights the interconnected challenges of violent extremism, gender-based violence, ethnic tensions, political instability and resource pressures, offering practical recommendations for future interventions.

Partition Is Not the Answer to the Sudan Conflict

 Foreign Affairs published on 8 April 2026 an article titled "Don't Partition Sudan Again: Splitting It Didn't Work in the Past and Won't Work Now" by Francis M. Deng and Ahmed Kodouda.

Both the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) insist they are fighting to preserve a unified Sudan, but the longer the current geographical division persists, the harder it will be to put the country together again.  

The 2011 independence of South Sudan offers a cautionary tale.  Any effort to formalize the split between the SAF and RSF-controlled parts of Sudan would not resolve the conflict's root causes.  Another partition of Sudan would also destabilize its neighbors.    

The Sexual Violence Crisis in Sudan's Darfur

 Medicins san Frontieres just published a study titled "'There Is Something I Want to Tell You . . .'  Surviving the Sexual Violence Crisis in Darfur."

Accounts of sexual violence in Darfur have surfaced most visibly during moments of intense fighting in Sudan's Darfur region, often along ethnic lines as a form of collective punishment, part of the broader pattern of atrocities inflicted on civilians.  But in the long shadow of conflict, women and girls continue to face sexual violence as a routine and inescapable reality even after the fighting subsides: on roads, in markets, in fields, in their homes, and during displacement.

The testimonies shared in this report demonstrate that sexual violence in Darfur is both woven into daily life and has become a defining feature of the war itself.  These voices leave no doubt as to the gravity of this crisis, revealing the scale, pervasiveness, and deliberate nature of sexual violence in Darfur.

Most of the perpetrators were armed, non-civilian men and the survivors often identified paramilitary Rapid Support Force fighters as the attackers.

A Different Point of View on Ethiopia's Welkait Region

 The Habesha published on 10 March 2026 a commentary titled "Legitimacy and the Limits of Political Experimentation in Welkait" by Sisay Mulu.  

The author disagrees at both the analytical and policy level with the conclusions of Zola Moges's "The Welkait Quagmire Neither Ballots nor Bullets Can Resolve" reposted below on 2 March.  

Sisay Mulu argues that Zola Moges downplayed the importance of historical administrative continuity, discussed legal and constitutional issues in abstract terms, and failed to fairly consider the practical challenges of governing a contested post-conflict area.  

Ethiopia's Welkait: Amharan, Tigrayan, or Something Else?

 Ethiopia Insight published on 2 March 2026 a commentary titled "The Welkait Quagmire Neither Bullets nor Ballets Can Resolve" by Zola Moges, PhD in international law.

Welkait is a district that has been part of Western Tigray since the Tigray People's Liberation Front annexed it following the demise in 1991 of the Derg regime.  Prior to that, Welkait was part of Amhara Region.  

Welkait's strategic location at the intersection of Ethiopia's borders with Sudan and Eritrea complicates the ability to find a solution that manages to overcome long-standing ethnic, language, and cultural differences.  

The author suggests as a solution creation of a self-administered territory that might take the form of a special autonomous zone or even an additional regional state with bilingual Amharic and Tigrinya administration.  

Conflict between Ethiopian Nationalism and Regionalism

 Ethiopia Insight published on 25 June 2025 a commentary titled "Othering in Disguise: Nationalism, Regionalism, and the Search for Civic Belonging in Ethiopia" by Daniel Hailu, a multidisciplinary researcher.  

The author argues that Ethiopia's political landscape is shaped by two powerful, often contradictory forces: nationalism, which unites people under a shared identity, and regionalism or federalism, which seeks to empower marginalized groups through autonomy.  But within both "isms" is a tendency to define oneself by negating the other.  To build enduring unity, Ethiopia must cultivate a culture where identity is not weaponized.  

Promoting Peace in South Sudan

 The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published in June 2024 a paper titled "Towards Humanitarian Action that Intentionally Promotes Peace in South Sudan" by Simone Bunse, Caroline Delgado, and Marie Riquier.  

The paper proposes four theories of change for international peacebuilding.  The first relates to livelihood opportunities and keeping children in school.  The second concerns the connectedness between diverse ethnicities and communities through conflict-sensitive volunteerism.  The third consists in helping socialized program volunteers transition into leadership roles for greater transformational impacts.  The fourth involves vertical and horizontal integration with broader development and peacebuilding efforts.  

Constitutional Reform in Ethiopia

 Ethiopia Insight published on 5 July 2023 a commentary titled "Could Constitutional Reform End Ethiopia's Political Forever War?" by Leul Estifanos, freelance court reporter.

Some Ethiopians see ethnic federalism as the source of all its ills while others see it as the remedy.  The main political fault lines emerging in Ethiopian politics are diverging divisions among those who envisage a multinational federal or centralized state, federal or otherwise.  

There is no easy way to bridge Ethiopia's ideological divisions.  This raises the question of constitutional reform or change.  The author argues that constitutional change must be based on a broad consensus and not be rushed.  

Ethnic Minorities from Northern Ethiopia Afraid to Return from Sudan

 The New Humanitarian published on 16 February 2023 an article titled "Ethiopian Minorities Remain Fearful Despite Peace Deal" by Claire Wilmot, London School of Economics.

Minority Kunama, Irob, Qemant, and Agew from northern Ethiopia who became refugees in Sudan are still fearful about returning to their homes.  The article also sheds light on the broader concerns of these small ethnic groups.  

Is It Possible to Heal Ethiopia's Ethnic Wounds?

 Ethiopia Insight published on 16 January 2023 a commentary titled "Because of the War, Many Tigrayans No Longer Identify with Ethiopia" by Asmelash Yohannes Teklu, former head of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission office in Tigray.

The author argues that during the civil war thousands of Tigrayans were slaughtered by federal troops, Amhara militia, and Eritrean soldiers.  Others have experienced atrocities.  As a result, the author says many Tigrayans "have now completely rejected their Ethiopian identity."

An Evangelical Analysis of the Ethiopian Peace Agreement

 Evangelical Focus published on 17 November 2022 an article titled "Ethiopia and Tigray Reach Peace Agreement 'to Prevent Total Extinction of the Region', Say Evangelicals" by Jonatan Soriano.

Evangelicals welcome the Ethiopian peace agreement but fear the ethnic divisions in Ethiopia are so wide and deep that they will take generations to overcome.  

Ethiopia: Commentary that Will Upset Almost Everyone

 Canada's Macdonald-Laurier Institute posted on 19 November 2021 a commentary titled "Why the US Needs to Reset Its Approach to the Conflict in Ethiopia" by Yonas Birru, former World Bank employee. 

Some element of this commentary will anger nearly every politically aware member of the Ethiopian diaspora and a lot of outside observers.  But that may be a good thing.  Perhaps it is time that everyone consider looking at this conflict from a different perspective.   

Ethnic Arrests in Addis Ababa

 The BBC reported on 20 November 2021 a story titled "Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict: Mass Arrests and Ethnic Profiling Haunt Addis Ababa" by Andrew Harding.

The story reports that large numbers of Tigrayans are being arrested in Addis Ababa for allegedly supporting or sympathizing with the Tigrayan People's Liberation Movement.  

Local Violence Engulfs South Sudan

 UN News published on 19 February 2021 a summary of a new UN Human Rights Commission report on violence in South Sudan.  

The UN Human Rights Council-appointed investigators said the bloodshed faced by civilians in South Sudan is the worst recorded since the country's civil war began in December 2013.  Most of the violence is occurring at the local level.  The Commission members described the situation as shocking.  

Ethiopia: Interview with ESAT TV Ethiopia

 ESAT TV Ethiopia and Gizaw Legesse interviewed me for 50 minutes on 12 January 2021 on issues related to Ethiopia.

The interview focused on the current situation in Ethiopia, especially the conflict in Tigray Region and the political situation generally in the country.  It also covered Ethiopia-Sudan relations and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.  

Voice of America Podcast on Crisis in Ethiopia

 The Voice of America broadcast on 20 November 2020 a 25-minute program titled "Ethiopia: Verge of Civil War?"

I joined Susan Stigant, United States Institute of Peace, on Carol Castiel's "Encounter" program concerning a wide-ranging discussion of the situation in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia: Press Briefing with US Assistant Secretary of State and US Ambassador

 The U.S. Department of State held a teleconference on 19 November 2020 titled "Briefing with Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Tibor P. Nagy and U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Michael A. Raynor on the Situation in Ethiopia's Tigray Region."

In his opening remarks, Tibor Nagy stated: "We strongly urge an immediate de-escalation of tensions, a cessation of hostilities, and a return to peace.  The protection and security of all civilians is essential.  Our top priority is ensuring the welfare, protection, and security of U.S. citizens."

Ethiopia: Ethnic Factor in the Conflict

 The New York Times published on 15 November 2020 an article titled "They Once Ruled Ethiopia. Now They Are Fighting Its Government" by Declan Walsh and Simon Marks.  

The authors focus on the role of Tigrayans in the previous Ethiopian government led by the EPRDF and their current conflict with the Abiy Ahmed government.  

Ethiopia: Two Book Reviews

The American Interest published in March 2020 two book reviews titled "The Long Ethiopian Century" by James Barnett, journalist covering East Africa.

The author reviewed two recent books about Ethiopia: The Wife's Tale: A Personal History by Aida Edemariam and The Shadow King: A Novel by Maaza Mengiste. The Wife's Tale is a personal history of the 97-year life of the author's Ethiopian grandmother. The Shadow King is a novel based on a female resistance fighter during the Italo-Ethiopian war.