Investigative Report on Theft of US Emergency Aid to Ethiopia

 Reuters published on 18 October 2024 an investigative report titled "UN Food Agency Failed to Act as U.S. Aid Was Looted in Ethiopia" by Giulia Paravicini, Steve Stecklow, and Tiksa Negeri.  

Thousands of tons of food aid provided by USAID to the World Food Program (WFP) were diverted from hungry Ethiopian civilians in Tigray Region in 2023 to the Ethiopian military, Eritrean soldiers, and Tigrayan forces.  The authors allege that WFP staff chose to ignore the illegal diversions.  As a result, USAID temporarily shut down the assistance program.

Sudan: Ethnic Cleansing in West Darfur

 Human Rights Watch published on 9 May 2024 a 218-page report titled "'The Massalit Will Not Come Home': Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes Against Humanity in El-Geneina, West Darfur, Sudan."

The report documents that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and their allied mainly Arab militias, including the Third-Front Tamazuj, an armed group, targeted the predominantly Masalit neighborhoods of El Geneina in relentless waves that began in April 2023.  The attackers committed other serious abuses such as torture, rape, and looting.  More than half a million refugees from West Darfur have fled to Chad since the beginning of this violence.

Atrocities in Ethiopia's Amhara Region

 Human Rights Watch published on 4 April 2024 a report titled "Ethiopia: Military Executes Dozens in Amhara Region."

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that the Ethiopian military summarily executed scores of civilians in Merawi, a town in Amhara region, during fighting in January and February with Fano militia.  HRW called for an independent inquiry by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Sudan Today: A Real Time Horror Movie

 Aljazeera published on 11 November 2023 an article titled "'Like a Horror Movie': The Men Defending Their Homes in Sudan's Bloody War" by Anson Zhang.  

This article describes the horrors of living today in the Khartoum capital region where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces control most of the tri-city area.  

Humanitarian Aid Pledges for Sudan Fall Short

 Reuters published on 19 June 2023 an article titled "International Donors Pledge $1.5 Billion in Sudan Aid" by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber, Emma Farge, and Khalid Abdelaziz.

International donors pledged at a fundraising conference in Geneva about $1.5 billion in aid to Sudan and the surrounding region, only half of what experts say is needed to respond to the humanitarian crisis.  The United States contributed more than half of the funding.  

Ceasefire in Sudan Breaks Down

 Reuters published on 31 May 2023 an article titled "Sudanese Army Suspends Ceasefire Talks, Diplomatic Source Says" by Khalid Abdelaziz.

Saudi and US-brokered ceasefire talks reportedly ended on 30 May when the Sudan Armed Forces suspended them with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.  A reduction in military activity in Khartoum has permitted aid agencies to provide some relief, although there is no immediate prospect of ending the conflict.  

Lawlessness Overwhelms Khartoum

 Reuters published on 5 May 2023 an article titled "Fighting Rages in Khartoum, Civilians Complain of Being Forgotten" by Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir.  

The ongoing fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has turned Khartoum into a humanitarian disaster as any semblance of law and order and respect for humanity seems to have ended.  

Podcast on War in Sudan

 The International Crisis Group (ICG) posted on 22 April 2023 a 52 minute podcast titled "War in Sudan" with Richard Atwood speaking with ICG senior Sudan analyst Shewit Woldemichael and Horn of Africa project director Alan Boswell.

Sudan has never seen a conflict like this where most of the fighting is occurring in Khartoum and other major cities.  It will likely result in a humanitarian disaster.  The longer it goes on, the more likely it will be internationalized.  The conflict demonstrates how unstable the power structure has been in Sudan.  

Ethiopian Government Team Arrives in Tigray Region

 Agence France Presse published on 26 December 2022 an article titled "Ethiopia Govt. Team in Rebel Tigray after Nov. 2 Peace Deal."

A high level Ethiopian government team has arrived in the capital of Tigray Region to supervise the implementation of major issues associated with the peace agreement.  Eritrean Defense Forces and Amhara militia remain in Tigray.

Ethiopia: Implementing the Peace Deal

 The Voice of America published on 21 December 2022 an article titled "Ethiopia, Tigray Rebel Officials Meet to Review Implementation of Peace Deal" by Mohammed Yusuf.

Officials from Ethiopia's federal government and Tigray Region are meeting in Kenya to discuss next steps for implementing the peace deal.  The Tigrayan side is warning that continuing attacks and looting by Eritrean forces could jeopardize the deal.  

New UN Concerns about Humanitarian Situation in Ethiopia

 UN News published on 24 August 2022 a press release titled "Drought, Hunger and Fighting Leave Ethiopia in 'Very Difficult Humanitarian Situation'."

Amid the worst drought in 40 years and the outbreak of new conflict in northern Ethiopia, the United Nations has targeted 17 million people for humanitarian assistance.  The UN also condemned Tigrayan forces for entering the World Food Program warehouse in Mekelle, taking 12 fuel tankers with 570,000 liters of fuel.  

Tigrayan Forces Loot USAID Food in Ethiopia

 Reuters published on 31 August 2021 an article titled "U.S. Agency Says Tigrayan Forces Looted Aid Warehouses in Ethiopia's Amhara Region."

Several warehouses in Amhara Region with stocks of USAID-provided food aid have been emptied, reportedly by Tigrayan forces.  This follows earlier instances  of looting of food in Tigray Region by all parties.  

Ethiopian Human Rights Commission Corroborates Massacre Report in Aksum, Ethiopia

 The government-affiliated Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has just issued a report titled "Investigation into Grave Human Rights Violations in Aksum City: Report on Preliminary Findings."  The EHRC report is similar to ones issued earlier by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

In a chilling report, the EHRC concluded that "more than 100" civilians were killed in Aksum between 18 and 24 November, 2020 by Eritrean soldiers and possibly ENDF soldiers.  Eritrean soldiers fired randomly at civilians, targeted others, and looted the hospital. They also did significant damage to private property and churches.  

The EHRC said "these widespread human rights violations are not ordinary crimes but grave contraventions of applicable international and human rights laws and principles, marked by intentionally directed attacks against civilians who were not directly taking part in the hostilities and including intentional looting, destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity."  

Chinese Companies and Individuals Externalize Money from Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's Times Live ran a story on 19 March 2018 titled "Who is Zimbabwe's Biggest Looter? Mnangagwa Names Names" by James Thompson. The report says President Emmerson Mnangagwa identified Chinese mining and retail companies as dominating the list of "externalization" of foreign currency, i.e. moving money that is not the legal tender of the country outside Zimbabwe.

In a follow-up article titled "China Rejects Mnangagwa's 'Looters List'" by James Thompson on 21 March 2018, Times Live reported that the Chinese embassy in Zimbabwe said the list is not accurate. The article put the amount of money moved by Chinese nationals out of the country at $363 million.