Ethiopia Rebels “Retake” Town Despite Government Victory Claims
Rebel forces in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region say they have retaken a town and shot down a military plane in a setback for the national government.
Sudan
Netanyahu announces he plans to visit Bahrain
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday that he is planning to make his first official visit to Bahrain in the near future, the Jerusalem Post reports. Like Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain has recently signed a US-brokered normalization agreement with Israel.
Media reports Netanyahu flew to Saudi Arabia for secret talks
Israel’s Channel 12 has reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad chief Yossi Cohen flew to Saudi Arabia Sunday for a secret meeting with officials there, All Israel News (AIN) reports. Although the meeting has not been confirmed by the Prime Minister’s office, the news has caused speculation that, following Bahrain, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia may become the next Arab state to normalize relations with Israel.
Arabs states draw closer to Israel to counter defiant Turkey, Iran
The decision by three Arab states to make peace with Israel can be credited both to efforts by the White House under US President Donald Trump administration and the recognition by these Sunni states that doing so would bolster their security against ongoing threats from Turkey and Iran.
Amnesty: ‘Massacre In Northern Ethiopia’
Rights group Amnesty International said Thursday that “scores and probably hundreds” of civilians have been massacred in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. Witnesses blamed forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which rules Tigray, for the bloodshed. They said the TPLF carried out the massacre after Ethiopia’s federal government troops defeated them in the Lugdi area.
Poll shows vast majority of Americans want Saudi Arabia to make peace with Israel now
A new poll shows that, following Israel’s normalization agreements with three Arab countries, an overwhelming majority of Americans now want the US to broker a peace treaty between Israel and Saudi Arabia, All Arab News reports. While the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan normalized relations without ever actually being at war with Israel, Saudi Arabia has participated in major wars against Israel and is an official enemy of the Jewish state.
Russia plans to have naval base in Sudan
Russia and Sudan have drafted a bilateral agreement that would allow for a Russian naval logistics base in Sudan, Radio Free Europe reported Thursday. The Sudanese are top importers of Russian arms in Africa, and Russia has economic and geopolitical interests in oil and minerals-rich Sudan.
Arabs states draw closer to Israel to counter non-Arab powers Turkey and Iran
The decision by three Arab states to make peace with Israel can be credited both to efforts by the Trump administration and the recognition by these Sunni states that their security would improve against the ongoing threats they face from Turkey and Iran.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan Fail to Make Progress on Disputed Dam
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan failed to agree on a new negotiating approach to resolve their years-long dispute over the controversial dam that Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile, the three countries said Wednesday.
Ethiopia Near Civil War as PM Sends Army Into Defiant Region
Ethiopia approached civil war Wednesday as its Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister ordered the military to confront the country’s well-armed Tigray regional government, accusing it of a deadly attack on a military base and declaring “the last red line has been crossed” after months of alleged provocations.
Sudan, Israel Agree To Normalize Ties In Move To New Era
In another move towards a new era, Israel and Sudan agreed Friday to normalize ties in a U.S.-brokered deal.
World Food Program Gets Nobel Peace Prize Amid Global Hunger Fears
The World Food Program (WFP) has won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its life-saving work amid rising starvation cases. With the coronavirus crisis pushing millions of men, women, and children into hunger, Nobel committee chairwoman Berit Reiss-Andersen said the United Nations agency deserved this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Flooding in South Sudan: 700,000 people in hunger and livelihood crisis
Unprecedented flooding in South Sudan has devastated the lives of around 700,000 people, causing a hunger crisis amid the destruction of jobs and harvests, VOA News reports. The World Food Program (WFP) has sounded the alarm about a disaster that is exacerbated by ongoing violence and the COVID-19 economic crisis in the country. WFP is calling for $58 million for the next six months to rebuild South Sudanese infrastructure and to support those in need.
Sudan Christians Face Church Torching, Opposition
Several devoted Christians in and around Sudan’s main cities are reportedly prevented from worshiping by authorities and angry mobs despite government pledges to end over three decades of hardline Islamic rule.
Sudan floods: Nile water level threatens ancient pyramids
The authorities in Sudan are trying to protect the country’s ancient pyramids from flooding as heavy rains have caused the nearby River Nile to reach record-breaking levels.
UN says new polio outbreak in Sudan caused by oral vaccine
The World Health Organization says a new polio outbreak in Sudan is linked to an ongoing vaccine-sparked epidemic in Chad — a week after the U.N. health agency declared the African continent free of the wild polio virus.
U.S. Cutting $100 Million In Aid To Ethiopia Over Dam Dispute
The United States is cutting at least roughly $100 million in aid to impoverished Ethiopia due to its “lack of progress” in talks with Egypt and Sudan over a massive disputed dam project on the Nile River, officials confirmed.
Slaughter of Christians in Africa continues
Hundreds of Christians have been slaughtered by Islamic terrorists in at least three African countries in recent weeks, CBN News reports. Christian communities in Nigeria, South Sudan, and Cameroon have been targeted by terrorists from different groups, including Boko Haram and Fulani militants.
Ethiopia, Egypt reach ‘major common understanding’ on dam
Ethiopia’s prime minister said Tuesday his country, Egypt and Sudan have reached a “major common understanding which paves the way for a breakthrough agreement” on a massive dam project that has led to sharp regional tensions and led some to fear military conflict.
Tensions Reignite Between Ethiopia and Egypt Over Nile Dam
New images captured in the last week by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite suggest that Ethiopia may have started filling its massive Nile River dam, as tensions over the project continue.