Tuesday 18,Febr, 2025 {HMC} Regional analysts are calling for the swift implementation of resolutions made at the recently concluded African Union (AU) Summit in Ethiopia. The summit was dominated by discussions on escalating conflicts in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan, as well as concerns over the impact of U.S. aid cuts on the continent.

African leaders and delegates from more than 50 countries gathered in Addis Ababa for the 38th AU Summit on Saturday and Sunday.

Leaders at the summit called for dialogue to end conflicts in the DRC and Sudan and renewed calls to merge two existing peace processes — the Rwanda Process and the Nairobi Peace Process — to streamline negotiations between the DRC government and M23 rebels.

Bankole Adeoye is the AU commissioner for political affairs, peace, and security, expressed concerns about the escalation of the conflict in the DRC.

“We are all very, very concerned about the risk of an open regional war over eastern DRC,” Adeoye said. “We have reiterated the need for caution and called on the M23 rebels and their supporters to disarm and withdraw.”

More than 3,000 people have been killed in clashes between government forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group. The rebels have captured large Congolese cities, including Goma and Bukavu.

African leaders also condemned human rights violations caused by the nearly two-year conflict in Sudan.

But security analyst Senator Iroegbu said African leaders need to match words with action this time.

“If what’s happening in DRC is not well managed it will escalate,” Iroegbu said. “[It’s] not just issuing a communique at the end of the meeting; it should be followed up with some strategic measures or plans to ensure that they bring some of these issues to the table and set up mediation teams and let’s look for African solutions to African problems.”

Beyond security, leaders further addressed the impact of climate change and food security on the continent, while demanding reparations for centuries of slavery and colonialism.

John Mahama, president of the Republic of Ghana, said the economic impact of colonialism has been profound.

“The continent lost trillions of dollars in both human and material resources due to colonial exploitation,” he said. “Today the descendants of enslaved Africans continue to face economic disparities, social inequality, systemic discrimination and racial prejudices. Addressing these challenges [requires] more than just acknowledging them, it demands action.”

African leaders also discussed the impact of U.S. aid cuts, urging the continent to focus on self-sufficiency and domestic funding for development projects.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization, spoke to Lagos-based Channels Television on the sidelines of the summit.

“Africa we really need to change our mindsets — access to aid I think we can think of it as a thing of the past,” she said. “We really have to focus on two things — attracting investments and mobilizing our own domestic resources. I think that is the theme that is running through almost all the meetings here at the AU.”

Many observers will be watching to see how quickly African leaders move to implement summit resolutions.

But analysts warn that delays in securing peace in Sudan and Congo could lead to more casualties and prolonged instability.

SOURCE VOA

Tuesday 18,Febr, 2025 {HMC} The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.E. Amb.Ahmed Moallim Fiqi , held a productive meeting today in New York with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the of the friendly People’s Republic of China, H.E. Wang Yi, and discussed with him enhancing bilateral relations and exploring new avenues for cooperation across various sectors, with a particular focus on mutual development and shared interests.

Foreign Minister Ahmed Fiqi congratulated China on its presidency of the UN Security Council for February 2025, emphasizing the mutual goal of strengthening bilateral ties and promoting global stability, cooperation, and peace.

The meeting highlighted the importance of strengthening the partnership between the two nations with a focus on safeguarding territorial integrity and sovereignty while emphasizing the commitment to fostering greater collaboration in key areas to promote mutual development and shared prosperity.

Tuesday 18,Febr, 2025 {HMC} Attacks by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Force have killed hundreds of civilians, including infants, in White Nile state, Sudanese officials and rights groups said Tuesday.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the paramilitary group targeted civilians in the past few days in villages in the al-Gitaina area after they were “overwhelmed by its devastating defeat” by the Sudanese army. The statement put the death toll at 433, while the Preliminary Committee of Sudan Doctors’ Trade Union put that figure at 300.

Emergency Lawyers, a rights group tracking violence against civilians, said in a statement Tuesday morning that more than 200 people, including women and children, were killed in RSF attacks and hundreds of others were injured over the past three days.

“The attacks included executions, kidnapping, forced disappearance, looting, and shooting those trying to escape,” the group said.

Minister of Culture and Information Khalid Ali Aleisir said on Facebook that recent attacks by the RSF in Al-Kadaris and Al-Khalwat villages in White Nile state are the latest “systematic violence against defenseless civilians.”

The Sudanese military said Saturday it had advanced in White Nile and “liberated more cities and villages,” cutting crucial supply routes to the RSF, a rival group it has battled for control of the country since April 2023.

The war in Sudan has killed more than 24,000 people and driven more than 14 million people — about 30% of the population — from their homes, according to the United Nations. An estimated 3.2 million Sudanese have escaped to neighboring countries.

The U.N. on Tuesday said that throughout 2024, its human rights office documented more than 4,200 civilian killings, adding that the total number is likely much higher.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs appealed on Monday for $6 billion for its 2025 humanitarian response in Sudan, to help about 21 million people in the country and the millions who fled the war abroad.

“This is a humanitarian crisis that is truly unprecedented in its scale and gravity,” said U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher in a statement, “and it demands a response unprecedented in scale and intent.”

Meanwhile, Norwegian Minister of International Development Asmund Aukrust denounced the escalation in violence and attacks against civilians.

“I am deeply concerned about the sharp increase in civilian deaths caused by the intensified conflict in Sudan. I am also shocked by reports of indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. Any such attacks must stop immediately,” Aukrust said in a statement published on the web portal for the Norwegian government.

The developments on the ground have given the military the upper hand in the war as the paramilitary suffered multiple blows, including losing control of the city of Wad Medani, the capital of Gezira province, and other areas in the province. The Sudanese military also regained control of the country’s largest oil refinery.

The RSF appears to have lost control of the Greater Khartoum area and the cities of Omdurman and Khartoum Bahri.

The war has shown no end in sight despite international mediation attempts, including a U.S. assessment that the RSF and its proxies are committing genocide.

SOURCE BBC

Tuesday 18,Febr, 2025 {HMC} The Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction, and Housing of the Federal Government of Somalia, Dr. Elmi Mohamud Nur, is leading a delegation at the 3rd Arab Land Conference in Rabat, Morocco.

The conference, attended by Ministers of Public Works and Land from Arab League countries, focuses this year on innovation and modernization in land management, as well as addressing challenges related to housing and land issues.

In his opening remarks, Minister Dr. Elmi emphasized the importance of establishing a land management framework for the future of Somalia and Arab nations, based on knowledge and modern technology. He called for sustainable solutions to land disputes, urban development, and housing policies.

The conference will last for two days, bringing together ministers from across the Arab world, along with representatives from the United Nations, World Bank, and the Arab League to discuss critical issues in land management, housing, and urban planning.

The Ministry of Public Works of Somalia is committed to sharing its experiences with Arab nations and collaborating on solutions for effective land governance and urban planning.

Source SONNA

Tuesday 18,Febr, 2025 {HMC} Puntland security forces arrested a group of Ethiopian migrants on Tuesday after they illegally crossed the border into Somalia, regional authorities confirmed. The detained individuals were immediately deported back to Ethiopia.

Officials described the operation as part of ongoing efforts to combat smuggling networks, particularly as Puntland faces security threats from ISIS-affiliated militants, which have drawn foreign fighters into the region.

“We are continuing to take strict measures to ensure the control and prevention of illegal activities that could pose security challenges,” said a senior Puntland military official.

Last month, Puntland authorities deported around 1,000 undocumented Ethiopians from Garowe, the regional capital, in a broader crackdown on foreigners without legal status.

The regional administration has intensified its efforts to remove undocumented migrants, particularly as it escalates military operations against ISIS strongholds in the Al-Miskaat mountains of the Bari region.

Puntland remains a key transit point for migrants attempting to reach Gulf countries or other parts of Somalia, with illegal smuggling continuing to be a major challenge in the region.

Source Hiiraan online

Tuesday 18,Febr, 2025 {HMC} Sudan’s foreign ministry on Tuesday expressed regret over Kenya’s decision to host an event for a political coalition aligned with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the group battling the Sudanese army for control of the country.

The event, held in Nairobi on Tuesday, was a preliminary step towards forming a new political alliance comprising political forces and armed groups supporting the RSF. A political charter is expected to be signed in three days, followed by constitutional arrangements and the formation of a government in RSF-controlled areas.

The foreign ministry said in a statement that the event contradicted Kenya’s commitments at the highest level not to allow hostile activities against Sudan on its territory and constituted a declaration of hostility against the Sudanese people.

It accused Kenya of encouraging the division of African countries, violating their sovereignty, and interfering in their affairs, contravening the UN Charter, the African Union Constitutive Act, and international norms. The ministry noted that the event’s stated goal is to establish a parallel government in a part of Sudanese territory.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Youssif said on January 26 that Kenya’s position on Sudan had changed. Following a meeting with Kenyan President William Ruto in Nairobi, Youssif said Ruto pledged not to recognize any government the RSF intends to announce in areas under its control.

The foreign ministry expressed its regret that the Kenyan government had reneged on its obligations under international law, the UN Charter, and the Genocide Convention by allowing the gathering, which involved the RSF, which it holds responsible for ongoing genocide.

“Hosting RSF leaders and allowing them to conduct open political and propaganda activities at a time when they are committing genocide and massacres against civilians on ethnic grounds is an encouragement and participation in the continuation of these atrocities,” the ministry said.

It stressed that the event in Nairobi would have no impact on the ground, citing the army’s determination, joint forces from armed movements, and supporting forces to liberate every inch of territory controlled by the RSF.

The ministry called on the international community to condemn the Kenyan government’s actions, adding that it would take steps to rectify the situation.

Tuesday 18,Febr, 2025 {HMC} Top diplomats from Ethiopia and Somalia on Tuesday held a first round of technical talks aimed at resolving a dispute sparked by a deal between Ethiopia and Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said.

Turkey has been mediating between the Horn of Africa countries after concerns about potential conflict in an already volatile region. Tensions have simmered since landlocked Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland last year to lease land along its coastline to establish a marine force base.

In return, Ethiopia would become the first country to formally recognize Somaliland’s independence. Somalia says the deal infringes on its sovereignty and territory.

In December, the leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia met in Turkey and agreed to initiate technical talks aimed at reaching a potential agreement that upholds Somalia’s territorial integrity while allowing Ethiopia access to the sea.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said delegations led by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos and Somalia’s state minister for foreign affairs, Ali Mohamed Omar, held a first round of technical negotiations in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

“Both delegations demonstrated their commitment to the letter and spirit of the Ankara Declaration,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in reference to their statement issued in December. “The delegations began the concrete work to transform this vision into reality.”

The next round of talks is in March, the ministry statement said.

Turkey has significant investment in Somalia, including its largest overseas military base.

Somaliland seceded from Somalia over 30 years ago but is not recognized by the African Union or the United Nations as an independent state. Somalia considers Somaliland part of its territory.

With a population estimated at over 120 million, Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world.

Source AP