SITUATION REPORT – HORN OF AFRICA No. 350, 13 January 2023

Peace negotiations (per 13 January)

• Conflict Zone reported yesterday (12 January) that Amhara special forces withdrew from Tigray’s city of Shire and its surroundings. This was a condition in the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) Agreement.
• The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) issued a statement confirming Amhara forces had withdrawn from Shire and surroundings. 
• The ENDF Deputy Chief of Staff General Abebaw Tadesse reportedly saw the Amahara special forces withdrawing, according to Addis Standard (AS).
• A humanitarian worker in Shire told Reuters that Amhara troops were still there in “significant numbers”.
• AS stated that the AU Monitoring and Verification body has not yet confirmed the withdrawal.  
• Eritrean troops are still present in Tigray including in Shire and Axum, says Mereja.com today citing eye witnesses.
• On the occasion of their visit to Addis Ababa yesterday, the Foreign Ministers of France and Germany called for accountability for widespread abuses committed during the Tigray conflict as a precondition for the European Union to normalise relations with Ethiopia.
• The Associated Press quoted the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as saying “I would like to say, as a female foreign minister, no, it is not normal that rapes are part of war.”
• She added “Humanitarian international law is clear: Civilians and the protection of civilians is top priority in armed conflict, and rapes are crimes of war.”
• The French Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna, said implementing the peace deal and living up to the promises of accountability was the “condition” for Europe’s re-engagement.

Situation in Tigray (per 13 January)

• The Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Tigray estimates that more than 20 billion birr or almost USD 371 million is needed to rebuild the agricultural system of the Tigray region, says Tghat citing a damage assessment report of the Bureau.
• The war in Tigray reportedly has made 18.000 hectares of cultivated land and 81% of fruit nurseries and 70% of vegetable farms unusable, adds the damage assessment report.
• More than 40% of the 1.9 million draft oxen were stolen or slaughtered, more than 90% of the 1,990 farm tractors were stolen, and 176 of the 198 rural veterinary clinics were looted or destroyed.
• The Tigray Regional Emergency Coordination Center issued an operational update on 13 January. 
• Humanitarian response remains challenging, particularly in border areas and areas off the main road. 25 areas (woredas) are either partially or completely inaccessible to food partners.
• Challenges include communications and fuel challenges and a lack of cash. Food partners rely on humanitarian flights to bring cash into the region. 
• 24% of the target population has not been reached by food partners in the second round of distribution.
• The number of children admitted for Severe Acute Malnutrition treatment is rising.
• Water stress was common in all areas assessed by the partners.
• Teacher’s livelihoods are unaddressed and this is the biggest constraint to schools reopening.

Situation in Ethiopia (per 13 January)

• Even though the war in northern Ethiopia has subsided, another conflict is increasing in the Oromia region where civilians are suffering, warns UNOCHA.
• The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) has reportedly expanded its activities because of the security vacuum created by the war in Tigray, according to the New Humanitarian.
• The New Humanitarian stated that ‘’Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been uprooted and essential services are not functioning in some conflict-affected areas” in Oromia.

Regional Situation (per 13 January)

• Sudan President al-Burhan and South Sudan President Kiir agreed on 12 January to establish a joint security force to prevent smuggling of illegal weapons between their borders.
• Human rights organisations issued a statement calling the “international community  and stakeholders to take urgent action to stop the escalation of  systemic violence against Sudanese women.”
• The organisations say that since the signing of the framework agreement on 5 December 2022, escalation of violence against women in Sudan has continued.

International Situation (per 13 January)

• The French Foreign Minister may sign off on two Agence Française de Développement (AFD) financing projects amounting to EUR 28 million for the reconstruction of Ethiopia during her visit in Addis Ababa, according to Africa Intelligence.
• The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on the Situation in the Tigray Region of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia by one year, effective from 12 November 2022.
• The Australian government allowed Yusuf Saiq, the Eritrean People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) head of organisational affairs, to enter the country for an Eritrean festival in Melbourne.
• The Eritrean diaspora group United Eritrean Australian Movement for Justice warned that the festival promotes pro-war messages.
• The diaspora group warned representatives of the Australian government about the festival’s links with the Eritrean regime.  

Links of interest
Amhara forces withdraw from parts of Ethiopia’s Tigray region, army says
Twitter: Conflict Zone 
News: Army says Amhara special forces withdraw from Shire, its surroundings in Tigray 
የአማራ ልዩ ኃይል እየወጣ ነው
Government of Tigray, Bureau of Agriculture & Natural Resources Emergency and Recovery Plan 
Paris’s €28m Ethiopian reconstruction plans
As violence subsides in Tigray, Ethiopia’s Oromia conflict flares
France, Germany urge Ethiopia on accountability after war 
South Sudan, Sudan agree to establish joint security force to prevent entry of illegal weapons
One Month After Signing Political Framework in Sudan: Women Killed, Raped, and CSOs Attacked – Protection, Justice and Accountability Must Be Prioritised!
Resolution on the Renewal of the Mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on the Situation in the Tigray Region of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia – ACHPR/Res.549 (EXT.OS/ XXXVI) 2023
Eritrean horror after dictator’s ‘right hand man’ arrives in Australia

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