Ethiopia and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) paving the way for security cooperation between their national police agencies. According to the Ethiopian Federal Police, the agreement, signed in Addis Abeba, outlines joint efforts to combat cross-border crime, share intelligence, and boost capacity through training and experience exchange. It marks a rare instance of formal collaboration between the two countries in the policing sector. The MoU was signed today by top commanders from both sides: Ethiopia’s police chief, Commissioner General Demelash Gebremichael and his Iranian counterpart, Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Radan. The federal police said the MoU includes mechanisms for periodic monitoring to ensure concrete implementation. (Addis Standard)
Deepening Political Rift: Somalia’s NCC Talks End Without Jubaland, Puntland Participation
A section of leaders concluded the National Consultative Council (NCC) without the involvement of Jubaland and Puntland states, highlighting deep divisions within Somalia’s leadership and potential fallout ahead of the next elections…Among the issues discussed by the leadership were supporting the Somali National Army (SNA) in the fight against Al-Shabaab militants and armed groups…Also discussed is the controversial electoral process, with the leaders agreeing to intensify voter registration, which was recently launched in Mogadishu. The registration, they said, shall spiral to federal states. The National Independent Electoral Commission was tasked with scaling operations, while regional authorities were urged to ensure smooth local coordination. It is this thorny electoral process that forced Jubaland and Puntland to boycott the sitting. Further, the leadership recognised the SSC-Khatumo region as a federal state, a few weeks after Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre made the declaration during his inaugural trip. The leaders agreed to fast-track the process of recognition…The interior ministry was tasked with resolving the impasse between Jubaland and Puntland and the federal government. (Garowe Online)
South Sudan: Upper Nile Fighting Puts 60,000 Malnourished Children at Greater Risk – UN
Over 60,000 malnourished children in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State are at risk of plunging deeper into malnutrition as treatment supplies run critically low and resupply efforts are hampered, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF warned on Thursday. According to a joint statement from the two UN agencies, intensified fighting along the White Nile River has meant no humanitarian supplies have reached the area in almost a month…According to the statement, in mid-April, barges carrying 1,000 metric tonnes of food and nutrition supplies bound for Upper Nile state were forced to return due to insecurity…Due to security concerns and the high value of nutrition supplies, WFP and UNICEF are unable to preposition stock in insecure areas, as doing so would leave health facilities and warehouses increasingly vulnerable to looting, the joint statement said. Already, in Upper Nile, almost 2,000 cartons of life-saving nutrition supplies (around 26 metric tonnes) have been looted since the onset of the conflict, robbing around 1,900 children of their only chance of treatment and recovery. (Radio Tamazuj)
Drone Attacks Spread to Sudan’s ‘Safe Havens’ as War Escalates
In an escalation of hostilities in Sudan, the drone attacks blamed on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have spread to regions in the east that were considered safe, such as Kosti in White Nile State, Umm Rawaba in North Kordofan, and, for the fifth consecutive day, Kassala and Port Sudan…Stephanie Tremblay, spokesperson for the UN, confirmed that the World Food Programme (WFP) had suspended UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights to and from Port Sudan as of May 4 due to the security situation…UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, also issued a statement expressing shock and alarm at the targeting of civilian infrastructure in Port Sudan—including the international airport, fuel storage facilities, and an electrical transformer—warning that such attacks are deepening human suffering and hampering logistical efforts to deliver life-saving assistance. (The EastAfrican)
