The Horn Digest

Djibouti Warns UN of Refugee Strain from Yemen

Djibouti’s foreign minister told the UN General Assembly that the country cannot cope with the arrival of thousands of refugees fleeing renewed fighting in Yemen, across the Red Sea, without international support.

Maryland National Guard to Deploy to Horn of Africa

The Maryland National Guard is set to deploy about 300 soldiers from the 175th Infantry Regiment to the Horn of Africa. The troops will support counterterrorism and security initiatives in East Africa.

The soldiers will spend the next several months supporting Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, according to a US TV station.

Isaias Afwerki Travels to Egypt for Security Talks

Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki travelled to Egypt on Saturday for a working visit and talks on regional security. The trip came just days after Eritrea cut diplomatic ties with Ethiopia amid escalating tensions across the Horn of Africa.

Eritrea’s Ministry of Information announced the visit in an official statement.

Ethiopia and Eritrea Sever Diplomatic Ties

Ethiopia and Eritrea have severed diplomatic ties, closed their embassies, and expelled each other’s diplomats amid rising regional tensions. On 1 October 2026, Ethiopia shut its embassy in Asmara and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata. The list included the chargé d’affaires and African Union envoys, who received 48 hours to leave.

Eritrea responded by cutting diplomatic relations. According to Asmara, Ethiopia’s move left it no choice but to retaliate in kind.

Federal Forces Retake Alula Aba Nega Airport

Ethiopian National Defence Forces and government-aligned fighters have retaken Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera. TPLF Chairperson Debretsion Gebremichael also acknowledged in a recent message that federal forces have taken control of parts of the Tigray region.

Eritrean Forces Fight Directly in Afar

Eritrean forces are fighting directly in the Afar region in an effort to cut the strategic road linking Djibouti and Eritrea, Afar’s governor told Al Jazeera.

Regional Councils Seated; Tigray Still Excluded

Eleven regional states and two city administrations have elected their regional councils, and the newly elected officials have started work following the national election. Oromia, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, Harari, Somali, Gambela, Afar, and Addis Ababa returned their regional presidents to office. Meanwhile, the councils of Sidama, South West, Central Ethiopia, Southern Ethiopia, and Dire Dawa chose new leaders.

Tigray remains the only regional state yet to form an elected regional council and administration. Continued conflict and renewed tensions have prevented the region from holding its regional elections.

Oromia Restructures Zonal Administration

Oromia Regional State has approved a major overhaul of its administrative structure, reducing the region’s 21 zonal administrations to six regional clusters. Caffee Oromia, the regional council, ratified the change. Each of the six clusters will be coordinated by a chief administrator with the rank of deputy president.

National Dialogue Commission Submits Recommendations

The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission has formally handed its consolidated agenda items and recommendations to the House of Peoples’ Representatives, the federal government, and the regional governments.

Explosions Reported Near Addis Ababa Military Headquarters

Bloomberg reported that one of the heavy explosions in Addis Ababa occurred near the military headquarters. Reuters, citing a source close to the “alliance” formed by armed forces, reported that the blasts were drone strikes carried out by alliance forces. Eyewitnesses told the agency that the blast near the military facility caused no clearly visible damage.

Neither the military nor the federal government had commented at the time of writing.

Somali President Pursues Regional Diplomacy

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. The one-day working visit focused on bilateral relations and regional security.

A day later, he met Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh to discuss regional cooperation. On Saturday, he met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to review security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, according to local news outlets.

Ethiopia Plans Troop Withdrawal from Somalia

Ethiopia plans to withdraw more than 3,000 troops from Somalia, according to Bloomberg. Renewed fighting at home has pushed the government to redirect military resources toward armed rebel groups.

Neither the Ethiopian nor the Somali government nor the African Union has publicly confirmed the plan.

Investigation Documents Civilian Harm in US Air Operations

At least 216 civilians were killed or wounded in US air operations in Somalia between 2007 and May 2025. The Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism published the finding based on casualty data compiled by the conflict monitoring group Airwars.

UK Envoy Flags Administrative Turnover in South Sudan

Outgoing UK Ambassador to South Sudan David Ashley has pointed to heavy administrative turnover and infrastructure gaps as major obstacles to institutional progress. Speaking at the University of Juba, Ashley said frequent changes among senior government officials complicate bilateral cooperation and public financial management. He noted dealings with numerous finance ministers in a short span, South Sudanese media reported.

Sudan Refuses Visa for Ethiopian Intelligence Chief

Sudanese authorities refused an entry visa to Redwan Hussein, director general of Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service. He had requested an urgent visit to Sudan, according to a media outlet aligned with the Sudanese army.

Sudanese Army Prepares Push in Blue Nile

The commander of the Sudanese army’s 4th Infantry Division on Friday ordered troops in the southeastern Blue Nile region to prepare for a decisive push against allied opposition forces, local media reported. Fighting in Blue Nile flared in January after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces formed an operational alliance with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (North).

Army Captures Sodari in North Kordofan

The Sudanese army has captured Sodari in North Kordofan State, taking another administrative centre from the RSF. The advance continues the army’s offensive against the paramilitary group’s remaining positions in the state, according to a local news outlet.

Northern Ethiopia Conflict Risks Regional Spillover

The resurgence of conflict in northern Ethiopia is rapidly shifting from a domestic crisis into a volatile, multi-country flashpoint. With the Pretoria Agreement framework collapsing, new opposition alliances forming, and diplomatic ties between Addis Ababa and Asmara fully severed, the risk of regional spillover into Eritrea and Sudan is nearing a critical threshold.

Observers and analysts increasingly warn that without renewed collective diplomatic intervention, localized hostilities could draw in external states and widen into a broader conflict across the Horn of Africa.