This week, African leaders call for talks on Ethiopia and Sudan. Over 1,400 migrants deported to Myanmar from Malaysia. African Union (AU) delegation works to save ceasefire amidst renewed fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
African Leaders Call for Talks on Ethiopia and Sudan
On October 4, four African leaders issued a joint statement calling for talks to end major conflicts escalating across the continent, including in Ethiopia and Sudan. The leaders included Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Eritrean president Isaias Afwerki, Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Ethiopia has accused Egypt, Eritrea, and Sudan of supporting armed opposition to its government. The joint declaration contested several of Ethiopia’s policies. For example, it said control of the Red Sea should remain with the coastal states, seemingly against Ethiopia’s quest for sovereign access to the sea and a naval presence. El-Sisi said that cross-border challenges required “a dialogue, not confrontation.”
The declaration supported Sudan’s military-led government and called for a political process led by Sudanese parties.
Sudan’s army has been at war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and Sudan and Ethiopia have accused each other of interfering in Sudan’s war.
Over 1,400 Migrants Deported to Myanmar From Malaysia
On October 3, 1,479 migrants were deported from Malaysia to Myanmar despite rights monitors warning that conditions in Myanmar were unsafe.
While Malaysia insists that all the migrants agreed to return, the UN refugee agency said last week that its staff were not allowed to meet the Myanmar nationals to confirm whether their decisions to return “were genuinely free and informed.”
Most Myanmar refugees in Malaysia are part of the Rohingya minority group, which suffered from a brutal counter-insurgency and ethnic cleansing campaign by Myanmar’s military in 2017.
This development comes amidst a jump in raids on refugee communities in Malaysia, which has led to the detention of more than 50,000 refugees so far in 2026.
AU Delegation Works to Save Ceasefire Amidst Renewed Fighting in DRC
An African Union (AU) delegation is working to save the ceasefire signed by the Congolese government and the M23 armed group amidst renewed fighting in Masisi. The delegation of five facilitators, all former African heads of state, visited Goma on October 7.
In a statement, the delegation “called for strict respect for ceasefire commitments, full cooperation with verification mechanisms and restraint from actions that could undermine the peace process.” It also emphasized the “urgent need to protect civilians, particularly women and girls, prevent sexual and gender-based violence, and ensure accountability for violations.”
During its visit, the delegation met with the UN peacekeeping mission in the country before visiting Nyiragongo territory to evaluate the humanitarian situation for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
In August, the Congolese government and M23 agreed in Switzerland to develop a roadmap setting out sequenced steps and timelines for peace negotiations under the Doha Framework Agreement signed in 2025.
The DRC’s eastern region has suffered violence over its rich mineral sources for decades.
Keywords: Ethiopia, Sudan, Myanmar, Malaysia, DRC, Congo, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, ceasefire, peace talks
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
