The Horn

Today on The Horn, we are bringing you a bonus episode on Sudan from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire!.In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group’s Sudan expert Shewit Woldemichael and Horn of Africa Director Alan Boswell about Sudan’s war and the foreign powers fueling it. They revisit the atrocities committed during the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) takeover of El Fasher a year ago and the failure by outside actors to prevent them. They discuss shifting front lines, how external supply of drones and other military equipment is helping the RSF sustain its campaign and the growing risk of regional spillover. They examine how the UAE’s support for the RSF, which Abu Dhabi continues to deny, and Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye’s backing of the Sudanese army have left both sides with little incentive to compromise, complicating efforts to end the war. They also assess why U.S.-led ceasefire efforts have stalled and what a negotiated settlement might require. Finally, they discuss the questions raised by top Emirati official Lana Nusseibeh’s bid for UN Secretary-General in light of the UAE’s role in Sudan’s war.For more, check out our Sudan page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Reuters journalist Giulia Paravicini to discuss her recent visit to Asmara, Eritrea’s capital. They talk about everyday life in one of the world’s most isolated countries, Giulia’s conversations with Eritrean officials and the future of the aging regime. They explore how Asmara views Ethiopia’s push for sea access and why Eritrean officials fear an attack on the southern port of Assab. They also discuss Eritrea’s alleged support for Ethiopian opposition groups, reports of Eritrean troops entering Tigray during the recent fighting and whether the two neighbours could still slide into outright war. Finally, they examine Eritrea’s regional relationships, particularly its growing ties with Egypt and renewed engagement with Washington, and whether the country can capitalise on the increasing strategic importance of the Red Sea.For more, check out Giulia’s recent reporting for Reuters “Inside one of the world’s most secretive countries” and “As Iran war smolders, shunned Eritrea looks to come in from the cold”, as well as our last episode “Ethiopia and Eritrea, On the Cusp of War” and our Horn of Africa page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Michael Woldemariam, associate professor at the University of Maryland, to discuss the conflict in northern Ethiopia and whether it could escalate into a wider war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. They examine the calculations behind the Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s latest offensive against the federal government, its new alliance with other opposition groups, how Tigrayans view the renewed fighting and where the conflict might be headed. They also explore Eritrea’s alignment with its former rival, the TPLF, and Addis Ababa’s response to reports of Eritrean cross-border incursions. They consider how a wider war might unfold and what role Middle Eastern powers with interests in the region could play. Finally, they unpack the obstacles to diplomacy and what a path out of the conflict might look like.For more, read our latest alert Pulling Ethiopia and Eritrea Back from War, our Hold Your Fire episode How Close Are Ethiopia and Eritrea to All-out War?, the last episode with Michael, The Ethiopia-Eritrea Standoff and our Horn of Africa page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on The Horn, we are bringing you a bonus episode on the rising risk of war between Ethiopia and Eritrea from Crisis Group's Global Podcast Hold Your Fire!.This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Alan Boswell, Crisis Group’s Horn of Africa director, to discuss the fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region and the risk of an all-out war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. They examine federal forces’ recapture of Tigray’s capital Mekelle and what has changed since the previous war. They explore Eritrea’s calculations in backing its former enemy, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, and whether Ethiopian advances toward the Eritrean border could bring the two countries into direct conflict. They also discuss Ethiopia’s push for Red Sea access and how it has further fuelled tensions with Eritrea. Turning to the wider region, they assess how Middle Eastern powers’ competing interests could shape their responses to a war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the risk of such a conflict becoming entangled with wars in Sudan. Finally, they consider what an urgent diplomatic effort to prevent further escalation would require.For more, check out our last episode Back to War in Ethiopia? our statement Arresting the Dangerous Descent Back into War in Northern Ethiopia and our Horn of Africa page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Yousra Elbagir, Sky News’s Africa correspondent and winner of the RTS Network Television Journalist of the Year award 2026, to discuss her reporting from inside Sudan’s war and its various front lines. They discuss her recent reporting with the Sudanese navy patrolling the Red Sea. They then discuss the situation in El Obeid, under sustained RSF aerial assault, and how the attacks on the city differ from the RSF’s campaign of starvation and massacres in El Fasher. They talk about civilians’ daily struggle amid the war, and the insecurity and shattered services facing those returning to Khartoum. They also discuss how Yousra weaves in the personal impact of the war into her reporting. Finally, they explore possible ways out of the conflict, how Sudanese on the ground view the war, and what Sudan will need to grapple with when it ends.For more, you can check out Yousra Elbagir’s reporting on Sky News and our Sudan page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.