AGP Executive Report

Agricultural Technology: A Sudan-focused initiative is developing practical advice to help farmers use fertiliser more effectively. Its project supported 86% of fertiliser used in the 2025 winter season, reaching more than 100,000 farmers across 10 states; a recent workshop brought farmers, researchers and digital communicators together to improve how guidance reaches them. Healthcare Technology: A CT scanner in East Darfur has resumed operations after months out of service, restoring an important diagnostic tool in a conflict-affected area.

Agricultural Technology: A Sudan farming initiative is shifting focus from access to fertiliser toward practical advice on using it well. After supporting 100,000 farmers across 10 states, a workshop brought researchers, extension specialists and digital media creators together to develop guidance on soil health and fertiliser use. Health Technology: A CT scanner in East Darfur has resumed operations after months out of service, restoring access to vital diagnostic imaging. Medical Research: Studies from Port Sudan and eastern Sudan examine antibiotic dispensing in community pharmacies and blood-count reference ranges among pregnant women, adding local data from conflict-affected settings.

Digital Agriculture: Sustain Sudan has helped secure 86% of the fertiliser used in Sudan’s 2025 winter season, reaching more than 100,000 farmers across 10 states. A workshop led by Sustain Africa and CIMMYT is developing practical guidance on fertiliser use and soil health, with farmers, researchers and digital communicators involved in getting advice to growers. Health Technology: A CT scanner in East Darfur has resumed service after months offline, restoring an important diagnostic tool for local patients. Technology Access & Justice: US sanctions on the International Criminal Court could disrupt its access to banking, insurance and technology services, putting operations at risk—including work on alleged crimes in Darfur.

Conflict Technology: The UN Security Council extended Darfur sanctions for two months, but a proposed Sudan-wide arms embargo stalled. UN investigators have reported that foreign networks are supplying weapons, drones, training and logistics to parties in the conflict. Medical Technology: A CT scanner in East Darfur has resumed operations after months out of service, restoring an important diagnostic tool amid severe health-service shortages. Health Research: Recent studies focus on care in Sudan, including blood-test reference ranges for healthy pregnant women in Eastern Sudan and non-prescription antibiotic dispensing at community pharmacies in Port Sudan.

Health Technology: A CT scanner in El Daein, East Darfur, has resumed service after more than two months out of action. It is the only scanner serving Darfur and Kordofan, restoring vital diagnostic access for patients in both regions. Repairs were completed by engineers and health insurance staff, with support from a local businessman.

Medical Technology: A CT scanner in El Daein has resumed service after more than two months out of action. Engineers repaired what the health administration described as the only scanner serving Darfur and Kordofan, restoring access to diagnostic scans. Clinical Research: A prospective study in Eastern Sudan is tracking blood-count reference ranges among healthy pregnant women. Pharmacy Research: A simulated-patient study in Port Sudan examined non-prescription antibiotic dispensing in community pharmacies, focusing on a sore-throat scenario.

Medical Technology: A CT scanner in El Daein has resumed service after more than two months offline. Health officials say it is the only scanner serving Darfur and Kordofan, restoring access to vital diagnostic scans amid ongoing disruption to Sudan’s health system. Digital Trade: Importers are urging Sudan to scrap its new Advance Cargo Declaration system, saying fees could raise prices and a foreign contractor’s access to shipment data raises security concerns. The system is intended to digitise and speed up customs clearance. Health Research: Recent studies focus on clinical care in Sudan, including blood-count reference ranges for pregnant women in Eastern Sudan and antibiotic dispensing practices at community pharmacies in Port Sudan.

Digital Customs: Sudanese importers and customs experts are urging the government to scrap its Advance Cargo Declaration system, warning that dollar fees could raise prices and that a foreign contractor’s access to shipment data poses risks. Customs says the system is intended to speed clearance and digitise trade. Health Research: Recent studies focused on Sudan include research into blood reference ranges among pregnant women in Eastern Sudan and a simulated-patient study of non-prescription antibiotic sales in Port Sudan pharmacies.

Sudan War & Human Rights: Amnesty researcher Janine Morna says Sudan’s RSF has recruited children in North Darfur, with boys allegedly forced to fight and girls facing rape and other sexual violence. Sudan Conflict Data: Researchers Paola Vesco’s team highlights why Sudan’s death toll estimates vary so widely, proposing a model that better reflects undercounting in active conflict zones. Ebola Basics: A public health explainer revisits Ebola’s origins, symptoms, spread, and treatment, tracing the virus to 1976 outbreaks in DRC. Red Sea Tech & Power Links: A report argues Red Sea and Horn crises are interconnected through drones, gold flows, and foreign-backed training and logistics—linking Sudan, Libya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Yemen. Ethiopia Water & Energy: Coverage explains how Ethiopia’s hydropower push, including GERD, reshapes Nile basin geopolitics and regional power. Health Research (Sudan-Relevant): A study reviews hematology reference intervals for healthy pregnant women in Eastern Sudan, warning against using non-pregnant ranges. AI & Skills Gap (Africa): South Africa’s rapid AI adoption contrasts with low AI skills penetration, raising job and opportunity concerns. Nobel Science: The 2026 medicine prize goes to optogenetics pioneers, a step toward future treatments for brain and sensory disorders.

Sudan Conflict Monitoring: New analysis highlights why Sudan’s war death toll is so hard to pin down, with researchers modeling undercounting and uncertainty as communications collapse and access is blocked. Human Rights & Youth Protection: Amnesty reports RSF-linked recruitment of children in North Darfur, including alleged abduction, forced fighting, and sexual violence. Red Sea Tech-Driven Geopolitics: A broader investigation argues Sudan’s war is tied to regional power networks—ports, drones, and gold flows—showing how outside financing and training can reshape conflict dynamics. Health Research in Sudan Context: A study on postpartum hemorrhage management in Tanzania underscores how maternal care gaps remain deadly in the region, while a separate Sudan-focused reference interval paper warns that medical benchmarks must fit local conditions. Global Science Spotlight: The Nobel Medicine Prize went to optogenetics pioneers, a reminder of how light-controlled biology is moving toward real therapies. AI & Entrepreneurship: A Sudan-linked youth project shares how free AI tools are helping students build and validate business ideas.

Nobel Medicine: The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Karl Deisseroth and German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for optogenetics, a method that uses light to control specific brain cells and could speed treatments for disorders like Parkinson’s and epilepsy. Public Health: A Sudan-relevant One Health angle is highlighted by a report on mycetoma (“Madura Foot”), showing how soil fungi can infect people after small injuries—an example of how human, animal, and environmental health link in neglected tropical diseases. Human Rights in Sudan: Amnesty reports alleged RSF recruitment of children in North Darfur, including forced fighting and sexual violence, with long-term harm tied to starvation and disrupted education. Regional Tech & Policy: An ID4D expert argues countries exporting digital public infrastructure should share “mistakes” and accountability lessons, not just success stories. AI for Youth: A Sudan-included AI entrepreneurship platform launched by US high schoolers aims to help students plan, validate, and document ventures. Conflict Tech Scrutiny: An op-ed urges tighter scrutiny of drone supply chains used in Sudan, calling for embargoes and safeguards.

Humanitarian Tech & Safety: WFP says an airstrike hit clearly marked aid trucks in Sudan’s South Kordofan, killing one driver and underscoring how drones and damaged infrastructure are complicating relief delivery. Conflict & Governance: A Dutch-Sudanese lawyer was appointed Justice Minister in a controversial RSF “parallel government,” raising fresh legal and diplomatic alarms over Sudan’s war-time institutions. Mining & Industrial Risk: A gold mine collapse in West Kordofan left dozens trapped; survivors report RSF refusal to help, spotlighting urgent workplace safety and emergency response gaps. Health & Research: SciDev.Net reports a rare case of mycetoma caused by two soil-fungus species in one patient, a reminder of neglected tropical disease risks for rural workers. Science Policy & Global Tech: The Nobel Medicine Prize went to optogenetics pioneers, a boost for light-controlled brain research that could shape future treatments. Climate Impact: New projections warn a super El Niño could drive hundreds of thousands of excess heat deaths globally, with Sudan among the hardest-hit. Regional Trade & Tech Skills: Egypt seeks to expand trade ties with Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea, while Greece highlights education and technical training links across Africa.

Nobel Watch (Medicine): Nobel season opens with speculation that appetite-hormone research behind today’s weight-loss drugs (including GLP-1 pathways) could be in the running. Human Rights in Sudan: Amnesty reports RSF recruitment of children in North Darfur, including sexual violence, starvation risks, and years without education. Sudan Mining Disaster: Survivors say RSF refused to rescue dozens after a gold mine collapse in West Kordofan that killed at least 82. Climate Tech & Health: A new super El Niño outlook warns of up to 451,000 heat deaths globally, with Sudan among the hardest-hit countries—pushing demand for heat-health planning. Regional Trade & Connectivity: Egypt seeks to expand trade ties with Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea after a quadrilateral summit, citing room to grow beyond 2024 figures. AI & Disinformation: Anthropic says Russian-linked actors used the AI assistant Claude to generate pro-Russia propaganda in the Central African Republic. Space & Peace Prize: The International Space Station is again floated as a possible 2026 Nobel Peace Prize contender. Fuel Crisis (Sudan): Sudan’s fuel shortage is driving price spikes and transport disruption, blamed on global oil shocks plus domestic import restrictions.

Climate & Health: A new report warns El Niño could drive about 451,000 excess heat deaths globally, with Sudan among the hardest-hit countries, urging heat-health plans, cooling centers, and stronger emergency response. Horn of Africa Security: Ethiopia and Eritrea sever ties after drone strikes in Addis Ababa and renewed fighting in Tigray, with both sides trading accusations involving Sudan and Egypt—raising fears of a wider regional spillover. Sudan’s Pressure Points: Persistent violence is stalling farming and schooling across Africa, and Sudan is singled out as part of an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.” Fuel & Daily Life in Sudan: Sudan’s fuel shortage is pushing prices up and paralyzing transport, driven by global oil disruptions plus domestic import restrictions, with black-market petrol reportedly near double the official price. Tech, Space & Peace Politics: The International Space Station is being floated as a Nobel Peace Prize contender for 2026, framed as a rare symbol of cooperation amid global tensions. Diplomacy & Regional Tech Policy: The UAE wrapped UNGA high-level week activities, highlighting AI-enabled UN reform, climate action, and sustainable water solutions. Culture & Sudanese Media: Sudanese filmmaker Suzannah Mirghani’s “Cotton Queen” is discussed as a window into Sudan’s cotton history, women’s stories, and war-era filmmaking challenges.

Ethiopia–Eritrea Rift: Ethiopia closed its Asmara embassy and expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats after a drone attack hit Addis Ababa, as both sides traded accusations and severed ties—raising fears the renewed Tigray-linked fighting could spill into a wider Horn of Africa war. Regional Security Spillover: Analysts warn the Ethiopia conflict could intertwine with Sudan’s ongoing civil war and Red Sea tensions, with Egypt, Eritrea and Sudan repeatedly blamed for backing armed groups. Sudan Fuel Crunch: A fuel shortage is driving up prices and paralyzing transport and daily business, with shortages tied to global disruptions plus domestic import limits; authorities ordered extra supplies, but FX constraints and refinery shutdowns are complicating relief. Food Safety Alarm: Food adulteration is expanding, with experts citing economic incentives and hard-to-detect dyes and oils; calls are growing for stronger Sudan-style regulation and safer supply chains. Space for Peace Talk: The International Space Station is being floated as a possible 2026 Nobel Peace Prize contender, spotlighting long-running cooperation among rival states in orbit. UAE, AI and Power: A report says a top UAE security-linked figure is a major AI financier via G42, intensifying concerns about surveillance and control in the AI era.

Sudan Fuel Crisis: Fuel shortages are pushing prices up and paralyzing transport and daily business, with petrol reportedly near double the official price and a black market thriving; Prime Minister Kamil Idriss ordered extra petroleum supplies, but analysts point to refinery shutdowns, foreign exchange gaps, and import financing hurdles. Ethiopia–Eritrea Break: After a drone attack in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats, closed its Asmara embassy, and Eritrea severed ties in return—raising fears the renewed Tigray fighting could spill across the Horn. Horn War Risk: A Chatham House analysis warns Tigray escalation could pull in Eritrea and Sudan, with drone strikes and airport seizures signaling a wider conflict trajectory. Ethiopia–Humanitarian Coordination: Northern Ethiopia’s renewed fighting highlights the need for tighter coordination between humanitarian groups and the federal government so access and responsibilities don’t derail relief. Nobel Peace Prize Buzz (Tech/Science): The International Space Station is being floated as a contender for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, framed as a rare example of cooperation despite geopolitical tensions. Food Safety Alarm: Experts warn Sudan faces rising food adulteration, driven by profit, with calls for stronger detection and regulation.