Dr.des. Jalale Getachew Birru is ACLED’s East Africa Senior Analyst. In this capacity, she conducts and coordinates the analysis products of ACLED’s Horn of Africa and Ethiopia Peace Observatory (EPO). She also serves as the main point of contact for partnerships and external engagement for the Horn Africa and EPO projects.
She is an expert in conflict and peacebuilding with over eight years of experience in non-profit, government, and research institutions. Before joining ACLED, she worked as a public prosecutor, attaché, peacebuilding officer and researcher. Jalale started her career as a public prosecutor in her home country, Ethiopia. She holds L.L.B from Haramaya University, Ethiopia, and a Master of Public Policy (M.P.P) and a Doctor of Social Science (Dr.rer.pol) from the University of Erfurt, Germany.
She is an expert in conflict, peacebuilding, democratization, and elections in post-conflict countries.
The RSF attacked civilians in Sudan after taking over El Fasher and Bara, unrest erupted in Cameroon over President Biya’s re-election, and al-Shabaab struck a prison in the Somali capital.
The Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) capture of El Fasher — following 18 months of siege — marks a significant turning point in Sudan’s civil war. El Fasher was the last stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and its ally in the Darfur region, the Darfur Joint Forces.
Insurgent violence rose in Nigeria’s Borno state, the US’ first recorded drone strike in the Sanaag region of Somalia killed an elder, and in Sudan the RSF made gains in El Fasher.
JNIM overran the Farabougou army base in Mali after a five-year siege, Boko Haram escalated attacks on the Cameroon-Nigeria border, and targeted violence in Darfur drove an increase in civilian deaths in August.
In June 2025, anti-government demostrations surged in Kenya, a violence transition took place in Mali as Africa Corps replaced the Wagner Group, and communal violence contributed to surging fatalities in Benue state, Nigeria.
This report examines the important shifts leading to SAF’s advances, and the impact this new phase of war will have on the dynamic of the conflict.
In March, deadly attacks against ethnic Fulani increased in CAR, an ISSP offensive contributed to a rise in fatalities in Niger, and the SAF captured numerous locations and strategic parts of Khartoum.
ACLED reports the first use of drone strikes by IS Somalia, highlighting a surge in remote device attacks.
