Human Rights First Ethiopia, a domestic organization dedicated to upholding human rights, has made an immediate appeal for the safeguarding and transfer of Tigrayan refugees and former UN peacekeepers in eastern Sudan. This urgent call comes as clashes between Sudanese forces escalate in proximity to refugee camps. The organization has sounded the alarm, cautioning that a large number of ethnic Tigrayan refugees are facing severe distress and peril due to the escalating conflict between the Sudan Rapid Support Force (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the area.
The local human rights group is urgently calling for action to ensure the safety and relocation of Tigrayan refugees and former UN peacekeepers in eastern Sudan. The organization’s plea is prompted by the spreading of fighting between Sudanese forces to areas near refugee camps, posing a significant threat to the well-being of the refugees. Human Rights First Ethiopia has emphasized the extreme distress and danger faced by tens of thousands of ethnic Tigrayan refugees as the conflict between the Sudan Rapid Support Force (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) intensifies in the region.
Human Rights First Ethiopia, a grassroots human rights organization, has issued a pressing appeal for the protection and transfer of Tigrayan refugees and former UN peacekeepers in eastern Sudan. The urgent call follows the expansion of hostilities between Sudanese forces to areas close to refugee camps. The organization has raised the alarm, highlighting the dire distress and peril faced by a large number of ethnic Tigrayan refugees as the conflict between the Sudan Rapid Support Force (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) escalates in the region.
A similar statement was issued by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on 10 July, urging international organizations to provide safe evacuation options for refugees in Gedaref and Kassala states. The appeal echoes the growing anxiety among the approximately 40,000 Ethiopian refugees in the area, as highlighted by an Ethiopian refugee who told HRW, “If the fighting approaches Gedaref and Kassala, we will not be safe.”
Human Rights First has expressed particular concern over a recent RSF claim that Tigrayan forces are fighting alongside the SAF, stating, “The fighting has widened to areas in or near the eastern Sudanese states of Gedaref, Sennar, and Kassala.” This development was strongly refuted by the Tigray Interim Administration as “baseless” and “apparently designed to shore up international support for its campaign against the SAF.”
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) released a statement on 05 May, 2024, claiming that forces from the TPLF are fighting alongside the SAF and its allied militias connected to the terrorist former regime. Human Rights First Ethiopia fears that this could put Tigrayan refugees at heightened risk, noting the RSF’s “previously known” involvement in “genocidal acts” in Darfur and other regions of Sudan.
The group is pushing for the immediate repatriation of both refugees and former peacekeepers to their original locations in western Tigray and other parts of Ethiopia, in accordance with the Pretoria peace deal. If this proves unfeasible, they are recommending the urgent relocation of these individuals to other countries.
The declaration emphasizes the importance of removing the perpetrators of serious crimes, such as the ethnic cleansing of Tigrayans in western Tigray, and underscores the need for prompt action to guarantee the well-being of the refugees.
Ambassador Nebiyu Tedla, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, has announced that the Ethiopian government has established a national committee and has been facilitating the return of Ethiopian citizens since the onset of the conflict in Sudan. This update was recently communicated to Voice of America (VOA) by Ambassador Tedla.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia has taken proactive measures by setting up a national committee to oversee the repatriation process of Ethiopian citizens affected by the conflict in Sudan. Ambassador Nebiyu Tedla, in his capacity as the spokesperson for the Ministry, has been actively involved in providing updates on the ongoing efforts to Voice of America (VOA).
In response to the conflict in Sudan, the Ethiopian government has initiated the repatriation of its citizens and has established a national committee to oversee this process. Ambassador Nebiyu Tedla, serving as the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recently shared this development with Voice of America (VOA), highlighting the government’s commitment to addressing the needs of Ethiopian citizens affected by the conflict.
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