Filippo Grandi, the U.S. High Commissioner for Refugees, said on Wednesday that more than 20,000,000 refugees from the Ethiopian region of Tigris had entered Sudan, escaping fighting between the government and regional forces.
As of Tuesday night, more than 1,800 people from the Ethiopian region of Tigre had crossed the border and were The Sudanese state was traveling to Kasala, while hundreds more arrived in the al-Lukdi border area, Abdullah Suleiman, Sudan’s commissioner for refugees, told CNN.
A U.S. official told CNN that the governor of Kasala is initially preparing facilities to accommodate 20,000 people. Although the borders are officially closed, the governor has offered amnesty to the refugees and the U.N. Predicts that the figure could cross 100,000 next year.
Nine million people are at high risk along the front lines fighting on Tigris’ borders and the conflict could lead to mass displacement of these people, the UN said in a statement.
According to local reports and state media, the escalating fighting has resulted in casualties across the region. On Tuesday, state-affiliated broadcaster Fana TV reported that Ethiopian federal forces had killed 550 Tigra fighters. It is not clear whether these fighters were members of the TPLF.
CNN was not able to independently confirm the death toll.
At least 17 Ethiopian military officers have been arrested on suspicion of treason and accused of conspiring with the TPLF to block communications between the North and Central Command, Fena TV reported Wednesday, citing the Federal Police Commission. CNN could not independently confirm this.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a recent status report that air and road blockades and regional communications were having a “significant impact” on Tigre’s assistance. Even before the conflict, more than 1,000,000 people in the region depended on food aid, according to UN agencies.
Abiya came to power in 2018 on a reformist agenda promising division between regional governments, but officials in Tigre and other regions have complained that Abiya is only trying to strengthen his rule from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. While he has been praised internationally, his leadership has seen a significant increase in ethnic and political tensions in some parts of the country, often with fatal consequences.
Violent conflict is escalating
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Ethiopian Foreign Minister and spokesman for the newly established Emergency Task Force, Redwan Hussein, told reporters that the TPLF Only when an unarmed conclusion is reached and justice is done to the members will there be a dialogue with the regional leaders. .
“There will be a window of dialogue, it’s inevitable, but the question arises when,” Redwan added, “when these objectives are met, once we destroy these weapons.”
Redwan claimed that the TPLF has significant military capabilities, in which rockets can strike the capital. He did not provide evidence of the allegation.
The spokesman also confirmed that local forces had taken over the northern command post of the Ethiopian army in Tigre, the capital of McLean. CNN Unable to get comment from TPLF leadership.
“They were able to subdue the entire compound because we didn’t have enough weapons and personnel there,” Redwan said.
On Tuesday, the head of the TPLF, Debrecen Gabri Michael, accused the neighboring Eritrean government of launching an attack on the Tigre state. The allegation was denied by both the Eritrean government and the Ethiopian national army.
Ethiopia’s chief human rights commissioner, Daniel Beckley, said Wednesday that four other journalists had been detained overnight on Tuesday.
International attention
International efforts to ease tensions in Ethiopia are accelerating as the conflict threatens to plunge the nation into a potential civil war.
The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said Monday that they were “negotiating to support efforts to restore peace and political dialogue in Ethiopia.”
Borrell said he had spoken to Abi that “the EU’s concern for threats to the country’s integrity and the stability of the wider region should remain in the current situation” and offered European support for any action to reduce tensions. , Return to dialogue and secure the rule of law. “
A United Nations spokesman said Monday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had issued a similar message on Saturday, urging an immediate end to tensions. He added that “humanitarian colleagues and their partners are finalizing a humanitarian response plan for Tigre.”
“In addition to Tigre, nearly nine million people are at high risk due to the conflict in the area. More than 6,000 people have been affected by COVID-19 in the Tigre region. It is also one of the most affected areas,” the spokesman said in a press briefing.
The report was contributed by Zacharias Zelalem and CNN’s Scams Elvazer, David McKenzie, Brent Swells and Richard Roth.
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