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Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok arrived in Ethiopia on Sunday, his office said, amid a growing refugee crisis that has seen more than 50,000 Ethiopians flee the conflict in the Tigray region for neighboring Sudan.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed greeted his Sudanese counterpart at the Addis Ababa airport, where Hamdok arrived with the acting Sudanese Foreign Minister Omar Qamar al-Din and senior military and intelligence officials.
“I look forward to having productive discussions on political, humanitarian and security issues of common concern,” Hamdok tweeted.
The visit came two weeks after the Ethiopian leader declared victory in the fight against the regional government in Tigray. However, clashes between Ethiopian federal and regional forces have continued.
The fighting, which began in early November, has threatened to destabilize Ethiopia, which is the hub of the strategic Horn of Africa, and its neighbors.
The conflict has alarmed the international humanitarian community since the outbreak of violence has largely isolated the Tigray region of 6 million people from the world.
The UN refugee agency said more than 50,000 Ethiopians have fled to remote areas of Sudan, first testing the generosity of local communities and then challenging the ability of humanitarian groups who were quick to establish a system to feed , house and care for refugees.
The influx of refugees adds to Sudan’s economic and security burdens. The transitional government has already been struggling under the weight of decades of US sanctions and mismanagement under former ruler Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted from power last year.
Eastern Sudan, bordering Ethiopia’s Tigray region, has been the scene of episodes of tribal violence in recent months that claimed dozens of lives.
Image: Tiger refugees wait in line to receive cooked rice and lentils from the non-governmental organization Muslim Aid, at the Umm Rakouba refugee camp in Qadarif, eastern Sudan, on Saturday, December 12, 2020 (AP Photo / Nariman El-Mofty)
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