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Abdalla Hamdok arrives in Ethiopia amid a growing crisis that has forced thousands of Ethiopians to take refuge in refugee camps in Sudan.
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok arrived in Ethiopia, his office says, 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 acting Sudanese Foreign Minister Omar Qamar al-Din and senior military and intelligence officials on Sunday.
“I look forward to having productive discussions on political, humanitarian and security issues of common concern,” Hamdok tweeted.
He arrived in Addis Ababa today to meet with the Prime Minister @AbiyAhmedAli. I look forward to productive discussions on political, humanitarian and security issues of common concern that serve the future of peace, stability and prosperity for our two sister nations and the region. pic.twitter.com/7fMTzNhPaQ
– Abdalla Hamdok (@SudanPMHamdok) December 13, 2020
The visit came two weeks after the Ethiopian leader declared victory in the fight against the regional government in Tigray.
However, clashes between federal forces and regional fighters continue more than a month after the fighting began on November 4.
The conflict threatens to destabilize Ethiopia and other countries in the Horn of Africa region.
It has also alarmed the international humanitarian community since the outbreak of violence has largely isolated the Tigray region of 6 million people from the world.
On Saturday, the first international aid convoy carrying medicines and relief supplies reached Mekelle, the capital of Tigrayan, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said, but more are still needed.
Aid trucks managed to enter the region amid international calls for greater transparency in the month-long fighting.
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. His transitional government has already been struggling under the weight of decades of U.S.-imposed sanctions and the mismanagement of former leader Omar al-Bashir, who was removed from power last year.
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