Sudanese returnees from Ethiopia: ‘The world is watching our suffering in silence’

The government of El Gedaref has announced an agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to establish three camps in the border town of El Galabat in Sudan, to receive Sudanese refugees returning from Ethiopia. Hundreds of people are walking back to their war-torn country due to instability in the Amhara region.

Hundreds of Sudanese have been walking on foot from the Awlala Forest in Ethiopia’s Amhara region towards Sudan for the fourth consecutive day, enduring heavy rains. They are expected to arrive at the Sudanese border within three days.

Sudanese refugee Mohamed Mohamedein told Radio Dabanga that they had reached the Shahadi area of Ethiopia, about 35 kilometres from the Sudanese border, where they spent the night. He and others walked 45 kilometres in heavy rain to reach this area, “with all our clothes and belongings soaked”.

Mohamedein explained that the UNHCR and the Ethiopian Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) stopped them last Friday, on the second day of their journey, and offered to transport them by bus to the new Aftit camp. The refugees demanded to be transferred to a safer location.

“We refused, as the camp is located in the Amhara region”, which is currently experiencing security disturbances and is in a state of emergency. The Fano armed dissidents are particularly active in the Amhara region.

Another Sudanese refugee, El Tijani Ibrahim, told Radio Dabanga that they had moved after a sit-in in the Awlala forest that lasted 100 days. “We faced severe humanitarian challenges related to security, food, and health. We walked on foot under heavy rain and thunderstorms, accompanied by children, the elderly, the sick, pregnant women, and people with disabilities,” he said.

“We are now carrying our belongings out of the water and spent the night soaked in rainwater,” Ibrahim added. “We were expecting some care from the UNHCR, but the world has turned its back on us. We expect to reach the border registration point within three days and demand intervention and evacuation to any safe country outside Ethiopia.”

Ibrahim expressed his regret over the lack of support or assistance, noting that all food, medicine, and services have run out, leaving many ill. “The world is watching our suffering in silence.”

He confirmed that the refugees renewed their refusal to go to the Aftit camp, noting the widespread presence of weapons and the absence of security in the area where it is located.

“We came to Ethiopia fleeing the war and seeking a haven but were met with indescribable suffering. We were subjected to violence, fear, and hunger, and received no assistance. After being stranded in the Awlala Forest for over 100 days, were were forced to return to Sudan,” one of the returning Sudanese refugees told Radio Dabanga.

Another refugee added: “We were subjected to various violations inside the camp. We lost family and friends to the violence in Ethiopia. We did not receive any assistance. Why is the world silent?”

Reasons for return

The Sudanese Refugee Coordination Committee in Ethiopia reported that more than 2,400 Sudanese refugees left the Awlala Forest in Ethiopia’s Amhara region on Thursday morning, returning to Sudan on foot due to a lack of security and food. In contrast, the UNHCR stated in response to Radio Dabanga’s inquiries that the number of refugees heading to Sudan was closer to 800.

Sona Dadi, UNHCR’s assistant Communications Officer, responded to an inquiry by Radio Dabanga, stating that a group of about 800 refugees, part of a larger group staying on the Awlala road in the Amhara region, headed to the Metema border crossing on Thursday to return to Sudan.

“Given the prevailing security situation in Sudan, UNHCR does not facilitate the return of refugees to Sudan. However, if refugees wish to return to their country of origin, they are free to do so by their own means,” she said.

UNHCR confirmed that it is working with the Ethiopian government’s Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) and its partner Medical Teams International to “provide ambulance services in case of emergencies during the movement of this group”. Dadi noted that the Ethiopian government “has agreed to allow safe passage for refugees walking from Awlala towards the Metema border entry point”.

The UNHCR emphasised that it seeks to manage this very difficult situation as effectively as possible, adding that it continues to work with the Ethiopian RRS and regional authorities to encourage refugees to move to the recently opened Aftit camp, which it described as a “safer environment where refugees can access assistance and services”.

As of August 3, 2,782 refugees had already been relocated to Aftit, including some who were among the protesting refugees camped on the Awlala highway, according to the UNHCR. “In early August, some 5,600 refugees were provided with food services through monthly distributions in Aftit. This includes those temporarily residing near the highways as well as in neighbouring towns such as Shahadi,” Dadi added.

The UNHCR expressed deep concern about the deteriorating security situation in and around refugee sites in the Amhara region, particularly incidents involving refugees that resulted in casualties and abductions. It stressed that it “do[es] not consider it safe for refugees to remain on the highway, where they cannot access humanitarian assistance”.

New camps

Meanwhile, the government of El Gedaref announced that it had reached an agreement with the UNHCR to establish three camps in the border town of El Galabat to receive returning Sudanese and provide shelter and food through various organisations.

In a press release yesterday, the state government reported that the governor of El Gedaref, retired Maj Gen Mohamed Hasan, emphasised the need for swift and adequate intervention by organisations to support Sudanese refugees returning from Ethiopia.

This statement was made during his meeting on Saturday with a delegation from the UNHCR and the Sudanese Refugee Commission in the Eastern States, which was also attended by the Director of Military Intelligence, the Governor’s Advisor for Refugee Affairs and Organisations, and several members of the state government.