This archive report was first published on 10 September 2021.
September 10, 2021
As tensions between Ethiopia and Sudan escalate, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has confirmed a decline in the number of Ethiopian refugees in Sudanese camps.
The decrease comes amidst allegations by the Ethiopian government that some Ethiopian refugee fighters from Sudan have entered the Amhara and Benshangul-Gumz regions, where Ethiopia's massive mega-dam is being built.
"While there has been a modest decrease in the number of Ethiopian refugees in camps in recent months, UNHCR is not able to verify the whereabouts of those who have left, including those who may have returned to their country of origin," a UNHCR spokesperson stated.
The UN agency verifies the presence of registered refugees at camps to receive humanitarian assistance and updates its database, but for protection reasons, it does not release information on individual cases.
"Refugee status is incompatible with active participation in armed conflict. Any registered refugees who may have returned to Ethiopia and joined the conflict are no longer considered refugees," the agency emphasized.
The conflict between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government forces erupted in November last year, leading to the displacement of tens of thousands of people to Sudan.
Relations between Sudan and Ethiopia are deteriorating over a disputed border area of al-Fashaga, with Sudan taking control of most of the land, up to 60 kilometers deep inside Ethiopia.
