Sudan tightens border control with Ethiopia to prevent rebels’ crossing
March 4, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese authorities have taken measures to prevent the entry of the Tigray rebel fighters into the country after the opening of the Gallabat crossing point.
On March 2, Sudan opened the Gallabat border crossing with Ethiopia after a closure that lasted for more than five months.
After the resumption of the movement of people and goods between the two countries, fifty refugees entered the country, coming from the Axum town, where battles are taking place with government forces.
The refugees are 26 women and 24 men, and they were accommodated and received at the Gallabat Passport Police Department.
The security authorities also reported that more Tigray refugees had crossed from different areas in the Tigray and Amhara regions to Sudan.
The head of the Refugee Sheltering Emergency Committee in Gadaref, al-Fateh Mohamed Moghadam, revealed that the authorities fear the presence f the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)’s fighters among the refugees.
Moghadam said that his committee directed the officer of Um Rakuba refugee camp and the refugee protection official to assess the situation on the ground and meet with the Ethiopians from the Tigray region to examine their cases and causes that drive them to Sudan through the Gallabat crossing.
After investigating the refugees, the committee confirmed that they were seeking asylum and protection within Sudanese territory, the Sudanese official added.
Accordingly, the Sudanese authorities requested the international organizations to provide them food, shelter and primary health care.
Moghadam further pointed to the need to open a reception centre in Gallabat, as they expect that a large number of Ethiopian refugees arrive in Sudan through the Gallabat border crossing.
The Ethiopian authorities accused Sudan of using the refugee camps to harbour and support the TPLF fighters during the past months.
Sudan denied the accusations underscoring that the refugee camps are managed by the UNHCR and international aid groups.
(ST)