Ethiopia repatriates 670 Sudanese refugees

April 16, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia said on Monday it repatriated 670 Sudanese refugees from two refugee camps in the west state of Gambella last week.

Estifanos Gebremedihin, program director of the Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs, told journalists that these refugees, who are from Fugnido and Dimma refugee camps, were returned to their country.

The administration is returning the refugees through air and inland transport, he said, adding that there is a plan to ferry 1, 500 returning refugees by 30 flights.

More than 12,000 Sudanese refugees have returned from Ethiopia this year, Estifanos said.

The activity of returning the refugees is undertaken according to an agreement reached last year by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the governments of Sudan and Ethiopia, he said.

During the civil war, some 500,000 Sudanese are estimated to have fled to neighboring countries while 4 million others were internally displaced. At present, some 55,000 Sudanese refugees are still sheltered in four camps in Ethiopia.

(Xinhua)