Sudan transfers Ethiopian soldiers seeking asylum to refugee camp

May 10, 2021 (EL FASHER) – The Commission for Refugees (COR) in North Darfur State transferred to refugee camps Ethiopian soldiers have defected seeking political asylum after working in the UN-AU peacekeeping mission in Darfur, UNAMID.

The defectors who are from the Tigray region say fear for their life after the eruption of the war between the federal government and the TPLF in northern Ethiopia.

“The first batch of asylum seekers left El Fasher airport via a UN plane to Kassala airport in eastern Sudan and was transported to Um Gargorah camp for the Ethiopian refugees,” said the Commissioner for Refugees in North Darfur Fateh Ibrahim Mohamed in statements to the official news agency SUNA on Monday.

The total number of soldiers who applied for asylum at the Commission reached 120, including 14 women, he added.

They were transferred in four batches including one of 33 soldiers on Sunday and another of 31 soldiers on Monday.

They are handed over to the refugee commission and the humanitarian groups including the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in the refugee camp.

The Security Council decided to terminate the UNAMID mandate on 31 December 2020, withdrawing all uniformed and civilian personnel other than those needed for liquidation by 30 June 2021.

(ST)