Page 6 - aruba-today-20201212

A6 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 12 december 2020

Alarm as Ethiopia returns refugees who fled Tigray fighting

By CARA ANNA have access is a day lost.
Associated Press Every day that we don't
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — In have access is a day that
a development the United increases the suffering of
Nations called "disturbing," civilians," U.N. spokesman
Ethiopia on Friday said it is Stephane Dujarric told re-
returning thousands of refu- porters, and he referred
gees who ran from camps questions to Ethiopia's side.
in its Tigray region as war Ethiopia says it is responsi-
swept through, putting ble for ensuring the security
them on buses back to the of aid efforts — though the
border area with Eritrea, conflict and related ethnic
the country the refugees tensions have left many
originally fled. Tigrayans wary of govern-
The news came as the Unit- ment forces.
ed States said it believes On Friday, Ethiopia said it
Eritrean troops are active in had begun delivering aid
Ethiopia, a "grave develop- to areas in Tigray under its
ment." A State Department control, including Shire and
spokesperson in an email Mekele, a city of a half-mil-
cited credible reports and lion people.
said "we urge that any such "Suggestions that humani-
troops be withdrawn imme- tarian assistance is imped-
diately." Tigray refugee children sing and dance inside a tent run by UNICEF for children's activities, in Umm ed due to active military
The U.N. refugee chief, Filip- Rakouba refugee camp in Qadarif, eastern Sudan, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. Associated Press combat in several cities
po Grandi, said that "over and surrounding areas
the last month we have within the Tigray region is
received an overwhelming anteed to me that (Eritrean protected elsewhere, the the group also supports the untrue and undermines the
number of disturbing re- forces) have not entered Ti- agency said. It said the Eritrean refugees. critical work undertaken by
ports of Eritrean refugees in grayan territory." But Tigray refugee camps have had "Sadly, due to the lack of the National Defense Forc-
Tigray being killed, abduct- residents have asserted no access to food or other communications and on- es to stabilize the region,"
ed and forcibly returned to that gunfire came from the supplies for more than a going insecurity in the re- the prime minister's office
Eritrea. If confirmed, these direction of Eritrea as the month. gion, it has not yet been said, noting only "sporadic
actions would constitute conflict began. The International Organi- possible to reach their fami- gunfire" remained.
a major violation of inter- Eritrea, described by rights zation for Migration said lies," the group said. Some 6 million people live
national law." He said his groups as one of the world's it was "extremely con- "Now, more than ever, it is a in Tigray. About 1 million
agency has met with some most repressive countries, is cerned" about the refu- matter of urgency to cease are now thought to be
refugees in the capital, Ad- a bitter enemy of the fugi- gees' "forced" return and all hostilities," the European displaced. The impact on
dis Ababa, and he again tive Tigray government. denied it was involved, say- Union's commissioner for civilians has been "appall-
urged unhindered humani- The U.N, refugee agency ing Ethiopia took over one crisis management, Janez ing," the U.N. human rights
tarian access to Tigray. said it hadn't been informed of its transit centers in the Lenarcic, said while con- chief said this week.
Ethiopia said its recently in advance of the Eritrean capital, Addis Ababa, on demning the killings. This week, Ethiopia said its
completed military offen- refugees' return. "We re- Dec. 3. Tigray remains largely forces shot at and briefly
sive against the now-fugi- ceived alarming messages Aid groups say thousands sealed off from the world detained U.N. staffers con-
tive Tigray regional gov- from Eritreans living abroad of Eritrean refugees had five weeks after fighting ducting their first security
ernment "was not a direct and when we looked into fled to Addis Ababa and erupted between Ethio- assessment in Tigray, a cru-
threat" to the 96,000 "mis- them, ascertained that the Tigray capital, Mekele. pia's government and cial step in delivering aid.
informed" Eritrean refugees several hundred refugees Ethiopia said their "unregu- the Tigray one following a Ethiopia said they were
— even as aid groups said had been put on buses this lated movement" makes it months-long power strug- trying to go where they
four staffers had been killed morning to be returned to difficult to ensure their se- gle. The governments re- weren't allowed.
in the fighting, at least one the Tigray region," it said. curity. gard each other as illegiti- Meanwhile, nearly 50,000
in a refugee camp. Any forced return, it said, Their camps are now stable mate, the result of months Ethiopians have fled to Su-
U.N. Secretary-General An- "would be absolutely unac- and under "full control," of friction since Abiy took dan and more are still arriv-
tonio Guterres this week ceptable." Ethiopia said, adding that office in 2018 and sidelined ing.
said Prime Minister Abiy Given the trauma that ref- food delivery there "is un- the once-dominant Tigray "The recent groups coming
Ahmed, last year's Nobel ugees say they witnessed der way." People's Liberation Front. from areas deeper inside Ti-
Peace Prize winner, "guar- in Tigray, they should be But communication and Thousands of people are gray are arriving weak and
transport links to Tigray re- thought to have been killed exhausted, some report-
main so challenging that in the fighting that began ing they spent two weeks
the International Rescue Nov. 4 and has threatened on the run inside Ethiopia
Committee said it was still to destabilize the Horn of as they made their way to
trying to confirm details Africa. the border," U.N. refugee
around the killing of a col- Ethiopia rejects "interfer- spokesman Babar Baloch
league in the Hitsats refu- ence" as fighting reported- told reporters. "They have
gee camp in Shire town, ly continues, while the U.N. told us harrowing accounts
the base of aid operations. has pleaded for neutral, of being stopped by armed
Separately, the Dan- unfettered access. "Food groups and robbed of their
ish Refugee Council said rations for displaced peo- possessions."
three staffers who worked ple in Tigray have run out," Without access in Ethiopia,
as guards at a project site the U.N. humanitarian of- he said, "we are unable
were killed last month. It fice tweeted. to verify these disturbing
was not clear where, but "Every day that we don't reports."q