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world news Diasabra 21 November 2020

UN prepares for up to 200,000 Ethiopian refugees in Sudan

(AP) — The United Na- is sporadic, you never know ery day I go to the camp and
tions refugee agency says where it’s going to happen,” follow up, if there is some-
about 32,000 people have said Hameed Nuru, the Su- one who needs items, and
fled Ethiopia’s embattled dan country representative try to provide them,” she
Tigray region into neigh- for the World Food Program. said. People left Ethiopia in a
boring Sudan, and it is “So it is this anticipation and great hurry, the U.N. officials
preparing for up to 200,000 not-knowing which is caus- said, and most arrived in Su-
in the next six months if ing a lot more fear and caus- dan with nothing. “It's a mix
necessary. ing people now to cross.” of medical doctors, profes-
sionals, bankers, to farmers,”
Axel Bisschop, the agency’s He noted reports that some Fadil said. “You could tell
representative in Sudan, told fighters may have put down some people were actually
reporters Friday that “no- their arms and joined the well-off."
body at this stage can say ex- flow of people crossing, Ethiopia’s government has
actly how many will come,” which could add to tensions. been fighting the Tigray re-
as deadly fighting continues “This could unravel Ethiopia gional forces since a Nov.
between Ethiopian govern- and also Sudan,” the UNI- 4 attack on a military base
ment and Tigray regional CEF country representative there. Each side regards the
government forces. in Sudan, Abdullah Fadil, other as illegal, the result of
said of the crisis. “Soon we a falling-out between Nobel
Another crisis is growing will be overwhelmed ... if this Peace Prize-winning Prime
inside the sealed-off Tigray rate continues.” Minister Abiy Ahmed and
region as food and other sup- the Tigray leaders who once
plies run desperately low. Children under 18 make up dominated the country’s rul-
U.N. Secretary-General about 45% of the refugees, he ing coalition.
Antonio Guterres called for said.
the opening of humanitar- In the swelling Um Rakouba The federal government on
ian corridors “and the truces refugee camp, Taharsta Ma- Friday asserted that its forc-
that might be necessary for hya and her family members es had taken control of the
humanitarian aid to be deliv- found shelter with a local towns of Axum and Adwa in
ered." family. the Tigray region and were
advancing east on Adigrat.
Guterres added: “This is a “We took the baby and ran Along the way, the govern-
matter of enormous concern under the bombs,” Taharsta ment said, the soldiers “con-
to us.” said. "People were hit by the quered” Shire - a community
The Ethiopian refugees are bombs. We were covered in that humanitarians use as a how many people have been Tibor Nagy, told reporters
arriving in a very remote area dust. We made it out, we had base for working with nearly killed, and verifying the war- Thursday evening.
of Sudan, and humanitarians no food, we were hungry. 100,000 refugees from neigh- ring sides' claims is challeng-
must create a crisis response People welcomed us here. boring Eritrea. ing. Alarmed by the potential for
virtually from zero even as up We had no clothes, people disaster in Ethiopia and be-
to 5,000 refugees continue to who saw us threw clothes at Now, some of those Eritrean “At this point, neither party, yond, 17 U.S. senators urged
arrive every day. us.” refugees have fled again into from what we hear, is inter- Secretary of State Mike Pom-
Sudan, aid workers said. ested in mediation,” the top peo in a letter Thursday to
“What definitely is clear is Their host, Um Al-Hassan With communications to the U.S. diplomat to Africa, U.S. engage Abiy directly to push
that fighting is ongoing and it Khamis, confirmed it. “Ev- region severed, no one knows Assistant Secretary of State for an immediate cease-fire.

Thousands mourn death of Belarus protester seized by police

(AP) — Thousands of Be- held near-daily demonstra- he was beaten there; he died Mourners on Friday stood election that official results
larusians streamed to a tions against the authoritarian the next day of head injuries. outside the church hold- say gave President Alexander
church in the capital of president since early August. Police deny responsibility, ing photos of Bandarenka Lukashenko a sixth term in
Minsk on Friday for the saying he was injured in a and the red-and-white rib- office. The opposition and
funeral of a protester who Bandarenka was seized in a fight, and investigators claim bons that are an opposition some poll workers say the re-
was allegedly beaten to Minsk courtyard by men be- he was drunk. A journalist symbol. They later formed a sults were manipulated.
death after being arrested lieved to be plainclothes of- and a doctor, who reported kilometers-long (miles-long)
by police. ficers, who were removing medical records showing column to walk to the cem- More than 19,000 people
symbolic ribbons hung there Bandarenka had no alcohol etery where he was buried. have been detained — and
Raman Bandarenka's death by opposition supporters. He in his blood, were arrested thousands of them beaten —
on Nov. 12 angered opposi- was taken to a police van and Thursday. Protests have gripped Belarus since the protests began, hu-
tion supporters who have human rights advocates say since the Aug. 9 presidential man rights advocates say.
Western countries have an-
nounced an array of sanctions
connected with the election
and crackdown on protests.

Norway on Friday an-
nounced that it was joining
with sanctions imposed by
the European Union. Lithu-
ania, Latvia and Estonia said
they were expanding sanc-
tions to add the Belarusian
information and sports min-
isters.