Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia face increasing risks of abuse due to escalating clashes and violence, according to a report by Human Rights Watch. The conflict involves Ethiopian federal forces and Fano militias, one of several regional groups in the northwestern Amhara region. These clashes expose thousands of fleeing Sudanese to a range of serious abuses.
The report reveals that for over a year, unidentified gunmen have subjected refugees to killings, beatings, abductions, and forced labour. Those fleeing the civil war in Sudan are often provided with limited security in Ethiopia. Preliminary reports have been submitted to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ethiopian government’s Refugee and Returnee Services (RRS) for further action.
Currently, Ethiopia hosts over 90,000 Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers, including more than 38,000 who escaped the armed conflict that erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in April 2023.
Sources:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/10/17/ethiopia-fighting-abuses-putting-sudanese-refugees-risk