Human Rights Organization for Justice and Development warns of migration of Ethiopians to Egypt, Sudan due to civil war

CAIRO- 4 December 2021:  The Cairo-based Human Rights Organization for Justice and Development (HROJD) and other international organizations warned against the migration of millions of Ethiopians to Sudan and Egypt during the coming period due to the ongoing civil war in Ethiopia between government forces and the Tigray Liberation Front, said official spokesman for the organization, Zaidan Al-Qanai, said.

 

The organization called on the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations to send all humanitarian aid to the Ethiopians fleeing the civil war and to provide safe corridors for delivering aid to those people.

 

The HROJD said that the government forces and the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed “are committing war crimes in the Ethiopian regions and villages they control, which leads to large waves of displaced people.”

 

The HROJD head Nadi Atef said that the battles could escalate in the coming weeks.

 

The conflict between Tigray and the federal government has been ongoing since November 1, 2020, as a result of the former's objection of the postponement of elections, and the marginalization of politicians affiliated to the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF), that used to be an integral part of the consecutive governments for decades.

 

The Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) announced on November 14 that its forces lie 270 kilometers away from Addis Ababa, as reported by Al Arabiyah, warning it would enter the city, if Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed does not resign.

 

On November 3, 2021, the Egyptian Embassy at Addis Ababa advised expats Wednesday to exercise caution after Ethiopian authorities had declared Tuesday the state of emergency.

 

The embassy urged – on social media - members of the Egyptian community to limit their movements, stick to the Ethiopian government's instructions, and always carry their identity documents. That is in addition to steering clear from crowds and remote areas.