Communication has been re-established in the capital Tigray, Mekele and several other cities in the region. But many areas are still cut off from the world, international organizations worry. The visit of Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok this Sunday in Addis Ababa was canceled without explanation. Mediation unnecessary for the Ethiopian government, which claims that the events in Tigray are an internal affair. Nearly 50,000 people have fled to neighboring Sudan in recent weeks. Refugees continue to cross the border but the number has decreased. They talk about the many obstacles on the roads.
With our special envoy to the Ethiopian border, Eliott Brachet
Under a blazing sun, about fifteen men walked through the brush. To get to Sudan, they took a new, more dangerous route through Eritrea. Abraham Beyere, came on foot from Shiraro. A two-week trip.
“As I passed the city of Shire,” he said, “I was stopped by soldiers from the Eritrean army. They undressed me, they even took my belt and my shoes. Then I stopped letting go. “
Abraham assures us that Eritrean soldiers were present in Tigray. For her part, Asmara denies any involvement in the conflict. For Abraham, the pitfalls along the way increased.
The fear of Amhara’s militias
“Five days ago, I came across militiamen, Fanno,” he continues. They tied me with their hands behind my back. They held me captive for two days. I then crossed the river and was going to come to Sudan but I had set foot in Eritrea. I took a roundabout because I had to hide from the Amhara militia that is everywhere chasing the Tigrayans. “
It is impossible to verify this information with precision as Tigray is still locked by the Ethiopian authorities. Addis Ababa ensures that the fighting has stopped, but the testimonies of recent refugees all suggest the opposite.
►Listening: Peter Maurer (ICRC): In Tigray, “we can imagine there were slips on all sides”
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