The Oulala camp in the Amhara region of Ethiopia witnessed a new armed attack that killed two Sudanese refugees and injured about nine others, in the second attack in less than a week.
The attack occurred on Saturday after a similar attack three days ago, in which two Ethiopian policemen were killed and a number of refugees, including a child, were injured.
More than 6,000 Sudanese refugees live in difficult humanitarian conditions inside the “Oulala” forests, with the onset of autumn and rainfall, without providing any adequate protection.
Fears are rising about the continuation of armed attacks, as well as the environmental risks to which refugees are exposed.
Sources from inside the camp reported that an armed group attacked the camp and opened heavy fire, resulting in casualties.
The Sudanese Refugee Coordination Office in the Amhara region strongly criticized the threats to refugees by officials after they refused to move to a new camp.
For his part, Khaled Omar, a leader in the Coordination of Democratic and Civil Forces “Taqaddam,” said in a press conference in Addis Ababa that the coalition is paying increasing attention to the refugee issue and pointed out that the vice president of the coalition, Al-Hadi Idris, heads a high-level committee to deal with refugee issues, With continued contacts with the Ethiopian side regarding the refugee situation.
Sources revealed that the Ethiopian authorities proposed transporting the refugees to another area within the Amhara region and securing it, but the refugees rejected this proposal.
Dissatisfaction also increased over the negligence of the Sudanese embassy in Addis Ababa, as it did not respond to the ongoing attacks on refugees or provide the necessary assistance, which reflects the absence of support and monitoring by the newly appointed Sudanese ambassador.
A UN appeal to raise $1.4 billion to support refugees from South Sudan