Some 40 former peacekeepers hailing from Ethiopia's war-wracked Tigray region arrived Sunday in eastern Sudan after seeking asylum, according to an AFP correspondent. Last month, more than 500 UN peacekeepers who were deployed in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan asked Khartoum for asylum, citing fears for their safety if they were to return home. On Sunday, an official with Sudan's refugee commission confirmed that hundreds of Ethiopian peacekeepers requested asylum after the end of their mission in Abyei. The Abyei region has been contested since South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Last year, around 120 Tigrayan ex-peacekeepers who were posted in the Darfur region sought asylum in Sudan, according to the UN.

Source: Ethiopian News May 16, 2022 08:54 UTC