About 40 former peacekeepers who come from Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region have arrived in eastern Sudan, seeking asylum. Last month, more than 500 UN peacekeepers 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, hundreds of Ethiopian peacekeepers requested asylum after the end of their mission in Abyei, an official with Sudan's refugee commission confirmed. The Abyei region has been contested since South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. The UN established a peacekeeping mission that year and has since deployed about 4,000 mainly Ethiopian peacekeepers to the region.

Source: Ethiopian News May 17, 2022 05:51 UTC