Eritrean soldiers accused of Tigray violence

By Nathan Morley

According to Amnesty International, Eritrean soldiers opened fire on civilians in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, killing three people and wounding at least 19.

Amnesty says the attack took place in Adwa on Monday, more than a fortnight after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Eritrea had agreed to withdraw the forces.

Eritrea sent soldiers to the northern Ethiopian region during the conflict that broke out there late last year.

Eritrea has not commented on latest incident, but has previously denied reports Eritreans have committed mass killings and rapes.

Thousands displaced

In a separate development, the UN refugee agency says ethnic and tribal clashes in Sudan’s West Darfur region have forced nearly 2,000 people to into neighboring Chad.  

Renewed violence at the start of this month between Masalit and Arab tribes over land and water resources has killed scores of people, injured hundreds and displaced thousands. 

According to the UN, the clashes in the capital of West Darfur, have forced over 1,500 people – mostly women, children and the elderly - to flee to Chad in the seven days. 

The latest arrivals join 145,000 existing refugees from Darfur. Conditions on the ground are dire, as people lack shelter and have to sleep in the open air.    

 "Refugees arriving in Chad speak of houses and properties being destroyed, and of sites hosting displaced people being targeted.  Some of the new arrivals had already been displaced by earlier clashes last year and in January this year as well," U.N. refugee spokesman Babar Baloch said. 

As it stands, U.N. aid agencies are urging the Sudanese government to deploy security forces to keep the peace in Darfur.

Speaking to the media, Balloch says it is unclear from where the money to support the refugees will come as UNHCR has received just 16 percent of its appeal for humanitarian operations in Chad.