MekelleแกTelaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London,March 21แก2025 (Tigray Herald)
๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ง
The Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS) is deeply alarmed by the growing threat to Tigrayan refugees in Sudan amid the ongoing calamitous and deeply regrettable conflict in the country.
As you are well aware, tens of thousands of Tigrayan refugees, fleeing the devastating war in Tigray, have sought shelter in Sudan, where the Sudanese people warmly welcomed them.
GSTS and the broader Tigrayan community remain profoundly grateful to the people
of Sudan for their unwavering generosity, hospitality, and support. In the same spirit, we are deeply distressed by the ongoing conflict and stand in strong solidarity with the Sudanese people as they endure the immense challenges brought by the war. We earnestly hope for a swift resolution and a return to lasting peace.
The GSTS is also highly appreciative of the
commendable work done by the UNHCR and other stakeholders to welcome our people
and provide them with protection and humanitarian aid. While we continue to commend these efforts, we are deeply concerned by the significant
challenges that are severely impacting the quality life of the Tigrayan refugees. Most
notably, the conflict in Sudan has exacerbated the already dire conditions faced by these highly vulnerable refugees. GSTS is receiving alarming reports that these refugees, who fled the devastating war in Tigray, are now facing extreme hardships, including forced conscription into armed groups, taking perilous migration routes to Europe and the Middle East, and an escalating humanitarian crisis.
Many are also failing victims of human traffickers promising passage to Europe and the Middle East through illegal means and highly dangerous routes.
It is also extremely distressing to hear about a catastrophic fire explosion at the Um Rakuba Refugee on 20 March 2025, claiming the life of a six-year-old boy, while a two-year-old child sustained injuries.
Given the gravity of the current situation, we urge the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the international community at large to:
Conduct a thorough investigation into the reports of Tigrayan refugees being forcibly
conscripted by armed groups against their will, in contravention to international law
[(the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, Geneva Conventions (1949)
and Additional Protocols (1977), Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
(ICC) (1998), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (1948), the African
Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981)] and hold those responsible
accountable; Ensure the full protection of the refugees, including safeguarding them from human traffickers, and forceful conscription by armed groups, as well as providing essential humanitarian assistance including medical supplies, shelter, and food.; and
Exert all necessary pressures on all parties to the Pretoria Peace Agreement
(Ethiopia’s Federal government and Tigray authorities) to swiftly and fully implement
the Cessation of Hostility Agreement (COHA) that ensures the safe return of millions
of Tigrayan IDPs and refugees to their habitual residences.
Finally, and importantly, GSTS reaffirms its unwavering commitment to working with all
stakeholders to fully implement the Pretoria Peace Agreement, facilitate the safe return of
all IDPs and refugees to their homes, and contribute to the consolidation of peace in Tigray, Ethiopia, and the broader Horn of Africa region.
