A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on Thursday revealed that recent armed clashes between Ethiopian government forces and the Fano militia exposed thousands of Sudanese refugees in the Amhara region to major risks, including of forced deportation, in violation of international humanitarian law. HRW urged Ethiopian authorities and the international community to take all necessary measures to put an end to these violations and provide adequate assistance to refugees.

The report specified that abuses targeting Sudanese refugees took place between July 2023 to September 2024. The alleged abuses include robbery, forced labor, beating, abduction for ransom, and even killings. HRW said that armed men shot at refugees inside their tents and also outside the camps while seeking medical care. Moreover, Sudanese refugees had to move from one refugee camp to another as the armed clashes intensified, looking for safety and proper living conditions.

The report further found that refugees who refused to move to a new site out of fear of further violence were violently attacked, which forced them to move to a transit center in a town called Metemma. However, even the refugees living in the transit center did not receive enough food and had no access to health services. Based on refugees’ testimonies, national security forces forcibly repatriated refugees back to Sudan despite the insecurity in their home country. According to HRW, the Ethiopian government thus failed to comply with its obligations under both the 1951 Refugee Convention and the OAU Africa Refugee Convention. These conventions confirm the voluntary character of repatriation and prohibit the return of refugees to their country of origin when the circumstances and security situation won’t allow them to live safely.

At the end of its report, HRW urged the government to provide Sudanese refugees with humanitarian assistance and implement safety measures to protect them from further armed attacks. The rights group also called for investigations into the committed abuses. HRW further urged the fighting forces to cease their attacks against Sudanese refugees, take all measures that would spare civilians from the effects of the armed conflict, and facilitate the entry and delivery of humanitarian aid as stated under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Finally, the report urged international partners to support Ethiopian authorities by providing the required humanitarian aid and ensuring the relocation of refugees to safe areas.

Over one million people have fled Sudan to neighboring countries since an armed conflict erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Ethiopia, along with other countries such as South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Egypt, has hosted thousands of these refugees. Ethiopia, however, has been experiencing its own armed conflict between Fano, Amhara’s nationalist militia, and government forces. In August 2023, the Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency over the conflict, which has sparked international concern. International organizations and various countries have since expressed concern over reports of widespread killings of civilians, forced displacements, arbitrary arrests, sexual violence, and ethnic cleansing within the country. The humanitarian crisis has resulted in numerous civilian casualties, affecting both Ethiopian and Sudanese nationals.