A group of Somali nationals who fled the conflict in Khartoum, Sudan, has arrived in Ethiopia. The 27 Somalis, including four women, crossed at the border town of Metema on Friday, according to an official at the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Among them was former BBC Somali service journalist Abdisalam Hereri, who had gone to Khartoum on April 5 to attend a memorial for the late Somali singer Mohamed Suleiman Tubeec. Hereri said he was among thousands of people, including locals and visitors, who took advantage of the 24-hour cease-fire reached by the warring Sudanese sides on April 19. He traveled on a bus with about 20 other Somalis to the southeastern Sudanese city of Al Qadarif, where they stayed for a night, before proceeding to the border town of Gallabat. In Gallabat, they encountered a “major problem” when Sudanese border officials asked for $500 each to obtain an “exit stamp” on their documents. “After strong negotiations, we were charged $50 each,” Hereri said.
The situation was different when they arrived at the Ethiopian town of Metema. “The atmosphere was very different from the one in Sudan; there was order and respect,” Hereri said. “The soldiers at the checkpoint expressed sympathy to us when we told them we fled… We were welcomed very much; we have not had any problems; no one asked us [for] money,” he added.
More than 200 Somalis arrived in Al Qadarif on Saturday, according to Somali Ambassador to Sudan Mohamed Sheikh Isak, who said they were heading toward the Sudan border with Ethiopia in an attempt to return to Somalia. Somalis are arranging their own travel to flee Khartoum, without embassy or government help, Isak said.
