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A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told IRIN on Wednesday that the voluntary repatriation of a group of 3,500 Ethiopian nationals displaced in Eritrea had been completed under ICRC auspices. The first group of 500 were taken across the border near Adi Quala on 20 June, where they were handed over to an ICRC team from Addis Ababa. Another 1,500 went over on 22 June and the final 1,500 on 24 June. ICRC delegates in Asmara conducted individual interviews with all the returnees to ensure that they were leaving of their own free will.
The operation was carried out with the agreement and cooperation of the Eritrean and Ethiopian governments. The 3,500 people were all gathered around Asmara, some of them in camps for the displaced. Most had been displaced by the recent fighting; others had left their homes even before the latest fighting started. ICRC delegates had also begun visiting Ethiopians interned in camps in Eritrea and providing them with aid. The next step was to provide these internees with safe passage to Ethiopia, again on a voluntary basis.
This operation was expected to start on Thursday, the spokesperson said.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions