Thread by @Xy5Z89

#Ethopia #Sudan #Tigray #AddisAbeba #CivilWar #TigrayWar #Refugees

-THREADE-

The deadly conflict between Ethiopia and its northern region of Tigray spilled over the border Tuesday as several thousand people fled to Sudan, along with soldiers seeking refuge,

while the regional leader of Tigray accused Eritrea of attacking at the request of the federal government of Ethiopia. In the meantime, the United Nations and its allies in Sudan are planning, at least initially, to receive 20,000 refugees.

So far, hundreds of people on both sides of the conflict have been confirmed killed, one diplomat in the capital, Addis Ababa, said. It was still hard to verify either side 's claims. For sparking the fight, each blames the other.

Al-Sir Khalid, the head of the refugee agency there, told The Associated Press that at least 3,500 refugees, including women and children, had arrived in Sudan's Kassala province. Others were, he said, on the way.

By late Tuesday, the state-run SUNA news agency announced that the number of Ethiopians fleeing to Sudan's border provinces of Kassala and al-Qadarif had risen to over 6,000. Citing unidentified officials, the agency said that in the coming days,

over 200,000 Ethiopians were expected to cross into Sudan. Refugees fleeing into Sudan joined at least 30 armed Ethiopian troops, SUNA reported. A Sudanese military official said they had turned in and requested safety as the fighting raged across the border.

On condition of anonymity, the official spoke because he was not authorized to brief reporters. Sudan, which has sent more than 6,000 troops to its borders, is under international community pressure to help make peace.

In Tigray, more than 1,000 individuals of various nationalities are trapped.