About 120 Ex-peacekeepers from Ethiopia Seek Asylum in Sudan, UN says

KHARTOUM, SUDAN - Around 120 former peacekeepers from Ethiopia, where several regions including northern Tigray are hard-hit by inter-ethnic conflict, have sought asylum in Sudan, the United Nations said Sunday. 

The personnel were set to be repatriated as part of the phased withdrawal of the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNAMID, from western Sudan's Darfur region after its mandate ended December 31.   "As of now, 120 former UNAMID peacekeepers who were due to be repatriated have sought international protection," a U.N. peacekeeping spokesperson told AFP via email.  The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, also confirmed the former peacekeepers have applied for asylum in Sudan.