The Ura refugee camp in Ethiopia houses 14,500 Sudanese people who have fled the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Rahmatalla Abdeen, 65, became the last known refugee to cross into Ethiopia from Sudan on 17 May, after clinging to a moped for two days to escape the militia. He hopes to find his wife and three daughters, separated from them 883 days ago when the RSF stormed Wad Madani.
Regional Destabilization
Sudan's conflict is gradually destabilizing the region. A vast clandestine RSF training camp has emerged at an Ethiopian military base near Asosa. Refugees in Ura fear being hunted down by the RSF inside Ethiopia. Khadijah Ahmed, 42, fled Khartoum two and a half years ago, recalling the RSF's threat: "We will follow you, wherever you go." Her sons sleep under their beds, terrified. Dawud Suliman, 31, fled Darfur after an RSF offensive in 2024 that killed 25 of his family members. He fears for his remaining relatives in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia's Precarious Situation
On 21 June, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won another general election. Experts warn Ethiopia teeters on the brink of potential calamity, with possible resurgence of civil war with Tigray or attempts to seize Eritrean ports. Ethiopia's involvement in Sudan's conflict could have dire repercussions. Diplomats believe the likelihood of regional war is suppressing fresh slaughter, as "the likely outcome is mutually assured destruction."
The Makatet Project
Three days before the election confirmation, Ethiopia launched the Makatet project, meaning "inclusion" in Amharic. It aims to transform over 1.1 million refugees into social and economic assets by providing access to education, healthcare, and work, allowing integration as taxpaying residents. Barham Salih, head of the UN refugee agency, describes it as the most ambitious attempt to address displacement. "We need to make the refugee population more self-reliant," he says, adding that the west must stop running from the issue: "This is not the moment to look away."
Refugee Aspirations
Inside Ura, refugees are eager to resume careers. Yousif Babiker, 49, who supervised housekeeping at Khartoum's Hilton, hopes his children find careers elsewhere. Ruaa Idris, 23, wants to become a gynaecologist. "Given a chance I will catch it with my teeth," she says. In the Jewi refugee camp, 70,000 Nuer people from South Sudan face attacks from locals. Peter Keang, 38, arrived after fighting killed friends and relatives. Nyamach Duoth, 20, born a refugee, says friends fear leaving the camp due to rape in the forest.
Economic Initiatives
Despite challenges, refugees are starting businesses. In Jewi, a soap business has made 168,475 bars and £30,000. In Ura, Miriam Abdallah, 48, runs a perfume production line, and Sowa Belle, 36, plans a chain of eateries called Mama Sowa after demand for kisra bread.
Global Implications
Salih challenges the international system: "We simply cannot look away while we see displacement piling on year after year." If Makatet succeeds, analysts believe it offers an alternative to fortress Europe for mass displacement, encouraging refugees to build new lives in Africa. Idris reflects: "What's the point of safety without living?"
