Ethiopian refugees in Sudan

The charge d'affairs of the Ethiopian embassy in Khartoum Abdou Laqis announced on Tuesday that more than 80,000 Ethiopian refugees were returned recently from Sudan to Ethiopia.

In a statement to the Sudanese " Akhbar al-Youm" daily issued on Tuesday, Laqqis added that most of the Ethiopians who were in Sudan since 1992 until 1998 will be returned back. He added that between 20,000 and 25,000 refugees will be returned back to Ethiopia, according to the set program by the end of the current month.

The Ethiopian charge d'affairs explained that relations between Ethiopia and Sudan are improving continuously and that it was agreed to export the Sudanese oil to Ethiopia.

He continued that discussions are made to export oil byproducts as well as to draw a plan between the two countries to use the Sudanese "Port Sudan" to import and export Ethiopia's requirements from other countries while preparations are underway to export the Ethiopian cement and industrial and agricultural materials to Sudan.