Addis Ababa — In a press release it sent to The Daily Monitor, the UNHCR disclosed that on Wednesday 14 March 2001, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA), Relief Society of Tigray (REST). Organisation for Development in Amhara (ORDA), Rehabilitation and Development Organization (ORDA) in collaboration with the government of Sudan completed the voluntary repatriation of 602 Ethiopian refugees. The convoy which carried returnees who fled their country prior to 1991 is reported to be the last one carrying returnees that arrive at Metema from Khartoum. It brings to an end the voluntary repatriation of Pre-1991 Ethiopian refugees from Sudan.

The last convoy of Ethiopians consisting of 390 heads of families and 602 individuals arrived at Metema, a border town in north-eastern Ethiopia, using United Nations trucks-after a two-day journey form Khartoum. Many of them are reported to be home for the first time in more than 20 years According to the press release, between 1993 and 1998, more than 74,000 Ethiopians returned home from various refugee camps in the Sudan. UNHCR invoked the Cessation Clause of Ethiopian refugees who fled the country prior to 1991 in April 2000. This last wave of repatriation of Ethiopians from Sudan, which started on 20 December 2000 was delayed due to Fighting on Ethiopia's border with Eritrea.

Following the application of the Cessation Clause in March 2000, 10,512 refugees were repatriated to their respective villages of origin mainly in Tigray, Amhara and other regions after spending years in neighboring Sudan. The 18th and last convoy crossed the border at Metema on 14th March 2001 and arrived at Gonder transit centre on 15 March 2001. From the transit centre in Gonder, the returnees proceeded to final destinations in various regions of Ethiopia after receiving food, non-food items as well as a cash grant. Ethiopian trucks contracted by UNHCR were used to transport 212 individuals to Indaselassie, Tigray region, whereas the remaining 390 used public transport to move to their respective destinations in Amhara, Oromia and Addis Ababa.

The WFP issued each of the returnees with a re-integration package of nine months food ration consisting of 150kg cereals, 10kg pulses and 5 ltrs of edible oil, whereas UNHCR issued non-food items comprising blankets, plastic sheeting, jerricans as well as income generation and travel grants.