A 65-year-old Sudanese refugee, Rahmatalla Abdeen, endured a dangerous two-day journey on a moped to escape Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia members before crossing the border into Ethiopia on May 17.
Abdeen sought safety after being separated from his family when the RSF captured Wad Madani 883 days earlier.
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The sprawling war in Sudan continues to destabilize neighboring territories, drawing in Africa's second-most populous country.
A clandestine RSF training hub has been set up at an Ethiopian military installation near the western town of Asosa.
Located nearby down the B40 highway is the Ura refugee camp, which currently houses 14,500 Sudanese individuals who escaped RSF violence.
Camp residents report severe safety concerns, noting that militia members have entered the camp to compile target lists for the nearby base.
"They are so close to us here.
We are in a very dangerous situation," said Khadijah Ahmed, 42, who fled Khartoum two and a half years ago with her children.
Dawud Suliman, 31, escaped Zalingei in Darfur during a 2024 offensive that killed 25 of his family members, and he now fears remaining relatives will be targeted inside Ethiopia.
"We are scared they will report back," said Hamza Al Bashir, 52, regarding the presence of militia members near the camp.
On June 21, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed secured another election victory, though experts warn his new term arrives alongside escalating risks of regional warfare.
Potential escalations could bring the Sudanese military, Eritrean forces, Tigrayan groups, and Egypt into alignment against the RSF and its supporters.
