Ethiopian refugee women mark traditional holiday

Khartoum: Ethiopian refugees living in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, marked on Friday a traditional holiday that celebrates girls and young women. During the annual holiday, known as Ashanda, women wear traditional outfits and perform folklore dancing. Ashenda is the tall green grass that is found in Ethiopia. Women and girls use it to adorn their celebration dress. The holiday is celebrated in the Ethiopian regions of Tigray and Northern Amhara at the end of August each year. The nine-month war in Ethiopia's north has forced thousands of people to seek refuge in Sudan, many of them from the Tigray minority but also from the Amharic and other ethnic groups.