UNHCR concern at refugee kidnappings, disappearances in eastern Sudan
Briefing Notes, 25 January 2013 This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 25 January 2013, at
Briefing Notes, 25 January 2013
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 25 January 2013, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
UNHCR is seeing rising incidents of abductions and disappearances of mainly Eritrean refugees, allegedly involving border tribes, in eastern Sudan. This is occurring in and around refugee camps.
Over the last two years we have seen people disappearing from the Shagarab camps – some of them kidnapped, and others believed paying to be smuggled elsewhere. Those who are kidnapped are often held for ransom or trafficked onwards for the purpose or forced marriage, sexual exploitation or bonded labour.
Because of the mixed forced / voluntary nature of the problem, data accuracy is an issue. Our Sudan office reports 619 people having left the camps over the past two years, with 551 of these in 2012. In addition are further but unconfirmed cases.
The latest kidnapping incidents, involving four refugee women occurred in the Shagarab camps during the night and early morning of 22 January. Refugees in the camp, which hosts 29,445, had also reported the kidnapping of a refugee man the previous week. In anger at these incidents, some refugees attacked members of one of the local tribes who they thought were responsible for the abductions. The ensuing violence left several injured among the host population and the refugees. Calm has since been restored.
The risk of being kidnapped is highest for Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers as they enter Eastern Sudan. Based on numerous reports and individual interviews, the main actors responsible for smuggling and human trafficking from Eastern Sudan into Egypt are local tribesmen in Eastern Sudan and in the Sinai, as well as some criminal gangs. Some asylum seekers are kidnapped at the border between Eritrea and Sudan, before reaching the camps, while others are kidnapped in and around the camps in Eastern Sudan. Those who deliberately resort to smugglers appear to do so either to enter Sudan or for onward movement into Egypt or Israel. In many cases they also end up being abused by their smugglers who sell them to traffickers or detain them for ransom.
UNHCR is working with the Sudanese authorities, the International Office for Migration and other humanitarian agencies to reduce the risk of abductions and kidnappings in the area. The Government of Sudan has already deployed additional police and we are supporting the authorities to improve overall security, including with the construction and rehabilitation of police stations, provision of vehicles and communication equipment. UNHCR is also assisting the refugees in the Shagarab camps with setting up a community-based policing system to reduce security risks.
We are also providing psycho-social counselling to survivors of trafficking and provide legal aid to those in detention by advising them on judicial procedures and securing their release
UNHCR calls on all national and international actors to step up efforts to counter criminal groups seeking to exploit refugees and asylum-seekers and to reduce the risks of kidnapping, smuggling and trafficking of people.
For further information on this topic, please contact:
In Geneva, Fatoumata Lejeune-Kaba on mobile +41 79 249 3483
ahmed Saleh January 28, 2013
UNHCR had not show substantial efforts to
highlight Eritrean refugees plight for protection
and to provide necessary assistance to secure
their safety . They have the power to influence
on Sudanese , Egyptian and to some extent on
Eritrean governments for their intervention to
stop these barbaric activities . Those refugees
deserve the protection according international
law in action not spin games of blame .
SABA January 28, 2013
UNHCR is a sub-organization of the criminal UN. UN is a criminal instituion. Probably the most corrupt and most criminal on this planet if you study their agenda. All this shit happening in this world is not by coincidence. This is all well calculated. The hate among the people and nations. Just look who is running the so called UN. Once you study it, many things become clear.
They know very much in detail who when and where it started, i dont want to go even so far with having no evidence but i can sense that those human traffickers dont get this type of “knowledge” idea of nowhere…
rezene January 28, 2013
It’s time for all Eritreans including the opposition and the government to work together and solve this problem. The issue is above political and any parochial interest.History will never forgive either the government or the opposition for remaining indifferent when our fellow brothers and sister are sold like slaves. There is no pride of being an Eritrean when our fellow Eritreans are literally butchered and their body parts are auctioned in an open market.
michael a January 28, 2013
thankyou very much for ur help
Hidru T. January 28, 2013
If the UNHCR understands the horrible crimes committed by the criminal gangs in collaboration with some Sudanese security members on the defenseless refugees described in this article, I can only say this organizations or some of its members are condoning the crimes committed on the refugees. What forced marriage is this person talking about? No mention of Sinai and the unspeakable crimes committed on the abducted! The person who wrote this piece is just a fat joke who only collects his/her fat salary, if not he/she should a light of it.
hagernaeri January 28, 2013
We should consistently doing protest in front of offices of those criminal mining companies ( such as Nevsun )& thier respective stock market ( such as Toronto stock market ), international offices, US state departments, embassies of Canada and Australia , so that they should stop to do any business with the criminal regime.
Halafi Mengedi January 28, 2013
The report states “UNHCR is also assisting the refugees in the Shagarab camps with setting up a community-based policing system to reduce security risks. Does this mean that UNHCR would arm refugees tasked in policing the camp?
The Rashaidas and the Bedouins are always armed to the teeth. The Sudanese police are corrupt , receiving bribes from the rashidas. Unless otherwise refugees are also armed, the Kindapers won’t go away.
One fights a fire with a fire. There is no government in Eastern Sudan to begin with. The kidnappers are scattered all over the eastern Sudan. Besides, in the eye of the Bedouin or Rashaida, Eritreans (habesha) are sub humans. For them, killing a habesha is like killing a fruit fly.
Would the kidnapping problem go away with the removal of PFDJ ?
SABA January 28, 2013
Definetly, the kidnappings would reduce if PFDJ is removed, Rashaida or those other traffickers are fucking cowards, they harm those ones who got less then nothing. Once you shoot 10 of their people they´d dare to do it like this again. They know they have more rights in Eritrea then any Eritrean. Rashaida do not belong to Africa. They can go back to their fucking Saudi-Arabia where they have been chased away. I know people doing business with Rashaida, you know what Rashaida ppl say.. We love your president because of him we became so wealthy.. Also one Rashaida said to my relative.. You know Manjus told us, whereever we go..We are eritreans.. Means they will be protected anywhere.. Also one Rashaida said that Eritrea is freeing them from Sudan prisons if they are caught due to kidnapping or other crime.
Arabs in general see any darker skin person especially coming directly from Africa as sub-human. Muslims are only treated slightly better but by far not good. Rashaida are not religious. They are nomads, criminals and dirty.. I remember whenever a Rashaida clique passed by in Asmara how much smell occured. Their woman eat even under their dirty smelling Abaya..
For Rashaida by the way it is not difficult to sell their own kids.. In the time of Ghedli near Sudan border , Rashaida woman used to offer their babies for sale.. Ask anyone who was in Ghedli near Barka region or towards Kessela.
It is actually very logic, if one know you have nobody behind you, i dont really care about so called consequences.
You know what Rashaida say / think.. They dont take their kids to school for one specific reason eventhough they got money.. They say if he starts studying he will be too frightend.. They say this because they see the people in Eritrea…
ahmed saleh January 29, 2013
Halafi
Once shepherd abondon his herds
they became prey to wild animals
and when a father abondon his kids the fate is on their own hand . And the same goes in politics of governance .
rezene January 29, 2013
I am sorry but the problem is not caused Rashaida as a whole. Some Rashaidas could be involved in this wicked activity and the same could be said about the other ethnic groups in Eritrea. Your message of profiling the Rashaida tribe and accusing them for this crime could create enmity between the different ethnic groups in our country and eventually could lead to the loosening of the unity of our nation. Please let’s stop profiling ethnic groups.
rezene January 29, 2013
I am sorry but the problem is not caused by Rashaida as a whole. Some Rashaidas could be involved in this wicked activity and the same could be said about the other ethnic groups in Eritrea. Your message of profiling the Rashaida tribe and accusing them for this crime could create enmity between the different ethnic groups in our country and eventually could lead to the loosening of the unity of our nation. Please let’s stop profiling ethnic groups.
Tefaldet January 28, 2013
“UNHCR is working with the Sudanese authorities” Really !!!It is so sad!!!This organized terrorist attack was committed by the Sudanese Police Force and the merciless armed Rashida tribes. The Sudanese police used tear gases on these desperate refuges and then the armed Rashida tribes stormed into the refugee camp and kidnapped undisclosed number of women, children and men continuously back to back for successive days. The Sudanese police also open a fire on the shelter of these desperate refugees until it was burned down to ash and left them without any protection between nowhere.These desperate refugees have been neglected by the UNHCR office in Sudan, Shegerab refugee camp for years.
menghesha tsegheweini January 29, 2013
mengsti hgdf keytie hizbna selam ayrekbn eyu.slezi nesayas
nmtfae bmulue haylina nkqales.
Edmonton January 29, 2013
Let us all stop trying to score politics, rather all of us come together and try to help our people to give them protection according to international law by calling all parties i.e. The UN, The Sudan, Egypt and the government of Eritrea to do all they can to protect them.
oromay January 29, 2013
We know the UN Refugee Agency is mandated to provide legal protection to Eritrean refugees, sadly however, the Agency failed to uphold the minimum rights of Eritrean Refugees in Sudan and Egypt in particular.
This breifing note is a mockery. What is pity is that the UNCHR has become an oberver for the daily crimes of kidnappings and killings in its own refugee camp. Let alone to take any measure aganist the gangs and thugs, it has not even yet condemned in the strongest possible terms the attacks and grave crimes against humanity.
God save our people!