From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sat Jul 18 2009 - 23:41:02 EDT
Crackdown on Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees in Khartoum
By Tizita Belachew
Washington, D.C.
17/07/2009
Police in Khartoum began a crackdown on Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees
in the past few days. The Amharic service's Tizita Belachew interviewed
leaders of the refugee community in Khartoum on Thursday and Friday who
said the raids began on July 5 and each day since then truckloads of
police and other Sudanese government security have raided the homes and
business of Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees, confiscating the contents
of their restaurants and homes and beating and raping women and
children.
All refugees who spoke on the air did not want to be identified for fear
of reprisals.
UNHCR protection officer in Khartoum Teresa Ongaro confirmed that there
was a series of raids of "refugees and illegal workers over the
weekend." She said she has not heard any reports of police raping women
and children.
"There are about 30 thousand refugees in Khartoum and about 100 thousand
in Eastern Sudan bordering Eritrea. Many go to Khartoum to find a better
life, but are exposed to ill treatment from time to time. She said UNHCR
personnel and lawyers have interviewed 314 victims of the recent raid,
and determined that 91 fit the UNHCR qualifications for refugees. She
said these refugees were freed the next day.
The refugees say more than 50 have already been deported.
http://www.voanews.com/horn/2009-07-17-voa1.cfm
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