Ten killed in removing Sudanese refugees by force in Cairo
Egypt-Sudan, Politics, 12/30/2005

Hundreds of Egyptian policemen today at dawn broke into a position where some 3,000 Sudanese refugees are in a sit in in Cairo, using water valves and sticks in order to evacuate them from before the headquarters of the UNHCR in which they demand right to political asylum in western countries.

It is reported that 10 Sudanese refugees were killed as a result.

Some 2000 riot fighting police members broke into the site of the sit in and beat the Sudanese there by sticks after officials failed to convince them of riding buses to move them to another position. The negotiations failed after five hours of talks with the refugees.

Some 4,000 police men contained the site of the protest in a main square near the offices of the UNHCR.

A four year old Sudanese female child was killed in the clashes. Witnesses at the site said that six Sudanese, some of them are small children, where laying unconscious after the police used force to evacuate some 3500 Sudanese.

The German news agency quoted Egyptian security sources that the clashes resulted in the death of 7 Sudanese including two children and wounding more than 20 persons as well as injuring more than 10 police members.

The first assistant for the Egyptian minister of the onterior for security affairs Lt. Gen. Muhammad Sharawi assumed the negotiations with the Sudanese who refused to abide by the instructions of the authorities to evacuate a public garden in Mustafa Mahmolus square in al-Muhandiseen quarters and have been in a sit in there since September 29th. One Egyptian refugee said his name is Wilson called on the UN to arrange their transport to another country, adding that most of the Sudanese refugees were exposed to violence in Egypt and " do not want to stay here after now." The UNHCR said it is ready to give more aid to the Sudanese in Egypt who fled from the conflict in their country, but is not able to re-settle all of them in another country.

A spokeswoman for the UNHCR said she has been contacting the Egyptian authorities over the protesters, adding that "she notified the authorities in meetings that the situation should be dealt with peacefully." The spokeswoman said that the Egyptian police did not notify UNHCR officials in a meeting on Thursday evening that evening it will try to transfer the Sudanese protesters.

The government had a different view of what happened. The government presented a report that said "A security source said announced that the Egyptian security forces early Friday requested nearly two thousand Sudanese people, who fled Sudan during armed conflicts and staged a strike in Muhandiseen suburb in Cairo, to end their strike in accordance with the UNHCR regulations and international legal codes of asylum seeking.

The added that since 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Friday, attempts were taking place to convince the Sudanese strikers to disperse, who, instead, started attacking the police forces with empty wine bottles injuring three officers and 20 soldiers. Some of them were drunk, according to the source. They also attacked the security people with gas cylinders and wood and iron tent pegs, wounding two police officers and twenty security people.

At the hustle and bustle that followed left 10 people dead and 20 others injured.

This measure came after a three-month sit-in in one of Cairo's lively squares in protest against the UNHCR refusal to resettle them in western countries, the source explained, noting that this response was preceded by failed attempts by Egyptian and Sudanese officials to convince the strikers to abide by the rules.

This measure, according to the source, came after the UNHCR office in Cairo received warnings of possible assault on its headquarters and staff, which in turn asked the security to protect them and disperse the sit-in. It also halted its work on the grounds that the Sudanese strikers have no legitimate right to escalate their demands, especially a after signing the peace agreement in Sudan. Moreover the Health Ministry warned against the outbreak of pandemics among those strikers, not to mention HIV/AIDS infections among them.

The security source said that contacts were carried out to convince them end their sit-in, including attempts by the Sudanese Vice President, Sadek al-Mahdy and Farouk Abu Issa and other Sudanese officials.

The source made clear that the police forces were present only to secure the transfer of the strikers and prevent illegal residents and others who are not entitled to the UNHCR services. This is done in coordination with all parties concerned including the UNCHR and the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The source reaffirmed that the security sources maintain self-restraint and did not use traditional dispersing methods while cordoning the place. The strikes were transferred by vehicles, prepared in advance, to temporary camps before considering if they are eligible to be dealt with by the UNHCR and returning them to their accommodations before they staged the sit-in."

Previous Stories:
  Egypt intervenes in Sudan and Chad tensions   (12/26/2005)
  Preparation for the fourth round of the Egyptian-Sudanese   (11/11/2005)
  Mubarak receives message from Al Bashir   (11/8/2005)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search