Eritrean Refugees in Khartoum Present a Petition to the UNCHR in an Unprecedented Demonstration

By Abdulhafiz Yassin Mohammed

Gulf Information Center

Khartoum

Jan.16,23005

The Eritrean refugees in Khartoum have conducted an extensive, peaceful demonstration that rallied at the headquarter of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The demonstrators held placards that call upon the UNCHR to look over their conditions in health, education, immigration and settlement. Thus, all sectors of the Eritrean refugees -students, workers, elders, women, children- have participated from all districts of Khartoum to express their miserable plights. Thus, three of the organizing committee have presented a petition to the Khartoum based Commissioner of the UNCHR. The petition has made clear the dangers the refugees, who have been forced to desert their homeland by the dictator regime in Asmara, are passing through in their everyday life. The plight of the refugees gets worse the time they arrive in the neighboring countries due to the negligence of the international community to deal seriously with their cases though they have been recognized and granted the "refugee status". Thus, the Eritrean refugees have not yet got their right of refuge which is stipulated in the conventions of the UN. The petition has stated that the Sudanese government has provided political asylums and freedoms of movement inside its sovereignty and the necessary protection, as well. The petition of the Eritrean refugees has also called upon all humanitarian and charity organizations to provide assistance to the Eritrean refugees stressing that the political records of the refugees do not allow them to get back to their homeland due to the brutal, harsh and democracy-devoid policies of the ruling clique in Asmara. The Commissioner of the UNCHR has addressed the Eritrean demonstrators. " I have received your petition and the office has perceived your problems," said the commissioner. " However, the UNCHR needs an assisting committee from among you in order to look over your cases." The commissioner has proposed formation of a committee that represents all sectors and groups of the Eritrean refugees. He has stressed that the UNCHR will look very quickly to the issues related to education, health, immigration and settlement. " The UNCHR will give refugee identity cards to every one that fulfills the requirement of the refugees," said the commissioner. Journalist Mohammed Ali Sheeb , who has arrived in Khartoum some hours prior the demonstration from Australia, and Mohammed Taha Twekel, whose presence has coincided with the demonstration, presented a comprehensive explanation about the difficulties, hardships and reality of the Eritrean refugees. The journalists have pinpointed the presence of discrimination by the UNCHR while dealing with the cases of the Eritrean refugees. " The UNCHR must look over the miserable situation of the Eritrean refugees as they do in the cases of the other refugees," emphasized the journalists. " For example, the cases of the Ethiopian refugees are given more special attention than the Eritrean."

The commissioner of the UNCHR negated the presence of discrimination and underscored that the UNCHR carries out its work in a natural way. " The UNCHR will respond quickly to the issues which have been outlined in your in petition," assured the commissioner. Thus, the demonstrators have elected, in the open air, a transitional committee of (30) members which would abridge the contact between the UNCHR and the refugees. It is worth mentioning that five seats of the elected committee have given to females. The elected committee held its first meeting immediately after the rally and has sanctioned to hold an other meeting after 10 days to choose an executive board The expected board will carry out the task of facilitation with the UNCHR and prepare an inclusive memorandum which would be presented to the UNCHR. The demonstration has revealed the brutal actions of the regime in Asmara toward its people. Thus, it is considered the first political blow for the regime of Isaias by the poor Eritrean refugees .It is recalled that the regime of Isaias has been denying the presence of Eritrean refugees through accusing the government of the Sudan for fabricating the " status of refugees for Eritreans from nothing". Observers believe that the demonstration has achieved its purpose through transmitting the plight of the Eritrean refugees to the UNCHR which has confessed through its commissioner in Khartoum the miserable situation of the refugees. The demonstrators have thanked the government of the Sudan which has been backing up the Eritrean people in all its difficult times.