posted
Anybody know any more about this, like where is the park, what is actually happening, and why are they continuing with the protest if they have reached an agreement?
Sudan, Somali refugee protests in Yemen and Egypt Regional, Politics, 12/20/2005
The United Nations refugee agency today expressed concern over concurrent protests over living conditions, resettlement and other issues by Somali refugees in Yemen that turned violent leaving one person dead, and Sudanese refugees in Egypt where conditions at a sit-in are rapidly deteriorating.
"One of their main demands, resettlement to third countries, is only an option for a few vulnerable cases and at the discretion of the resettlement countries themselves -- not UNHCR," said Jennifer Pagonis, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees...
...In Egypt, meanwhile, a group of some 1,500 Sudanese are continuing a protest in Mostafa Mahmoud Park in Cairo despite an agreement reached on Saturday between their leaders and UNHCR.
The Sudanese have been gathered in the park since 29 September to protest living conditions and to demand resettlement to third countries. Pagonis said UNHCR is extremely concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian and health situation of those still in the park. The sit-in has also become a public order issue and of growing concern to Egyptian authorities.
"UNHCR again appeals to the demonstrators to end their protest peacefully, as agreed, and to work with the office to implement the agreement reached on Saturday," Pagonis said.
The agency is presently assisting over 24,000 Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers in Cairo -- or between one to two per cent of the millions of Sudanese believed to be in Egypt. The overwhelming majority have not applied for refugee status.
"Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt continue to benefit from protection and assistance, despite UNHCR's serious budget constraints and competing needs in other operations," Pagonis stressed.
I'm Yemeni myself! Well, basically, I think there is a huge difference between those (black) people in both countries: Yemen and Egypt. In my country, for example, you would meet a black man or woman among every 5 Yemenis you would see! Though, this might seem to be "not that much" but don't forget that Yemen has a really "tiny" population. There are some groups in Yemen called "Akhadam". A term descends from the word servant in English. I have to admit that Yemenis dislike those Akhadam. But the weird thing is that Yemenis do actually appreciate other black people who don't belong to those servants such as Sudanese! lol ain't that weird?! (There are several reasons for this). Personally, I believe that discrimination occurred in my country due to many problems conducted by the illegal immigrations of Africans there. You know, they started to make their own groups and small gangs, and Yemenis, in turn, did the same. Also, Adam (the serial killer) who killed many young Yemeni girls in the campus of Sana'a university and dissolved their bodies in acid (lol do u know this story?)...ummm...all these problems created this anxious atmosphere there. However, I've worked with Care International against discrimination. So, I'm really hoping that both races (Arabs and Africans) would go along together (in the near future...somehow!). In short, according to the standards of the life of any Yemeni, the Sudan and the Somali refugees shouldn't complain, because my government is not able to provide the basic needs for the original citizens...lool..so don't ask about the refugees now!!! Posts: 116 | From: Cairo - Maadi | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
The park is in Mohandeseen and they were still protesting because they didn't like the reached agreement. AL sADIQ AL MAHDI the ex prime minister of Sudan who lives in Egypt was there and gave them a speech and told them off! The tone seemed stricter than what an Egyptian would say when he told them that Egypt has got enough of this and can't tolerate it anymore.
Posts: 1732 | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks Hunted_Porcelain and Troubles for the comments, I just wanted to find out more background about this as I hadn't heard about the latest development in the refugee situation here. I've just spotted that it has been mentioned on the AE forum: http://www.egyptsearch.com/forums/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=003008 in a lot more detail, if anyone is interested.
Although there are some differences between the situation in Yemen and Egypt, there seems to be similarities in that they are both underdeveloped countries that are having to cope with huge influxes of people from even less developed countries who are looking, in some cases, for a better life economically under the guise of the refugee status. This is putting a strain on the two receiving countries. The additional strain on the economy is making the local people, who are already struggling to make ends meet, are feeling resentful towards the incomers, and this in turn is making the incomers feel negatively towards the local people whose resources they are consuming. It seems like a very sad cycle.
Posts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
It seems like a violent reaction will happen soon by the government after the UN gave up with negotiating them specially that people around the area are complaining as well...
Posts: 1732 | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
It does seem like a potential tinderbox! Insha Allah, it will be managed in a way that causes no casualties, but sadly that doesn't seem to be a very realistic hope, despite the sit in reportedly being quite orderly so far.
Posts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Troubles101: It seems like a violent reaction will happen soon by the government after the UN gave up with negotiating them specially that people around the area are complaining as well...
Sadly, your prediction has come true:
Ten Sudanese die as camp stormed Ten Sudanese migrants, including children, have died as Cairo police broke up a makeshift protest camp, Egypt's interior ministry says.
Riot police fired water cannon at the Sudanese protesters, who had been refusing to leave the camp, set up in September near United Nations offices.
A stampede was reported as police forced hundreds of people onto buses.
The migrants had been demanding that the UN refugee agency place them in a country with better conditions.
But the UNHCR said it had no power to guarantee their demands were met.
Thousands of police armed with sticks and shields stormed the small park where the migrants had been camping, at about 0500 (0300 GMT).
"There was a stampede that left 30 of the protesters injured, most of them the elderly and young and they were immediately taken to the hospital where 10 of them died," the interior ministry said.
Twenty-three police officers were wounded, the interior ministry said, accusing migrant leaders of inciting attacks against the police.
"Attempts have been made to convince them to disperse, but to no avail," the ministry statement said.
Witnesses said the migrants, including women and small children, were dragged towards buses as they tried to resist leaving the camp.
"They want to kill us," shouted one protester. "Our demands are legitimate, it is our right to protest here, the only right we have."
Protesters' demands
Up to 3,000 protesters had been living at the camp since it was set up on 29 September.
The long-running demonstration began after the UNHCR stopped aid to those who had applied and failed to get refugee status.
Since the makeshift camp was set up, several people have died and a number of babies have been born. Many people had been sleeping in the open.
The UNHCR says it has to prioritise help for people genuinely at risk of persecution and cannot solve issues of discrimination and deprivation in Egypt, where unemployment is high.
It believes most of the demonstrators are economic migrants rather than those fleeing persecution, and so do not qualify as refugees.
But many of the protesters argue it is not yet safe to return to Sudan, despite the signing of a peace accord nearly a year ago which ended the 21-year north-south civil war.
quote:Originally posted by Hunted_Porcelain: I'm Yemeni myself!
)Okay my keyboard has gone nuts, now it types this = when I mean question mark' oh sshit and this ' when I mean a bracket! '
Hey Hunted! How are you = Remember me =
Koshari who smashed an angry man under her dadīs car by accident..
I didnīt know youīre Yemeni. I love Yemeni people.
My dad did lots of research in the deserts around Africa and Asia, and one of the places where he did his work was of course Yemen.
Although I stayed too short to see it all. We loved it! Very very kind and relaxed people. Even if they were not `chewing` Unlike the arrogant Arabs of the rest of the peninsula. Shame that thereīs discrimination there.
Are you man or woman= You sound more like a man to me. Donīt know why actually.
Have a nice day.
Posts: 8756 | From: Tax-Free Zone | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Tiger, I was reading the news. I am just shocked. I am not used to get these kind of news from my beloved city of Cairo.......
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Lily ...me too, but this issue is kind of hard to understand...and the violence is not justifies...Human life and dignity still **PRICELESS** ... !!!! in Egypt...
quote:Originally posted by newcomer: It does seem like a potential tinderbox! Insha Allah, it will be managed in a way that causes no casualties, but sadly that doesn't seem to be a very realistic hope, despite the sit in reportedly being quite orderly so far.
***************************************** So sad that it had to end this way, I walked this morning around the site ... you can still see dried blood all over the side walks , May ALLAH bless the souls of all of the victims...
Posts: 65 | From: Cairo | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
Thousands of riot police took part in the dawn operation in Cairo Human rights activists are seeking an independent inquiry after an Egyptian police operation to break up a protest camp left more than 20 Sudanese dead. "The high loss of life suggests the police acted with extreme brutality," said New York-based Human Rights Watch.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said the deaths were a "terrible tragedy that cannot be justified".
Thousands of police wielding truncheons and firing water cannon at protesters stormed the Cairo camp early on Friday.
The Sudanese migrants had been camped outside UN offices since September, demanding that the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) move them to a third country with better conditions.
Latest reports in Cairo put the number of dead at 25; several are said to be children. The Egyptian authorities said 74 police were injured.
The interior ministry said there was a stampede that left protesters dead and injured. It also accused migrant leaders of inciting attacks against the police.
'Rush to judgement'
A Human Rights Watch statement said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak should "urgently" appoint an independent commission to investigate the use of force.
This is a very sorrowful end for a people who fled their own country's frying pan only to fall into Egypt's fire. The inappropriate use of brutal force was uncalled for and appallingly inhuman
"A police force acting responsibly would never have allowed such a tragedy to occur," HRW deputy director Joe Stork said.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, said there was no justification for the violence and loss of life.
However Egypt has criticised Mr Guterres for making "hasty" judgements without being in full possession of the facts.
It expressed its sorrow over the incident, but said the UN had asked the police to intervene to end a long-running protest outside its offices.
UN spokeswoman Astrid van Genderen Stort said the agency had repeatedly urged the authorities to resolve the protest peacefully.
The Sudanese migrants were forced onto buses
She also said the UN had so far been denied permission to visit the migrants.
A Khartoum news paper called the deaths "unacceptable" and urged Sudan to take legal action against the Egyptian police "for provoking violence."
"This is a very sorrowful end for a people who fled their own country's frying pan only to fall into Egypt's fire. The inappropriate use of brutal force was uncalled for and appallingly inhuman," the Khartoum Monitor said.
'Disgusting'
Witnesses said some refugees stood defiantly or fought back, while others fled after police stormed the ramshackle encampment at 0500 (0300GMT) on Friday.
They said the migrants, including women and small children, were dragged towards buses as they tried to resist, leaving clothes, suitcases and makeshift tents scattered in their wake.
One Sudanese asylum-seeker, Napoleon Roberts, told the BBC he had been taken to a barracks south of the capital and was being held with about 1,700 others in disgusting conditions.
posted
i was watching the violent clearing yesterday and just started crying. i can't believe they would do this to people who did nothing but a peacful protest. i hope the eygptian government burns in hell
Posts: 4446 | From: Egyptian in Sydney | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Here is the latest update. It appears that not all the Sudanese who were detained were among those taking part in the demonstration. A Sudanese man working for a friend of mine was picked up outside her apartment in Heliopolis, taken to to police station, roughed up, and then sent to Tora prison camp. His whereabouts are unknown now. He had been here on refugee status for over a year!
Egypt Releases 164 Sudanese Migrants Thu Jan 12, 10:21 PM ET
Egypt has released 164 Sudanese migrants who were detained last month when police evicted them from a city park in a violent operation that brought international condemnation.
The spokeswoman of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Astrid van Genderen Stort, said the Sudanese were released on Wednesday on the refugee body's recommendation because they were registered with it either as refugees or asylum seekers.
The released were among more than 1,000 Sudanese migrants who camped in a Cairo park for three months to protest what they saw as a failure by the UNHCR to resettle them. After hours of negotiations and sprays of water cannon, police officers with truncheons evicted them from the park and detained them.
Security officials said 25 migrants died, including women and children. More than 70 police officers were wounded. The Interior Ministry said 12 people died, and blamed the violence on the squatters' refusal to leave. International and local rights groups accused the police of unnecessary brutality.
They had lost their registration documents in the chaos of the Dec. 30 raid on the park, she said.
Van Genderen Stort said she believed the 164 released were part of a group of more than 600 whom the government had planned to deport back to Sudan. But she could not be sure because the UNHCR never got the names of the migrants who were listed for deportation.
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
= ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic