Egypt unlawfully deported Sudanese refugees: Rights group
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According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, hundreds of people were deported late last year, many of them were Sudanese.
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South Sudanese who fled from Sudan sit outside a nutrition clinic t a transit center in Renk, South Sudan on May 16, 2023 (AP)
According to a study released on Wednesday by Amnesty International, Egypt has conducted widespread arrests and arbitrary deportations of thousands of migrants fleeing Sudan's war.
Between January and March of this year, the rights organization identified 12 occasions in which Egyptian officials repatriated an estimated 800 Sudanese people without providing them the opportunity to claim asylum or dispute deportation decisions.
It further stated that it has thoroughly recorded the cases of 27 Sudanese refugees apprehended between October 2023 and March 2024, 26 of whom were collectively removed. Refugees have been confined in brutal and inhumane conditions before their deportation, it noted.
Since there are no public records, the overall number of deportations and detentions is unknown. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, hundreds of people were deported late last year, many of them were Sudanese.
Amnesty International stated Egypt's National Council for Human Rights refuted its findings regarding an increase in the number of arrests and deportations of Sudanese refugees, claiming in a statement that authorities follow international law.
The inspections are conducted routinely in Cairo and its sister city, Giza, where a number of Sudanese have lived, as well as in Aswan. Many Sudanese stop in the southern town before heading to the north.
The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Thursday that the internally displaced in Sudan as a result of the war could amount to 10 million in the coming days.
Around 24% of those who left Sudan, some 500,000 individuals have crossed into Egypt.
Less than two months after the war in Sudan began, Egypt canceled a treaty obligation to visa-free access for Sudanese women, children, and males over the age of 49, limiting entry.
Arrivals sparked periodic conflicts, with some Egyptians blaming Sudanese and other foreigners for raising rental rates, and some Egyptian TV pundits highlighting the "burden" of millions of migrants during a period of high inflation and economic stress.
According to attorneys and witnesses, as Egypt's foreign currency scarcity intensified last year, many Africans detained for lack of legitimate papers were imprisoned in deplorable circumstances and forced to pay costs in dollars to prevent deportation.
European countries regard Egypt as a key player in averting mass migration over the Mediterranean. Egypt and the European Union launched a strategic cooperation in March, backed by 7.4 billion euros in cash, and the arrangement was largely viewed as motivated by fears of European migration.
Sudan UN envoy accuses UAE of backing paramilitary forces
Sudan's UN ambassador publicly accused the United Arab Emirates of instigating conflict within Sudan during a Security Council meeting on Tuesday.
Sudan has been embroiled in conflict since April 2023, with the regular military led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan clashing with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by his former deputy, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti).
The Sudanese military has reported for months that Abu Dhabi is backing the RSF. In April, Sudan formally requested an urgent Security Council session to address these allegations, yet it was not convened.
During a routine meeting on Sudan's situation on Tuesday, Ambassador Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed utilized the platform to voice Sudan's concerns.
He said the RSF, "supported with weapons by the Emirates," was "deliberately and systematically targeting the villages and cities."
"The UAE must stay away from Sudan. That is the first requirement that will allow for stability in Sudan -- it must stop its support," he stressed, calling Abu Dhabi's financial and military support for the RSF the "main reason behind this protracted war."
Furthermore, he urged the council to "speak bravely" and openly denounce the Emirati government.
