June 2, 2003

 MORE REFUGEES JAILED IN THE SUDAN

The government of the Sudan appears determined in its relentless campaign of harassing Ethiopian refugees living in the country. The inactive UNHCR has tried to review the so called "cessation clause" which had arbitrarily deprived Ethiopian refugees of their status and protection but this measure does not seem to dampen the Sudanese enthusiasm to make the life of the refugees hard and precarious.

Courts in Gedaref and Port Sudan have fiend many refugees (for not having an ID) and ordered their deportation. What is worse is that political motivations are becoming part of the Sudanese campaign. In accord with the appeals of the EPRDF embassy to detain or expel politically active refugees, the Sudanese government that has bad relations with Eritrea, is jailing Ethiopian refugees after accusing them of having links with Ethiopian opposition groups based in Eritrea. In the last few days, the following Ethiopian refugees have been jailed in Kahrtoum on such charges. They are:

* Mussie

* Ashenafi

*Genanaw

*Getachew Kasssa and

*Lemma Tegegne

The elderly Atanaw Wassie and Molla, who were jailed in Gedaref, have now been brought to the notorious Kober prison in Khartoum and ares till under detention.

The Sudanese police are said to have a list of more than 40 refugees to be detained and/or deported back to Ethiopia. SOCEPP calls on the government of the Sudan to release the jailed Ethiopian refugees without condition and to respect the right of asylum. Once again, SOCEPP calls on the UNHCR to protect Ethiopian refugees and to demand the Sudan government to respect their rights.

SOCEPP