Eritrean civil society NGOs urge Sudan to not deport refugees
Thursday 23 November 2006 12:40. |
Network of Eritrean Civil Societies in Europe (NECS-Europe)
C/0 Eritreans for Peace and Democracy – P.O.Box 401 - 1214 Vernier – Geneva – Switzerland – necs_europe@yahoo.com
13 November 2006 Lt. Gen Omar Hassan Ahmad El-Bashier The SUDAN (Fax + 249 183 771651 / +249 183 783223 / +249 183 779977)
Dear Mr President,
May we first of all extend our greetings to you and the brotherly people of the Sudan. We are a group of Eritrean Civil Societies (Network of Eritrean Civic Societies in Europe NECS-Europe) from various countries across Europe fighting for the respect of the basic human rights of Eritreans in Eritrea and abroad. We are all independent voluntary organisations run by the members with no external sources of funding.
Your Excellency,
We write to you today in order to convey our serious concern and worry with regard to your government’s plan to "round-up" and screen the papers of all foreign citizens residing in Khartoum with special emphasis on refugees on the 15th of November. Needless to say that this news caused extreme disquiet in all Eritrean circles both inside the country and abroad as it was not clear what the intentions are. As you are aware, the number of Eritreans fleeing into the Sudan over the last few years has been increasing astronomically. The main cause of this exodus is the totalitarian and barbaric nature of the Eritrean regime. People are arrested for no reason and for unspecified time, the young are conscripted into the army for an unknown period of time and against their will, the traders are unable to trade freely and the religious unable to practise their faith. The number of those who are being tortured and killed without due process is increasing by the minute and family members are rarely informed. The Eritrean people today are consumed with fear and that is why the number of desperate Eritreans fleeing to the Sudan to save their lives is increasing every day.
Your Excellency,
We are sure that you are well aware of the situation in Eritrea at the present time. The country is hijacked by few who were supposed to have rescued it and the Eritrean people are, yet again, forced to leave the country they fought and paid dearly for. The people of Sudan have always stood by the Eritrean people at their time of need and were instrumental to their victory. We are hopeful and confident that the Sudanese government will always safeguard and protect those Eritreans who have fled from tyranny.
We are mindful of the current political realities in the region; however, we firmly believe and expect that the lives of the innocent Eritreans could be protected under all circumstances.
Your Excellency,
We would like to urge you not to use the planned round-up as a way of either detaining or deporting innocent Eritreans who have committed no crime, but to seek refuge in your country. These are desperate people who have escaped from desperate situations and we ask that they be protected as long as the threat to their lives remains. We thank you for taking the time to consider our concerns.
Coordinating Committee NECS-Europe
>NECS-Europe members:
Eritreans for Justice and Democracy Amsterdam, The Netherlands email : ejdb2003@yahoo.com
Eritreans for Peace and Democracy Geneva, Switzerland email: eritreans_ch@yahoo.com
Popular Movement for Democracy in Eritrea Stockholm, Sweden email : adresom@hotmail.com
Eritreans for Human and Democratic Rights - UK London, United Kingdom email :info@ehdr.org.uk web: www.ehdr.org.uk
Eritreans for Peace Sttutgart - Germany email:tesfai.tecle@gmx.de
Eritreans for Human Rights Baden-Wuettemberg – Germany email: ablelom@gmx.de
Coordinating Committee Eritrean Democrats Milan, Italy email: km_mail_2000@yahoo.it
Release Eritrea London, United Kingdom email: staff@release-eritrea.org.uk
Eritrean Movement for Unity Oslo – Norway email: w.mnl@frisurf.no
Snit Selam Frankfurt – Germany Email: snitselam@yahoo.de
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