Nearly 10,000 Eritreans sought asylum is Sudan since January

June 4, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) — Some 9866 Eritreans have took refuge at eastern Sudan’s Shagarab refugee camp since the year 2009 turned in, an opposition party said. Eritrean People’s Party (EPP) said.

The opposition Eritrean People’s Party (EPP) in a statement said that the influx of Eritreans crossing to borders of Sudan seeking safety is increasing in an alarming rate.

“Between May 21 and May 29, 2009 alone, 304 Eritreans, from all walks of life have arrived at Sudan’s Shegerab refugee camp in protest to worsening political, economical and human right situation” it said.

The tiny red sea nation, recently also termed as “huge prison state” has hit top on the index of world most human right violating states and also on the state-terror sponsors list by international human right watch dogs and world power states.

Eritrean opposition groups have repeatedly accused the Eritrean government of political motivated mass killings, arbitrary arrests by keeping innocent civilians incommunicado under harsh conditions in a remote scorching low lands in secret detention areas and also in shipment containers.

Recently ethnic minorities, the Eritrean Afar and Kunama nationals have accused government of launching ethnic cleansing against them, calling on the international community to bring responsible Eritrean leaders to international court.

According to sources from recent arrivals of Eritrean refugees at Ethiopia’s Shimelba refugee camp, on daily bases a number of Eritreans, at a heavily patrolled Eritrean borders are shot-dead by border security forces up on attempt to flee to neighboring countries.

With many more arriving, currently over 200,000 Eritreans are believed to have been sheltered at refugee camps in Sudan.

(ST)