Eritrean civil society NGOs urge Sudan to not deport refugees

– 13 November 2006
– Lt. Gen Omar Hassan Ahmad El-Bashier
– President
Republic of the Sudan
– 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 : [email protected]

Eritreans for Peace and Democracy
Geneva, Switzerland
email: [email protected]

Popular Movement for Democracy in Eritrea
Stockholm, Sweden
email : [email protected]

Eritreans for Human and Democratic Rights – UK
London, United Kingdom
email :[email protected]
web: www.ehdr.org.uk

Eritreans for Peace
Sttutgart – Germany
email:[email protected]

Eritreans for Human Rights
Baden-Wuettemberg – Germany
email: [email protected]

Coordinating Committee Eritrean Democrats
Milan, Italy
email: [email protected]

Release Eritrea
London, United Kingdom
email: [email protected]

Eritrean Movement for Unity
Oslo – Norway
email: [email protected]

Snit Selam
Frankfurt – Germany
Email: [email protected]