Eritrean authorities arrested 3 Sudanese engineers
By Tesfa-alem Tekle
November 22, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — Eritrean authorities have arrested 3 Sudanese engineers from the town of karura, some 350 Kms away from Port Sudan.
According to Eritrean opposition web sites the 3 Sudanese engineers were working for Asmarco, a construction company currently executing construction work in Eritrea.
Eritrea has accused them of helping Eritrean soldiers and customs office police officers escape to Sudan
The Sudanese government has started diplomatic efforts to release its citizens
Nothing clearly is known about specific date of their arrest but some sources indicated that they were snatched and arrested on nov5, 2007.
Due sever human right conditions and threats every month an average of 600 Eritreans fled to Ethiopia.this figurer is a double compared to few months ago.
Several hundred Eritreans also fled to Sudan and other countries, most of them army deserters or those fleeing conscription.
According to amnesty international in July 2004, some 110 people who had fled to Libya were forcibly returned to Eritrea. On arrival they were detained and placed in incommunicado detention in a secret prison.
The same year in August the Libyan authorities attempted to forcibly return a further 76 Eritrean asylum-seekers, including six children. However, some of them hijacked the plane carrying them and forced it to land in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, where all the passengers, except the hijackers, were given refugee protection.
The hijackers surrendered to the Sudanese authorities and were sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on appeal; their refugee status had not been determined by the end of 2004.
(ST)