FEATURE: Sudanese refugees in Egypt between gangs and Israel

By Roba Gibia

January 3, 2008 (CAIRO) — As the Sudanese communities in Cairo prepare to celebrate Christmas and New Year eve, the nightmare of lost and out-laws boys continue to dominate their day today life, common speech of the street and part of daily life.

On December 22, 2007 the Hassenein Dousoky Street at Hadayek El Maadi was closed by more than fifty Sudanese youth gangs in which they chop one southern Sudanese man. It happened that when the man saw the gangs became scared and started running and the gangs ran after him till he was chopped at head and left bleeding on the street.

The scene was horrific as the gangs were carrying machetes and knives and they escaped before the arrival of the Egyptian police security. The same happened at Abassiya where the gang boys smashed more than twelve Egyptian cars and it was one of the devastating scenes which turned Egyptians against the Sudanese and particularly south Sudanese.

The Egyptian security rounded and put behind the bars more than half dozen of these gangs, but yet that will not resolve the issue and the question is who will compensate the owners of the smashed cars?

The Egyptian authorities could not deport these Sudanese gangs because they are UN blue or yellow card holders and it will be considered as violation of UN laws by host country. But the act of these Sudanese gangs has made many southern Sudanese to be a suspect and liable for any wrongdoer, as most of those who were detained at Abassiya were pass by and innocent but the actual wrongdoers have deserted the scene.

The lost and out-laws boys have currently developed new devices of looting Sudanese communities in Cairo, as if they got anyone on their way, they demand money and normally the victim is stripped from his/her possessions such as mobiles, watches and jewels and without resistance and any resistance they will chop the victim.

This act has become common among the Sudanese communities in Cairo, and the fear is that if it touched the Egyptians, it will turn into another escalation of confrontation with the Egyptians which its consequences could not be predicted.

Observers underline the critical need for the Government of Southern Sudan to take the issue of the lost and out-laws boys in Cairo serious before it was too late, and there has to be initiative from GoSS as how to put an end to this barbaric behavior, which i if not resolved is ruining or has already ruined the image and reputation of the South Sudanese people and consequently, it will jeopardize the relationship between the Egypt and South Sudan.

To find a solution to this matter, it requires concerted efforts and cooperation between Government of Southern Sudan, Egyptian and UNHCR authorities to set up strategies and mechanism as how to dilute and defuse violent acts of the lost and out-laws boys in Cairo.

When the GoSS Mission Office opened in Cairo last May 2007, most Sudanese people were hoping that the office is going to resolve the problem of Sudanese gangs and arrange for their return to Sudan.

The office started registration according to the Great Bahr el Ghazal, Great Equatoria, Great Upper Nile and Nuba Mountains as well as Blue Nile especially those desperately wanted to return to Sudan, but they were told that the repatriation will commence after the rainfall season but so far nothing has been done at this juncture. Thus, most of the people became frustrated and lost confidence and has no trust in their government’s initiative for voluntary repatriation and longing to see actions and are weary of verbal and empty promises.

ISRAEL: THE PROMISING FUTURE

Hence, some south Sudanese community living in Egypt rather prefers not to go to south, because according to them the life there is too expensive which they could not afford. But the best option with promising future is Israel, as those who made their way into Israel are leading better life and their economic position has changed, and that was obvious from the monthly assistance they are sending to their relatives and friends in Egypt.

Beside that they are encouraging their fellow brothers and sisters in Cairo to come to Israel by all means even if it is at the cost of their life.

Here is raised the question of the role of the national unity government and the government of southern Sudan towards its people, both governments has to make Sudan attractive home to its people instead of scary country, and look into the real causes as why Sudanese are rejecting their own country, and rather prefer to die instead of going back home!

The smuggling of Sudanese into Israel has become lucrative business for some Sudanese and Egyptians, but Egyptians are the sole brokers who are receiving five hundred US dollars per head, and are coordinating with involved Sudanese, arranging and transportation to the Egyptian-Israel border in special vehicles, then the Sudanese or refugees were dumped there to face their destiny.

Like the story of one Sudanese who made his way into Israel told friend over phone that he was taken by an Egyptian broker in a private car during the night from Ain Shams with some colleagues, and they spent three days on the way, during these three days they had to switch from vehicle to vehicle till they were left in unknown location, and then they had to find their way across the border into Israel where they were arrested by the Israel border guards and kept in custody for couple of weeks.

This December there were lots of sneakers who attempted to cross the border into Israel and many were wounded and some arrested who are now in Egyptian custody at Arish.

EFFECTS OF LAST YEAR KILLING

There are lots of views on the case of lost and outlaws boys and as why the matter is being considered under low profile like Mustafa Mahmoud sit-in protest without taken any drastic measures and actions from the sides of the Egyptian and GoSS or Sudanese authorities to resolve this matter once and for all.

According to a Sudanese researcher the issue of these two youth gang groups has been politicized and it is one of the strategies of fighting one’s enemy indirectly by initiating policy of violence at the midst of the youngsters’ and the community at large. The researcher said that, the Egyptian authorities have got their own reservations because of the Mustafa Mahmoud incident and as far as the Sudanese are butchering themselves and not hurting Egyptians, they deem it wise to leave them alone to display to the world that these people have no ethics and values.

The odd thing here is that whenever crimes committed by these gangs, they will be arrested and put behind the bars, but will be released after couple of days either by their parents or because they were holders of UNHCR blue and yellow cards.

Because the UNHCR refused the idea of indefinite detention and deportation, saying that it will cause trouble to the innocent refugees and the host country may took it as an opportunity to accuse someone falsely and deport. Thus, there is great number of Sudanese who were diseased, disabled and deformed by this brutal act but so far the GoSS never moved to curtail the situation until when disaster occurs.

(ST)