Israel hands Darfur refugees over to Egypt

RAFAH, Egypt, Aug 29 (AFP) — Israel has handed over to Egypt three refugees from Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region who were seeking political asylum, Egyptian border police said Sunday.

The three men illegally entered Israel from neighbouring Egypt in search of work, according to Israeli authorities, and were arrested with three Egyptians.

Israeli media reported on August 15 that seven Darfur refugees were being held in a prison after a marathon trek which took them across Egypt before they were picked up in the southern Negev desert.

Five of the prisoners were said to have arrived in Israel some two months ago while the other two were picked up in early August.

The fates of the other Sudanese was not immediately clear. An Israeli military spokesman had no immediate comment.

Sudan’s armed forces and their Arab militia allies cracked down on black African tribal groups in Darfur following an uprising in February 2003, forcing 1.2 million people from their homes and up to 200,000 into makeshift camps in neighboring Chad, the UN says.

The conflict has claimed up to 50,000 lives since early last year.