We never forget those who died in Mostapha Mahmoud

The Conditions of Sudanese Refugees In Egypt

A group called “Refugees Voice in Egypt” which is made up of 10 refugee leaders organized the peaceful demonstration that took place in front of the UNHCR Office in Moustapha Mahmoud, Mohandessin, Cairo, Egypt. They established this group in January 2005, when UNHCR has suspended all programs to Sudanese refugees. Tthe Sudanese refugees in Egypt, are so overwhelmed by their problems and situation and the lack of attention to their problems and situation from the international community or the Egyptian government, they had no choice but to organize this demonstration so that they could get the attention of the international community to find solutions to their problems.

The peaceful demonstration began outside of UNHCR office in Cairo to demand protection from UNHCR and better treatment from the Egyptian government, on September 28th with only 70 Sudanese refugees and has grown substantially each day, to over 3,000 by 29th of December 2005. The demonstration lasted more than 3 months. They were demanding their rights from UNHCR Office in Cairo. They have submitted a list of 13 essential requests and indicated to UNHCR that they will demonstrate until their demands are met.

Currently there are over 3 million Sudanese in Egypt. Some have been here for up to 20 years since the intensification of the civil war in neighboring Sudan. In January 2005, following the peace agreement between the rebels and Sudanese government, UNHCR suspended all Refugee Status Determination interviews, resettlement to a third country, immediate registration of refugees upon arrival, and the right to appeal closed-file cases of all Sudanese refugees. The new UNHCR policy focuses on voluntary repatriation to Sudan and local integration into Egyptian society.

These options are unacceptable to the Sudanese refugees. The ongoing prevalence of violence and genocide in Darfur and in the rest of the country show that the situation is not stable and that voluntary repatriation is unrealistic at this time. But for them staying in Egypt is no alternative. The Egyptian government does not recognize their rights as refugees. Although it is a signatory to the 1951 International Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, Egypt has not implemented these laws and has no domestic refugee laws of its own. Without recognition from the government, they are forced to cope by themselves. They have no access to health, education and have no right to work in Egypt. They work in marginal jobs and face harassment by the police. They have no prospects for future. They are also not protected from forcible return to Sudan. Many Sudanese refugees suffer from physical and psychological abuse, and there have been many incidents of rape and murder. They face a lot of discrimination in Egypt. There is no real protection provided to the refugees by UNHCR, because of the Egyptian government. There have been many incidents where UNHCR blue or yellow cards of Sudanese refugees have been torn up by an Egyptian officer. In addition, the Sudanese National Conference Party opened an office here in Egypt, trying to force the refugees to repatriate back to Sudan.

During the demonstration, the leaders had many meetings with UNHCR to negotiate their demands. Finally, on 17th of December 2005, UNHCR has agreed to concede to 12 out of 13 of their demands. The agreement was signed by UNHCR and by four leaders on behalf of the demonstrators. The agreement indicated that the Sudanese refugees must empty the park by 21st of December. Some refugees, especially those from South Sudan, rejected the agreement. There has been tension and many arguments. The leaders tried to persuade the rest to accept the agreement to no avail. The South Sudanese refugees in the park insisted on staying at the park until they get all of their demands. Some of the concessions made by UNHCR were vague. Since the Sudanese refugees do not have much trust at UNHCR office in Cairo, they demanded more concrete solutions. When the park was not emptied on 21st of December, UNHCR asked the Egyptian government to interfere and end the protest, peacefully. The Egyptian government did interfere, however what took place on 29th of December was a massacre of Sudanese refugees, including women and children.

On December 29th, around 5,000 soldiers blocked the whole Mohandessin area. They first used water canons 3 times directed at 3,000 refugees on a freezing night and than they stormed in to the camp, where majority of the refugees were women and children. The refugees did not fight back at all, they were totally unarmed. The police had sticks in their hands and they began hitting everyone, including children and women. They forced the refugees into buses, carried them one by one, violently. The refugees including women and children were all covered with blood, many injured from the beating and kicking they received from the police. The refugees had little or no clothing on them, all wet from the water canons. Most did not even have their shoes on. They left all their belongings behind, everything they owned, including their suitcases and their documents, which were picked up by the Egyptian authorities and thrown away. There are 29 dead bodies still waiting in the morgue and their families are awaiting decisions from the UNHCR who promised to give $1,000 USD to each family who wants to bury their relatives in Sudan. The authorities distributed all refugees including women and children into seven different prisons and announced that they would deport half of them back to Sudan. With the pressure of the international community, the Egyptian government gave one week and allowed UNHCR to access three prisons and to determine who needs international protection. The UNHCR identified who were registered with them and those who had yellow or blue cards were released. All close-file cases remained in prison, which are around 650 refugees, who were released very recently, after three months. Some Sudanese refugees are still missing. There are about 300 who were at the camp site on the 29th of December and taken to prisons, however, no one has heard from them and they are not on the prison list that UNHCR has. A through investigation must be carried out to find out what happened to them. A through investigation must be carried out and the Egyptian government must be punished for massacring innocent refugees, which includes children and two babies who are less than 1 years old, and for imprisoning men, women and children for up to three months who has not committed any crimes.

The situation of the Sudanese refugees became even worst after this incident. No Sudanese refugee is immune from being stopped on the street and being imprisoned. They have no protection and no security. The Sudanese refugees are scared to go out and stay in their homes. One of the major problems the Sudanese refugees face in Egypt is the discrimination they face both from the Egyptian government and the public. They are being harassed, and humiliated daily by the Egyptians. Now things have gotten worst for them.

Written by Narin Elalmis

we are the sudanese refugees who gather in Cairo, along arab league street in front of Mostafa Mahamuod mosque near the UNHCR office from 29/9/05 to our present day, our number is 3000 men and women and 300 children in small area of not more than 300sqm, and we are sleeping on the ground with our eyes facing to the sky without blankets in the hard coldness with no food and water our health got detorerate and the conditions are so bad we demonestrate as a result of the discrimination and luck of human rights we are subjected to from the side of UNHCR stuffs in Cairo. our demand run as follow..\par
\par
1.we object the voluntary repatriration\fs20 .\par
\fs28 2. we object local resettlement.\par
3.we object illegal detention.\par
4.we refuse distinguishing between sudanese refugees according to their ethnic \par
background or geographical zones.\par
5.we request the UNHCR to consider sudanese refugees status determiinationas \par
individuals not as a group.\par
6.we request not to apply the four freedom principles between sudanese goverment \par
and Egyptian goverment on sudanese refugees.\par
7. we request the UNHCR to protect sudanese refugees from national\fs20 \fs28 confrence party \par
personnel in cairo.\fs20\par
\fs28 8.we demand for the reopening of closed files\fs20 .\par
\fs28 9. we demand the UNHCR to deal with sudanese refugees as individual not as agroup.\par
10. we object the dialgue with the communities in the name of the sudanese refugees \par
that support( voluntery repatriration and the local resettlement).\par
11.we demand the regestration of the new refugees immediatly after their arrival\fs20 .\par
\fs28 12. we demand the UNHCR to find out the lost sudanese refugees\par
13.we demand the evacuation of the troops from the UNHCR office in Cairo.\par
14.we demand aid for the sudanese refugees from humanterian organization.\par
15.we demandfor the care of over age people and children in general.\par
16.we demand the reply for the complains of the sudanese refugees\par
17. we object the humalations of the sudanese refugees from the stuffs of the UNHCR \par
office in Cairo\par
18. we demand the implementation of the appointments and the reopening of the \par
closed files as fast as posible.\par
19. we demand for the comprehensive solution\fs20 \fs28 for the sudanese refugees problems \par
or either trasfer them to other countries.\par
\par
Or either this demonstration will continue untill we achive our rights.\par
In the 36 past days to our present day of demonstration we witness many \par
desarsters as follow \par
1. five dei and leave their families \par
2. six born with no help of doctors.\par
3.one condition of abortion.\par
4. O.T.P condition among the children.\par
5.Deterrioration in the health of pregancy women and over age people.\par
6. The spreat oftransmiting deases such as(T.B, lever deases,romatasims,amoebic \par
dysentry , and three admited in the hospital ....etc)\par
7. we are exposed to hot sun rays during the days and very cold weather during the \par
nights as no enough blankets.\par
And also we are exposed to some events in our camp such as \par
1. There is no any humanterian org allowed to help us.\par
2. Medias are not allowed enter the camp.\par
3. Some sudanese spy from sudan embassy are allowed to enter the camp and \par
make fighting with the refugees .\par
4. two of the refuugees were abduct from the camp by the security men of the \par
sudan goverment.\par
We are the voice of the sudanese refugees in Cairo, appeal to your kind hearts and your human concious in which we do trusth on to come and see by your eyes and find out the truth so that our may reach to the out world through you exellency.\par
\par

El-Nadimfor the Management & Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence
Address: 3A Soliman El Halabi St. from Ramsis St.
Tel. (202)5787089 Fax: (202) 5776792
E-mail: [email protected] website: www.hrinfo.net/egypt/nadeem


First achievement of the new cabinet: A massacre of Sudanese Refugees in Mostafa Mahmoud Square

How many have to die and how much blood should be spilt before we take to the streets and not leave before the resignation of the butcher of the Egyptian Ministry of health Minister Habib El Adly and brining him and those who act upon his orders to justice?
In the early hours of today, Friday the 30th of December 2005, Egyptian security forces carried out a massacre in every sense of the word resulting in the criminal and crazy murder of no less than 10 refugees according to official sources and more than 30 refugees according to sources from among the refugees.
The massacre took place at a time of the Christmas and New Year holidays and as known for Egyptian police, during the early hours of the day. Nothing stopped the police: neither the cold not the presence of women, children or elderly. Friends living on the 11th floor of a nearby building were drawn to the windows by the screams of women and children. Egyptian security forces were not stopped by the TV cameras or the press present in the location. They dragged the refugees across the street, pulled women from their hair and pushed the elderly carrying newborn babies. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior did not suffice to bring its trucks and tanks but mobilized a long line of public transportation busses in a flagrant cooperation between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of transportation in turning those buses into torture cells where refugees were stuffed like sheep to be transferred to central security force camps in different locations in Egypt in addition to taking some of them to State security intelligence offices. Many of those taken to the camps suffer fractures and injuries and lack any medical help, according to the information we received from a refugee who managed to make a fast phone call from his mobile before it was totally disconnected indicating that it was taken away from him.
Thos events taking place in the middle of Mohandesin in front of Mostafa Mahmoud mosque is the only way known to the Egyptian Ministry of Interior to respond to any peaceful protest: beating and dragging and killing outside the law, detention and deportation to illegal detention places. The protest of the Sudanese refugees lasted for three months during which they endured the cold, hunger, humiliation and death of 10 of them after despairing the silence of UNHCR and its non commitment to its mandate. For years they have suffered the persecution of the Egyptian police and spending long night in Egyptian police stations with no attention paid to their legitimate demands. They protested to make their voices heard and to demand their rights from the UN organization whose mandate it is to protect them and the host country which had committed itself to provide them with their rights.
· We demand the immediate release of the Sudanese refugees who would not have come to Egypt is Egypt did not host the UNHCR.
· We demand the immediate resignation of Minister of Interior Habib el Adly whose hands are soiled by the blood of Egyptians and Sudanese as a result of the massive police violence, killing outside the law, torture and detention in state security intelligence headquarters.
· We call upon all human rights organizations and Egyptian democratic parties and groups to condemn the performance of the Minister of Interior and to intervene for the release of Sudanese refugees in Egyptian security camps.
· We call upon the High commissioner of human rights to investigate the crimes of murder and violence committed by the Egyptian Minister of Interior in obvious collaboration with UNHCR
Cairo 30 December 2005

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THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO
FORCED MIGRATION AND REFUGEE STUDIES (FMRS)
A TRAGEDY OF FAILURES AND FALSE EXPECTATIONS
Report on the Events Surrounding the Threemonth
Sitin
and Forced
Removal of Sudanese Refugees in Cairo, September–December 2005
June 2006
The Forced Migration and Refugee Studies program (FMRS) is a program of
education, research, and outreach that seeks to improve the understanding, policies,
and practices of those who are concerned or work directly with refugees and other
forced migrants. While maintaining a global and comparative perspective, FMRS
focuses on the particular issues and circumstances of displacement in Africa, the
Middle East, and the Mediterranean basin from multiple viewpoints, including those
of host societies, policy makers, states, humanitarian organizations, and, in
particular, of the forced migrants themselves.
FMRS offers a multidisciplinary
graduate diploma for that purpose and supports
research and service activities that are mutually reenforcing,
grounded in the needs
of stakeholders, and promote a growing appreciation of the social, psychosocial,
economic, cultural, legal and political relevance of forced migration to academics,
practitioners, and the general public.
* * *
Forced Migration and Refugee Studies
The American University in Cairo
113 Kasr AlAini
Street, P.O. Box 2511
Cairo 11511, Arab Republic of Egypt
Telephone: +2027976921,
7976626
Fax: +2027976629
[email protected]
http://www.aucegypt.edu/fmrs
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……………………………………………………………………1
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………2
BACKGROUND TO THE CRISIS…………………………………………………………5
THREE MONTHS OF PROTEST………………………………………………………...15
FORCED REMOVAL……………………………………………………………………...31
THE AFTERMATH………………………………………………………………………...36
COMMENTS AND ANALYSIS…………………………………………………………...52
APPENDIX A: Protest demands with explanation………………………………………….59
APPENDIX B: December 17 agreement with UNHCR…………………………………….63
1
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Report Editor
Fateh Azzam
Editorial Assistance
Jasmina Brankovic
Nora Danielson
Research and First Drafting
Introduction: Fateh Azzam
Background to the Crisis: Maisaa Youssef, Andrew Woods
Three Months of Protest: Nora Danielson, Themba Lewis
Forced Removal: Laura Maxwell
The Aftermath: James Pearce, Sarah Sadek
Comments and Analysis: Fateh Azzam
Many thanks to all the refugees and eyewitnesses who gave testimonies and to all who
participated in the preparation and factchecking
of this report, especially the following, with
apologies in advance to all who are not specifically mentioned below:
Assad Khalid, Barbara HarrellBond,
Chiara R., Courtney Mitchell, Emily Eidenier, Gafar
Salim, Karen Zamperini, Leigh Sylvan, Martin Rowe, Maysa Ayoub, Minal Giri, Musafiri
Sebbi, Naaz Khan, Omar Idriss, Sara Sevcik, Shadrick King, Stacy Shafer, Viviana Mazza,
Yasser Omer Mustafa, and Ahmed AbdelRahman.
Thanks are also due to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and to UNHCR for
willingness to meet and share perspectives and for providing information and statistics.
Special thanks are due to Africa–Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA) and the
Association for Human Rights Legal Aid (AHRLA) for their collaboration and sharing of
information.
2
INTRODUCTION
On September 29, 2005, dozens of Sudanese asylum seekers and refugees initiated a sitin
near the offices of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Cairo to protest
UNHCR’s ongoing suspension of refugee status determination procedures as well as their
conditions in Cairo, a situation they considered unbearable. Their number quickly grew to an
average of 1,800 to 2,500 and remained at those levels throughout the following three
months. Periodic meetings and negotiations among the sitin
leadership, UNHCR, and a
number of other parties failed to meet the demonstrators’ demands or to result in a
satisfactory end to the protest.
In the early morning hours of December 30, 2005, thousands of Egyptian security personnel
forcibly removed the protestors to various holding centers in and around Cairo. Tragically,
27 refugees and asylum seekers were killed in the removal, at least half being children and
women. A 28 th person, a 14yearold
boy, died in hospital a month later, and one man
committed suicide in detention.
Most cardholding
refugees and asylum seekers were released within a few days, but more
than six hundred remained in detention until their status was clarified between UNHCR and
the government of Egypt. The tragedy continued for weeks, with families trying to find loved
ones, children being left unaccompanied overnight or held in separate facilities from their
parent(s), and people not knowing whether their relatives were in another detention facility,
in hospital, or in the morgue. Two months after the event, no one remained in detention, but
several children were missing and families still were not allowed to take possession of the
bodies of relatives for burial.
Calls by national and international human rights organizations for an international inquiry
into the deaths were rejected by Egypt, which was rumored to have initiated an internal
investigation. The forced removal and its aftermath elicited criticism locally and abroad,
strained relations between UNHCR and the government of Egypt, and exacerbated an
atmosphere of distrust between UNHCR and Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers.
Egyptian and international media coverage of the event was replete with charges of police
brutality and racism, and countercharges of abuse of Egyptian hospitality by “drunken” and
“diseaseridden”
refugees and other xenophobic statements. At the same time, human rights
and other civil society organizations worked hard to provide needed assistance by tracing
families, identifying the deceased, and raising funds to aid the victims. The Mufti Dr. Ali
Gomaa issued a fatwa approving Sadaqah (charitable giving) for all Sudanese refugees
during Eid AlAdha.
There is little information in the public domain on what happened that day or what led up to
it. Many questions surrounding the issue remain unanswered. Who was protesting in the first
place, and why? Why did they reject several offers by UNHCR? Could UNHCR and the
government of Egypt have offered the protesters more? Why was such excessive force used
in the removal, and how did so many people die? Why were autopsy reports not released?
Why did it take so long before bodies of victims were released to their relatives for burial,
3
and why were none allowed to be transferred to Sudan for burial? Why was there so little
information and care in the immediate aftermath, when dazed asylum seekers and refugees
were left wandering the streets of Cairo? Who is responsible and who should be held
accountable for which aspect of the problem? Could this tragedy have been avoided and,
most important, could it happen again?
One week after the tragedy, FMRS initiated an investigative research in an effort to find
answers to some of these questions. From the start, the purpose of the investigation was not
so much to assign responsibility as it was to promote a thorough understanding of the
problem: why it happened, what are the issues, and what could have been done or should be
done in the future and by whom in order to prevent such a tragedy.
This is not the first effort by FMRS faculty, students, and researchers to shed light on the
particular issues and problems facing refugees in Egypt and the region, including the
Sudanese. Thus, the report builds on previous FMRS research and on other sources. 1 In order
to identify the particular events that occasioned the threemonth
sitin,
the removal of the
protestors, and the aftermath, an FMRS team of more than 10 researchers gathered eyewitness
testimonies, met with officials from UNHCR and the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, and relied on information from a number of nongovernmental
organizations active
in providing assistance to the asylum seeker and refugee community in Egypt.
FMRS undertook the complicated task of wading through a large amount of sometimes
contradictory and confusing bits of information to corroborate testimonies and newspaper
accounts, to separate fact from rumor, and to navigate the passions on the different sides of
this event and the issues that gave rise to it. This report is the result of more than two months
of these efforts. Preliminary findings were presented on February 8, 2006, at an FMRS
Wednesday Seminar and the final version—insofar as any analysis of this event can be
final—is in your hands.
Terminology
It is difficult but important to identify correct terminology in clarifying a highly intricate and
nuanced situation. On the one hand, not everyone who crosses a border is automatically a
“refugee,” and not all those who apply for this legal status are granted it. 2 On the other hand,
because of the rigors of the refugee status determination (RSD) process, not everyone who is
denied the legal status of refugee should be automatically termed an “economic migrant” or
an “illegal migrant.” They may be refugees who simply did not fit the criteria at a particular
1 See www.aucegypt.edu/fmrs, under “Reports.”
2 Article 1 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees defines a refugee as an individual who,
“owing to a wellfounded
fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a
particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable, or owing to
such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and
being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or, owing to
such fear, is unwilling to return to it.” Article 1(2) of the 1969 OAU Convention adds that a refugee is an
individual who “owing to external aggression, occupation, foreign domination, or events seriously disturbing
public order in either part or in whole of his country of origin…is compelled to leave his place of habitual
residence.”
4
Asylum
Seeker
(Yellow
Card)
Refugee Status
Determination
(RSD)
Process
Legal
Refugee
(Blue Card)
Appeal
Closed File
Internally
Displaced
Person
time or for a particular reason. Individuals in the middle of their RSD process are generally
referred to as “asylum seekers,” while those who applied and were rejected are termed
“closed files” if no further action is taken or if they appeal and are rejected again.
In interviews and general discussions, FMRS researchers were sometimes confronted with
confusion concerning these terms. Users of the term refugee are not always cognizant of the
distinctions described above, and the word is often used to describe anyone who is in a
refugee situation, whether legally recognized as such or not. This report makes an effort to
navigate these complications, clarifying the differences as thoroughly as possible. Where it
suits the main purpose of the discussion, the report defers to the general usage, referring to
refugees in broad terms without distinction. Most of the time, however, the report does make
a distinction between asylum seekers, recognized refugees, closed files, and others. The
following chart shows various stages and acknowledged categories in an attempt to delineate
the differences. The specific situation described by each of those categories is discussed in
the report.
Process, Status, and Terminology
Cross Successful
Borders
Rejected Resettlement
Local
Successful Integration
Voluntary
Unsuccessful Repatriation
Return to Move Elsewhere,
Country of Origin or Are “Smuggled”
Disappear in Country
and Wait
5
BACKGROUND TO THE CRISIS
Not all Sudanese in Egypt are asylum seekers or refugees. There is a long history of
migration between Egypt and Sudan, spanning centuries, facilitated by the geography of the
Nile and the populations’ linguistic and cultural affinities. Estimates of the number of
Sudanese nationals in Egypt vary widely, ranging from 750,000 to 4 million. 3 The majority
has enjoyed longterm
residence and successful careers in business or academia. Some
intermarry with Egyptians and are fairly well integrated into Egyptian society, but maintain
their Sudanese nationality.
One expression of neighborly relations between Egypt and Sudan was the 1976 Wadi ElNil
(Nile Valley) Treaty, which provided for reciprocal treatment of the nationals of both
countries. Under the treaty, Sudanese nationals were granted the right to live in Egypt with
near citizenship. They were permitted to enter without a visa and were, in theory, given
unrestricted access to employment, education, healthcare, and ownership of property.
In 1995, an assassination attempt was made on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in
Ethiopia that was attributed to Sudanese Islamist extremists, after which the Wadi ElNil
Treaty was abrogated. That year, the Egyptian government began requiring Sudanese asylum
seekers to carry an entry visa and a residence permit, and their rights reverted to those
accorded to any foreign national on Egyptian soil. As we shall see, this cutoff
date
corresponds roughly with when the question of Sudanese refugees became a significant issue
in Egypt.
Because of growing political unrest in Sudan, increasing numbers of Sudanese came to Egypt
specifically to seek refuge. The first major wave came in 1955 with the start of Sudan’s civil
war. This wave extended into the mid1980s,
and included opponents of the Nimeiri regime
and to the imposition of Islamic law in southern Sudan. The next major wave came in 1983
with another outbreak of civil war in the South. The most recent wave was created by the
ongoing conflict in Darfur. These conflicts all but destroyed the country, and millions ended
up in camps surrounding Sudan and in camps for the internally displaced within the country.
Escapees from political repression in all parts of Sudan continued to come to Egypt, with tens
of thousands arriving in Egypt over the past ten years, though even more fled to the south or
west of Sudan.
As Egypt increasingly became a recipient country for refugees seeking not just immediate
asylum but also eventual resettlement to third countries, responsibility for the asylum seekers
fell to UNHCR, whose Cairo office eventually developed one of the largest resettlement
operations in the world. Interviews conducted with Sudanese asylum seekers show that
resettlement to the United States, Canada, Australia, and other Western countries has
consistently been the ultimate goal for refugees. Many asylum seekers came to view
resettlement almost as a right, but only about a quarter of them have had this expectation met.
The rest remain in Egypt, severely disappointed and surviving in an Egyptian urban
environment under difficult circumstances.
3 Katarzyna Grabska, “Living on the Margins: Analysis of the Livelihood Strategies of Sudanese Refugees
with Closed Files in Egypt,” FMRS Working Paper 6, June 2005, p. 17.
6
Egypt, UNHCR, and International Law
Egypt is a signatory to both the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (and its
1967 Protocol) 4 and the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee
Problems in Africa. The conventions grant recognized refugees a set of basic rights, starting
with the specific prohibition in Article 33 of the 1951 Convention of refoulement, the forcible
return of an asylum seeker to the country of origin where his or her life may be threatened.
Other rights provided to various degrees by the two conventions include free practice of
religion, continuity of residence, access to courts, employment, welfare, healthcare,
education, and freedom of movement and documentation.
Egypt has no single guiding policy for the treatment of refugees, however, and it has not
taken steps to fully implement the principles of the conventions through its national
legislation. At the same time, as discussed above, Egypt has parallel policies that relate
entirely to its special relationship with Sudan, and these policies often conflict with or
confuse the information regarding services and rights available to Sudanese asylum seekers
and refugees.
Importantly, the government of Egypt has deferred responsibility for those who seek asylum
and refugee status in Egypt to UNHCR, including the conduct of refugee status determination
(RSD) and the provision of assistance in its various forms. UNHCR has often called upon the
Egyptian government to take on the responsibility for RSD in meeting its legal commitments
under the conventions, which the latter has consistently refused to do. 5 Moreover, Egypt sent
UNHCR a letter entering a number of significant reservations to the conventions, limiting
access to education, healthcare, and employment. 6 In practice, however, Egypt has
ameliorated these reservations by softening the restrictions on access to some of these basic
services (see discussion below).
UNHCR continues to be responsible for determining who qualifies for refugee legal status
and its practices in this regard have received some criticism. 7 After initial registration with
UNHCR, an asylum seeker is given a yellow card, granting him or her temporary residence in
Egypt until status is determined. The agency has been criticized by researchers as well as
refugees for having lengthy and unfair procedures, including cursory interviews by
insufficiently trained staff, lack of transparency, lack of adequate and clear information, and
4 Ratified by Egypt in 1981. UN Country Report available at <
http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/ittmig2002/locations/818.htm> (last accessed 15 January
2006).
5 Interview with Damtew Dessalegne, Deputy Regional Representative, UNHCR Regional Office in Cairo, 16
February 2006. This position was also held by the government of Egypt during an interview with Nasser
Hamzawy, Refugee Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 25 January 2006.
6 These include: Article 12(1) (personal status); Article 20 (rationing); Article 22(1) (access to primary
education); Article 23 (public relief and assistance); and Article 24 (labor legislation and social security).
These reservations were not mentioned in the official Egyptian Gazette and thus may not have the force of law
in Egypt.
7 See Michael Kagan, “Assessment of Refugee Status Determination Procedure at UNHCR’s Cairo Office,
2001–2002,” FMRS Working Paper 1, December 2002.
7
at times even arbitrary and unreasonable determinations. Diminishing UNHCR resources
have been straining the agency’s capacity to deal with increasing numbers of applicants in the
past 12 years, which has elicited more complaints of inadequate assistance to the most
needy. 8
Suspension of RSD Interviews for Sudanese Asylum Seekers
In June 2004, as a result of the ceasefire declared earlier in the year between the government
of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, UNHCR suspended RSD procedures for
all Sudanese asylum seekers, regardless of whether they originated from the South, Darfur, or
elsewhere. Instead, UNHCR automatically provided all applicants with yellow asylum seeker
cards, which offer temporary protection against refoulement (forced repatriation). The
agency’s rationale was that, given the potential for peace in Sudan, this move offered better
protection than the rejection of a large number of applicants on the basis of a fundamental
change of circumstances in the country of origin, which would undermine the reasons for
granting refugee status. The decision was subsequently reviewed and renewed every six
months.
Sudanese asylum seekers were deeply disappointed and worried by UNHCR’s decision,
especially as it put a heavy damper on their hopes for resettlement and relegated them to a
longer waiting period under difficult conditions in Egypt. Not long before, in May 2004, the
Four Freedoms Agreement between Egypt and Sudan was signed. The agreement, ratified in
September of that year, promised a partial return to the Wadi ElNil
Treaty of 1976,
guaranteeing reciprocal rights of residence, work, movement, and ownership of property. It
was unclear how this agreement would be implemented and whether it would have any
impact on asylum seekers and refugees from Sudan; clearly, many worried that its effect on
them would be negative.
In August 2004, a number of refugees were prompted by an Egyptian organization to gather
in front of UNHCR’s offices to present a memorandum protesting the agency’s change in
8 Ibid., pp. 4041.
In September I was beaten up by some Egyptians in Maadi who took all my documents. I tried
to file a report at the police station, but they wouldn’t let me. Finally after several tries they
agreed and I got a police report. Then I went to take the police report to UNHCR so I could get
a new yellow card. I went there eight times, but they refused to let me enter. One night [before
the sitin]
I slept in Mustafa Mahmoud Park so I could get there early, because I heard that they
only let in a limited number of people a day.
On that eighth day, I saw that there was a group of people in the park, including two women
with their children. I asked them what they were doing there, and they told me they were
protesting. I was already having problems with my flat, so that night I came back with my eight
children and husband and mother, and went and joined the protest and stayed at the park.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 28 January 2006.
8
policy and the announced reduction in some of UNHCR’s assistance to refugees. 9 Confusion
about who would meet with UNHCR staff and misinformation about UNHCR “refusing”
such a meeting led to an open riot and some damage to UNHCR premises. Police were called
in and dozens of protestors as well as 10 police officers were injured. Twentytwo
protestors
were detained but eventually released. In the end, the concerns of the 2004 protestors were
not addressed. 10
One result of the 2004 protest was the decision by UNHCR to move its first meetings with
asylum seekers and refugees to the nearby Mustapha Mahmoud Park, about one block from
the agency’s offices in Mohandeseen, a Cairo neighborhood. For the following year, initial
interviews were conducted at the park and appointments made there for applicants to come to
the office for more extensive meetings and followup.
UNHCR’s holding of asylum seekers
and refugees “at arm’s length” in this fashion can be seen as a physical representation of the
increasing distance between UNHCR and the population it purported to protect. Justified or
not, Sudanese refugees’ longstanding
frustration with UNHCR’s lengthy procedures,
diminishing resources for assistance, and perceived low rate of acceptance (let alone
resettlement), as well as their dissatisfaction with the interview process and their treatment by
some UNHCR staff and security personnel, combined to fuel loss of trust in the agency. At
the same time, asylum seekers could turn to no other agency.
Statistics on Sudanese “of Concern”
Statistics released by the UNHCR Cairo office show that between 1994 and the end of 2005,
58,535 Sudanese nationals sought asylum and registered with the agency. By December
2005, 31,990 of these asylum seekers had been accorded refugee legal status and 16,675 had
been resettled in third countries. An additional 15,000 of the recognized refugees did not
meet the resettlement countries’ criteria and most, if not all, remained in Egypt under “local
integration” status. This leaves just over 315 individuals who, according to UNHCR, were
referred for resettlement but whose procedures for travel have not yet been completed. Of
those who sought refugee status with UNHCR, 16,000 were rejected and eventually became
“closed files,” and another 10,200 were given temporary asylum seeker protection. As of the
end of 2005, 13,327 recognized refugees remained in Egypt. 11 These numbers undergo
monthly revision by UNHCR as decisions are made and individuals shift between categories.
Importantly, the numbers only include those Sudanese who approached UNHCR and
received interviews. Many more may have arrived in Egypt for similar or other purposes; if
they have not approached UNHCR, there is no way to accurately count them.
9 The South Center for Human Rights called for a “demonstration” in front of UNHCR offices but failed to be
present in the morning when dozens of refugees and asylum seekers appeared. See Sudan Human Rights
Organization, Cairo Branch, at org/pressreleases/04/august/26august04.htm>.
10 Leben Nelson Moro and Gamal Abdel Rahman Adam, “The Slow Death of Darfurians Out of Sight in
Egypt,” Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy, 28 July 2005, available at <
http://www.damanga.org/slow_death_in_egypt.html>.
11 Dessalegne, op. cit.
9
UNHCR Statistics on Sudanese of Concern to UNHCR, 19942005
1. Total seeking asylum/registered 58,535 100%
2. Total recognized refugees 31,990 54.6% of applicants
3. Resettled refugees – no longer in
Egypt
16,675 28.48% of applicants
52.1% of those recognized
4. Pending resettlement +/315
5. Recognized but not referred for
resettlement – ‘local integration’
15,000 25.62% of applicants
46.9% of those recognized
6. Asylum seekers with suspended
interviews since 2004
10,200 17.4% of applicants
7. Closed files 16,000 27.3% of applicants
8. Other (for integration, or suspended
interviews)
+/345
Total not resettled (categories 58)
41,545 71%
The statistics above show that approximately 71 percent of all Sudanese who have come to
Egypt seeking asylum (and eventual resettlement) did not get resettled. A number of them
have left, either returning voluntarily to Sudan on their own or trying to make another journey
through smuggling networks or by other means to where their hopes may be met. A
significant majority of the people in categories 5 through 8 remains in Egypt, however,
although exactly how many cannot be ascertained. It is this group of Sudanese refugees,
asylum seekers, and closed files who decided to protest their living conditions and uncertain
future.
Life as a Sudanese Refugee in 2005: Themes and Livelihood Issues
Sudanese refugees in Egypt cite difficult or inadequate access to education, healthcare,
housing, and employment as pressing concerns. Each of these livelihood issues is colored by
the larger themes of racist attitudes and misinformation, as well as increasing frustration with
an ambiguous, suspended existence for an indefinite amount of time. 12
Work
Recognized refugees in Egypt are given the opportunity to work, provided they obtain a work
permit in accordance with Egyptian law. To do so, they must meet strict criteria, including
sponsorship by an employer, legal residence and travel documents, proof of specialized skills
that do not put them in competition with Egyptian workers, HIV tests, and the payment of
processing fees. Few employers choose this route, so few Sudanese refugees are able to get
such work permits. In 2004, the Egyptian government changed its visa stamp format and
added “not permitted to work” to the residency stamps of recognized Sudanese refugees.
After more than a year of effort, UNHCR succeeded in having that addition removed in May
2005. 13
12 For a detailed discussion of livelihood issues among Sudanese with closed files, see Grabska, op. cit.
13 Dessalegne, op. cit.
10
Asylum seekers who do not yet have legal status as refugees, along with closed files, are not
guaranteed the right to work in Egypt. Consequently, they, as well as recognized refugees
without work permits, can only get temporary employment in the informal and unregulated
sector, along with many poor Egyptians and illegal aliens. The refugees’ special vulnerability
makes them subject to exploitation by employers. Many start their own enterprises, buying
and selling handmade crafts and other merchandise on the streets. All have to keep a watchful
eye out for police raids and are often subject to roundups,
fines, and detention. Many
Sudanese women find work as cooks and maids in private homes, but there, too, the risk of
harassment and abuse is high.
Thus, most Sudanese refugees, regardless of their official status, are only able to work
sporadically, for little money, with no job security, and often under exploitative conditions.
The lack of sufficient employment opportunities causes many refugees to become
impoverished. While UNHCR gives minimal financial support to recognized refugees, it does
so only to specific vulnerable or destitute families. Indeed, UNHCR reports that while the
cost of living in Cairo has increased substantially in the last few years, the subsistence
allowance allocated to vulnerable refugees has dropped by an average of 72 percent from
US$55 in 1998 to US$15.5 in 2002 per person each month, leaving many refugee families
well below Egypt’s poverty line. 14
Without a steady income, refugees have difficulty paying rent, educational fees, and costs of
healthcare, the quality of which depends on one’s ability to pay. While several NGOs,
churches, and community groups have developed education and healthcare initiatives, many
services are only available to holders of blue and yellow cards, with yellow cardholders
only
allowed access to emergency healthcare.
Education
Prior to 1995, all Sudanese, including refugees and asylum seekers, could access Egyptian
public schools. This arrangement was separate from Egypt’s obligation to provide primary
education under the 1951 Convention, a commitment to which it entered a reservation. 15
Regardless, Egypt is bound to provide basic educational services by treaties such as the
International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, and the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights. In 1992, the
Ministry of Education issued a decree allowing recognized refugee children to attend
Egyptian schools, thus meeting these commitments and bypassing the reservation.
14 UN news story, “Hard Times for Cairo’s Refugees,” 25 November 2002, available at <
http://www.unhcr.ch/cgibin/
texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=3de201595&page=newsR>.
15 See footnote 5.
I know this Sudanese woman who worked for an Egyptian family in the North coast. She died.
Her employer claimed that she died in an accident in the swimming pool, but the autopsy
showed that she was hit in the head. I ask the UNHCR to give us protection and to address the
problems of refugees. We are not migrants. We are refugees.
FMRS interviews with demonstrators, 14 January 2006
11
Attempts by Sudanese refugees to enroll their children in Egyptian public schools are often
unsuccessful because of the current overpopulation of classrooms and the unwillingness of
many school headmasters to accommodate new students. In addition, school fees must be
paid. UNHCR provided a fund for educational grants managed by Catholic Relief Services
and made them available for asylum seekers and recognized refugees, but many were either
unaware of the grants or chose not to apply for them. Because of a preoccupation with and
desire for resettlement, many refugees prefer to educate their children in English rather than
in Arabic, which is possible only at more expensive private schools. Those who cannot afford
a private education must depend on charitable community or churchbased
schooling, and the
largest such program uses an Egyptian curriculum. This type of schooling is unaccredited and
may not be recognized by other schools.
Health Services
The Egyptian Health Ministry issued a directive in 2005 making primary health services at
governmental health institutions available to everyone. This subsidized healthcare does not
include complicated or longterm
medical treatment, surgeries, and costly medicines.
Recognized refugees have access to subsidized medical services through UNHCR via its
partnership with CARITAS.
Many refugees expressed serious concern with and a deep distrust of the public healthcare
system in Egypt, complaining of poor quality, disrespect, and lack of proper attention to
medical problems. 16 Despite assurances to the contrary, many cite fears of organ theft or even
intentional malpractice as reasons for not going to public institutions and for preferring
churchbased
clinics for basic medical treatment. A number of mosques offer free healthcare
assistance, but few refugees are aware of these unadvertised services. Religious sensitivities
are often transmuted into a firm belief on refugees’ part that some churches only offer their
services to Christians or that Christians cannot approach mosques for medical treatment.
Housing
Refugees and asylum seekers do not have access to the rentcontrolled
housing available to
Egyptians and have to find housing on the private rental market. With no standardized
estimates of property values, the prices of apartments in Egypt are often arbitrary and
increase exponentially for foreign renters, including refugees. Because most refugees do not
have a stable income, they are forced into overcrowded living quarters, which results in poor
sanitation, minimal personal security, and a stressful home environment. Without regulation,
16 Alexandria is an exception in terms of the services available to Sudanese refugees in Egypt. Cooperation
between the city, the refugee community, and a number of churches has resulted in better living conditions for
refugees, including easier access to health services. In some cases, however, health services provided in
cooperation with churches is limited to refugees from southern Sudan. Grabska, op. cit., pp. 4142.
Refugees need to be provided with medical care and with shelter. A huge problem is
malnutrition. For example, for three months the protesters were eating terribly. There is a
lack of food and many people died from malnutrition. There should be a special group of
the UN who deal with nutrition.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 3 January 2006
12
Sudanese refugees are subjected to arbitrary increases in monthly payments and may be
evicted without just cause. Although they have a right to do so in theory, refugees do not
easily access Egypt’s justice system when this happens or when they are cheated out of rental
deposits. Under these conditions, refugees often have no permanent home address, and many
are vulnerable to exploitation by landlords and by other refugees in seeking to secure a place
to sleep at night.
Closed files and, significantly, new arrivals have even more limited means of providing for
health, housing, and education.
Racist Attitudes
Although most Egyptian Cairenes would deny that their society is racist, 17 racism presents a
significant, if not welldocumented,
obstacle for Sudanese and other refugees in Egypt.
Sudanese refugees widely report discrimination—which they attribute to racist attitudes—in
the realms of employment, access to housing, healthcare, and everyday interactions with civil
society. 18 Southern Sudanese, who often have a darker complexion than the average
Egyptian, bear the bulk of this abuse. They report being verbally harassed by Egyptians, who
shout names such as “oonga boonga” or samara (meaning “black”) at Sudanese and other
African migrants. Stories of attacks by both the police and street thugs circulate widely. One
doctor has reported seeing an average of one violent attack on African refugees per month. 19
Police occasionally round up people on the streets who “look” African and subject them to
verbal and physical abuse until UNHCR intervenes to have them released, if they are listed
with the agency as an asylum seeker or a refugee. 20 Such roundups
have occurred with far
less frequency in the past two years.
In some cases, negative relationships between refugees and locals are perpetuated by the
resentment felt by Egyptians, who may be just as povertystricken
but are unable to access
the services available to refugees. In addition, refugees are often blamed for taking jobs away
from locals, an especially sensitive issue in a country with an estimated 30 percent rate of
unemployment.
The already negative experience of becoming a refugee is magnified in Cairo by the absence
of sufficient services and the poverty experienced by many refugees. Refugees in Cairo are
17 See Anita Fábos, abstract from “Cosmopolitan Racism? Nationalism, Refugees, and Integration in Cairo,”
unpublished presentation at the University of Ghent, 17 December 2001, available at <
http://www.evensfoundation.be/PDF%20documents/Intcul_Conf_Fabos.pdf>.
18 See Cynthia Johnston, “Feature: Egypt’s African Migrants Dodge Rocks, Fight Racism,” Reuters, 24 June
2005, available at .
19 Ibid.
20 See Human Rights Watch, “Egypt: Mass Arrests of Foreigners, African Refugees Targeted in Cairo,” 10
February 2003, available at .
A group of Egyptians beat me and broke my leg and stole my money when I was on my way
home from work. When I complained to UNHCR, they told me to bring the abusers. How am I
to bring them? This kind of treatment is intolerable.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 12 January 2006
13
subjected to both racial and class discrimination, the overall effect being one of extreme
frustration, marginalization, and loss of dignity. Many refugees feel so marginalized in Egypt
that they complain of “not being treated like a human being.” 21
Some Egyptians’ racist attitudes shock incoming asylum seekers into negative assumptions
about Egyptian society, producing counterracist
attitudes that lead to selfmarginalization,
which compounds difficulties. Because of widespread high expectations for resettlement,
Sudanese refugees often refuse to engage with Egyptian society except at the most necessary
levels, viewing their sojourn in the country as temporary. Attitudes such as preference for
English over Arabic and for foreign services over Egyptian ones sometimes produce what
may be characterized as racist attitudes among refugees, which exacerbate selfmarginalization.
Misinformation
Experiences and attitudes of racism are closely linked to the information vacuum. Most
Egyptians are misinformed about refugees’ role in Egypt, with many ascribing the
responsibility for the country’s poor job market and even a perceived decline in moral values
to refugees. In addition, few Egyptians become friendly enough with refugees to appreciate
the reality of their situation or their positive contribution, especially economic, to Egypt.
Refugees suffer even worse information failure than Egyptians. They face a glaring absence
of reliable and trusted sources of information, and they often do not know what assistance is
available. This is partly due to the size and density of Cairo, but it also points to the failure of
UNHCR, the government of Egypt, and service NGOs to provide clear and accessible
information on what is available, how it can be accessed, and who qualifies. What the law
provides is often not available in practice, and what is available is at times more than the law
allows for and more than refugees and asylum seekers know about. 22
In the absence of credible information, refugees rely on rumors that spread quickly through
the community. 23 These rumors often relate to resettlement promises or programs that do not
exist. The community is victimized by rumors about churches and mosques only “serving
21 Stacy Schafer, “Sudanese Demonstrators in Mohandeseen: Who They Are and Why They’re Here,”
unpublished paper on file with FMRS, p. 15.
22 UNHCR publishes a booklet in English that describes RSD procedures and some of the assistance available
for asylum seekers and refugees. FMRS has a list on its Web site of organizations that provide services for
refugees, available at . Little information is
available in Arabic, however.
23 See Shafer, op. cit., p. 14.
I’m from Darfur, from the war, where I had very hard troubles. There I witnessed my father
being killed and my mother’s legs being broken. Then I fled from my town to a camp in
Darfur, and then to Khartoum, where I was beaten by police and other people, who said, “You
make the capitol’s face ugly,” because we were refugees. And then I came to Cairo and went
to UNHCR because I heard that they offered protection, but I found that the situation here is
just as bad: there are also beatings and killings and persecution.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 28 January 2006
14
their own,” about gangs of Egyptian youths attacking Africans, assumptions about the
disappearance of young Sudanese men and women, poor explanations of deaths, and invasive
surgeries on the part of Egyptian medical personnel, including organ theft. Many refugees are
convinced to refuse interaction with Egyptian society, often confining themselves to their
homes and minimal social networks. 24
Growing Frustration
These factors have combined over the past two years to create growing frustration within the
Sudanese refugee community in Egypt. Frustration is not only the result of the community’s
disappointment about the lack of resettlement opportunities. Refugees have had to contend
with staying in Egypt for an indeterminate amount of time under difficult living conditions,
with only patchy access to basic rights. They are buffeted and confused by rumors, and few
receive the minimal assistance available from UNHCR and NGOs working on their behalf.
They feel marginalized by the lack of understanding and, at times, outright hostility displayed
by Egyptian society, and react by further marginalizing themselves.
A great many refugees are convinced that a longterm
stay in Egypt is untenable. This
opinion is held by recognized refugees, asylum seekers who were told that their RSD
interviews would not occur in the foreseeable future, and closed files not willing to return to
Sudan. Their decision to sit in at Mustafa Mahmoud Park and to demand fundamental
changes in their circumstances should have come as no surprise.
24 See Pasquale Ghazaleh, “In ‘Closed File’ Limbo: Displaced Sudanese in a Cairo Slum,” Forced Migration
Review, January 2003, available at .
I was in the park for 91 days. I went there because, 1) I went to get resettled to a secure
country. There is no security here. The Sudanese and Egyptian governments have a
relationship. I could be deported at any time. 2) I had no where to live at that time. 3) The
UN doesn’t give money, shelter, education. 4) The protesters were demanding the same
things as me.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 2 February 2006
15
THREE MONTHS OF PROTEST
The sitin
began on September 29, 2005, with several dozen participants. Refugee Voices, a
group of Sudanese in Cairo who had been gathering information about refugee rights and
international refugee law since January 2005, organized the protest. 25 According to Refugee
Voices, the purpose of the demonstration was to draw the “attention of the international
community to find solutions to [their] problems.” 26
Mustafa Mahmoud Park was an obvious choice for the sitin:
it is close to the offices of
UNHCR and large enough to accommodate many people, it allowed for the demonstrators to
access water and bathrooms at the adjacent mosque, and, being next to a busy intersection, it
provided public visibility. The start date roughly coincided with the beginning of Ramadan
and the end of seasonal employment for some demonstrators.
In only a few days, the park’s population grew into the hundreds. Within the first month,
between 800 and 2,000 people were living in the park full time. An average of 1,500 to 2,000
were present for the duration of the sitin.
Many would leave during the day for work and
return to sleep in the park at night. 27 The demonstrators moved onto the surrounding
sidewalks when the park became full, and some estimates show that there were 3,000 to
4,000 people at the park by the end of December. 28 Evidence suggests that initial
mobilization was spontaneous, and that the majority of those who joined the protest heard
about it through word of mouth.
The demonstrators were a mix of men, women, children, and the elderly, though about half
were single men between 20 and 35 years old. The numbers of Christians and Muslims were
roughly equal. At least 16 tribes from all parts of Sudan were represented, and the three
largest ethnic groups—Dinka, Nuba, and Nuer—comprised only 30 percent of the total. 29
25 UNHCR reports that the sitin
began with 20 demonstrators (see “Sudanese Demonstrations in Cairo,”
UNHCR Cairo, 30 October 2005, on file with FMRS). Protest representatives report that it began with 70; see
statement by members of Refugees Voice in Egypt, “Appeal for Group Protection and Humanitarian
Assistance to the Members of ‘Refugees Voice in Egypt,’” 23 February 2006, on file with FMRS. The
organizers referred to themselves in written publications in English alternately as Refugees Voice in Egypt,
Refugee Voice in Egypt, Refugee’s Voice, and The Voice of Sudanese Refugees in Cairo.
26 See statement by members of Refugees Voice in Egypt, op. cit.
27 One demonstrator said, “Most of us stayed in the park all the time. Very few left and came back.” FMRS
interview, 14 January 2006.
28 Estimates include: 20 on 29 September, 300 on 3 October, and 1,500 during peak hours on 9 October in
“Sudanese Demonstrations in Cairo,” UNHCR Cairo, op. cit.; 3,000 in Abeer Allam and Michael Slackman,
“23 Sudanese Die in Raid in Egypt,” New York Times, 31 December 2005, p. A.1; and 4,000 in Ranyah Sabry,
“Harsh Life in Egypt Protest Camp,” BBC News, 30 December 2005. One demonstrator stated that some
Sudanese from outlying areas, including Nasser City, Arba wa Nus, and Heliopolis, were prevented from
coming to the demonstration by Egyptian police. FMRS interview, 17 October 2005.
29 See Schafer, op. cit. Egypt Today reported that “a visit to the square reveals that refugees hail from all parts
of Sudan….Some are from southern Sudan and the Nuba Mountains, others from Darfur and eastern Sudan.”
Viviana Mazza, “Enemy Camps?”, Egypt Today, December 2005.
16
Media and Civil Society Response
The demonstration quickly received attention from the public and the media. Because
Mustafa Mahmoud Park is bordered on all sides by streets, one of which is a primary
commuter thoroughfare, as well as by small businesses, restaurants, and residential buildings,
the park’s fence was used to display banners with slogans in Arabic and English, such as “We
are the victims of mismanagement,” “We reject local integration,” “Where is the international
media?” and “Attention please: Who will restore our rights?” They included tributes to
Sudanese killed or missing in Egypt.
Some of the park’s neighbors complained about the demonstration, 30 while others gave the
protesters words of support and donations of food, blankets, and clothing. One neighbor said:
I was not bothered by [the demonstrators]. Most of the people in the area
were complaining saying that they should go back to their homes or even
their country because we as Egyptians have lots of problems. Some people
also complained that they were drinking alcoholic drinks; this is true but not
all of them so I don’t see it as the general behavior of the park….Since they
came to the park, the park was freed from those youth who were hanging
around at night till early hours in the morning running around with cars and
loud music; honestly, I was bothered by such behavior, not by the peaceful
protest by the Sudanese. 31
In the first two weeks, Egyptian authorities blocked some news agencies, journalists,
photographers, and human rights advocates from accessing the demonstrators, 32 but as the
protest wore on, they usually allowed visitors to enter the park at will. Visitors were asked for
identification by the sitin’s
internal security, often identifiable by red badges and vests, and
were usually introduced to a media spokesman.
30 See Jamal Al Keshkie, “Radical Refugees,” AlAhram
Weekly Online, 1723
November 2005, available at
.
31 FMRS interview, 8 January 2006.
32 One report said, “News agencies have not been given access to the participants. Journalists reported being
turned away and having their film confiscated. In addition, attorneys for the AMERA Center, an organization
of Egyptian human rights lawyers, attempted to reach the refugees but were kept away by Egyptian
authorities.” See “Darfur Refugees Protest UN Policies in Cairo, Egypt,” Damanga Coalition for Freedom and
Democracy, 13 October 2005, p. 1, available at < http://www.damanga.org/refugee_protest.html>.
I don’t believe this thing will happen again, because all the people stayed like one
person, if you are from South, West, East, if you are Muslim or Christian, no difference
because you can meet five Christians and two Muslims and they stay together and cook
together.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 13 January 2006
17
Both Englishand
Arabiclanguage
Egyptian media covered the demonstration from its start.
Statements by journalists and demonstrators attest to a certain amount of distrust between
those in the park and the Egyptian media. 33 Most print stories included the views of both
demonstrators and UNHCR representatives, and several publications wrote features that
presented multiple perspectives, including those of UNHCR representatives, protesters,
university professors, Egyptian security personnel, and the park’s neighbors. The
demonstration was also covered in several African refugee and Sudanrelated
publications, as
well as at least nine online Web logs. 34 No major international newspapers picked up the
story until the week before the forced removal.
Cairo NGOs and churches continued to provide services to Sudanese asylum seekers and
refugees. Some met with UNHCR to discuss how to resolve the demonstration, and many
were present at an October 26 meeting between demonstration and UNHCR representatives. 35
On October 26, FMRS hosted a standingroom–
only seminar about the demonstration. 36
33 One report stated, “It seems like that most of the people there don’t want to give or show us a lot of
information, especially to Egyptian journalists and press, because they think it’s not their business and they
don’t care about their problem. On the other hand, they are so helpful and grateful with the foreign and
international press and channels.” Mehana Nour and Mohammed Rabie, “They Transformed Mustafa
Mahmoud Garden into a Refugee Camp,” October Magazine, 29 October 2005, p. 79, translated by Omar
Idriss.
34 For sample blog entries, see “Rebelman,” So Much Things, 9 October 2005, <
http://somuchthings.blogspot.com/2005/10/blogpost.
html>; Sarah Sevcik, “Massive Sudanese
Demonstration/Protest!”, A year in Cairo Egypt, 27 October 2005, <
http://smsevcik.blogspot.com/2005/10/massivesudanesedemonstrationprotest.
html>; “Refugee tragedy
Unfolds Amid Eid Celebrations,” Darfur Daily News, 4 November 2005, <
http://darfurdaily.blogspot.com/2005/11/refugeetragedyunfoldsamideid.
html>; “Madmonk,” “Sudanese
Refugees Protest in Cairo,” 11 November 2005, N01>; “Scott,” “The Sudanese Regional Government…,” 12 November 2005, <
http://scottymac.blogspot.com/2005/11/sudaneseregionalgovernmentcommander.
html>; “Sudanese refugees
in Cairo Start Hunger Strike…,” Blogging Web, 15 November 2005, 2005/11/sudaneserefugeesincairostart.
html>; Youssef M. Assad, “Photos of the Sudanese
Protests in Cairo,” Youssef, or Perhaps Not, 27 November 2005, <
http://youssefassad.blogspot.com/2005/11/photosofsudaneseprotestsincairo.
html>; and “Sudanese
Refugees,” Brian’s Study Breaks, 28 November 2005, <
http://bjulrich.blogspot.com/2005_11_01_bjulrich_archive.html>.
35 Refugee Egypt, Catholic Relief Services, the Association for Human Rights Legal Aid, Heliopolis
Community Church, and Musa’adeen were present at the meeting. See “Meeting with demonstrators and
NGOs; Date: Thursday 26 October,” on file with FMRS.
36 Demonstration representatives were invited to present their demands and express their points of view, with
discussion from the audience. UNHCR had been invited to do a separate presentation on its perspective on the
sitin,
but declined the invitation.
On the fourth day, as we became more and we were almost 800, so we realized that
we had to be organized. So there were committees, one for the press, one who
collected money and gave donations, and there was one for security. The members in
this committee searched anybody who came into the camp. They did not want anyone
to enter with alcohol. When some came drunk to the camp, the security committee
held them for some hours, until they became sober.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 14 January 2006
18
Requests, Demands, and Responses
Participants distributed a list of requests early in the demonstration. The list was handed out
at the park to visitors and the media, sent around on email lists, and distributed and explained
at meetings with UNHCR and NGOs. Several versions of the list, with different titles,
authors, emphases, and demands, eventually circulated. An early list, given to a visitor to the
park on October 10, was entitled “Requests” and contained a list of 13 points in English.
Another early, slightly different version of the list, with 20 points written in Arabic, was
given to the Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy; this list was translated and
published by Damanga on October 13. A third list was distributed at the FMRS seminar on
October 26. It was entitled “Statement” and contained a list of 12 points, written in better
English than the first and with each point explained more fully. A UNHCR statement on
October 30 under the heading “What are the demands of the Sudanese demonstrators?”
contained a list of 19 points, rewritten, reordered, and rephrased again. The specific names of
the authors and editors of each list are unknown.
At the FMRS seminar, demonstration representatives on the panel used their time to go
through the list and explain each point in detail. Common to all versions of the list were calls
for the resumption of the individual refugee status determination interviews suspended in
2004, a clearer and more transparent RSD process, the opening of closed files by UNHCR,
protection from the Sudanese government, extra protection for the vulnerable, registration of
asylum seekers upon arrival, and investigations of arbitrary detentions and missing persons
cases. The lists also called attention to the problem of pressuring refugees to return to
Sudan—what they called “compulsory voluntary repatriation.” The lists also described the
difficulties of local integration due to discrimination and lack of basic rights, the geographical
and ethnic distinctions made in RSD interviews, and negative reactions to the Four Freedoms
Agreement, which the demonstrators worried would adversely affect their protected status.
The lists ended with a demand for a “radical solution” to the problems facing Sudanese
refugees in Egypt, and for resettlement if another viable solution is not found. An explanation
of each of the points on the lists can be found in Appendix A.
On October 3, five protest representatives began a series of meetings with UNHCR protection
officers and others to discuss a solution. UNHCR also held a meeting with several NGOs on
the same topic. At around this same time, UNHCR temporarily closed its offices, citing
security considerations. On October 26, three UNHCR representatives, five demonstration
representatives, and parties from five Cairo NGOs and churches held a second meeting. Little
progress was made in these early discussions. UNHCR’s early public reactions had a clearly
adversarial tone toward the protestors.
For example, the first known list distributed by the protestors, titled “Requests,” stated, “The
Sudanese refugees object the UNHCR programme of compulsory voluntary repartition.” The
list distributed at the FMRS seminar, entitled “Statements,” explained, “We, the Sudanese
refugees in Cairo, fear that UNHCR or the Egyptian government will impose compulsory
involuntary repatriation to the South because we read in UNHCR’s newsletters about
repatriation how things have improved there. We have contrary information and are afraid to
return.” On October 30, UNHCR released a statement that outlined the agency’s views of the
19
demonstrators’ requests. The press release called the demonstrators’ requests “demands” and
stated simply that “Sudanese refugees reject any notion of voluntary repatriation.” The
demands mentioned by UNHCR also contained several surprising points that had not
appeared before, including “UNHCR should stop holding meetings with Sudanese
community leaders and communitybased
organizations to discuss about voluntary
repatriation or local integration” and “There should be no police officers guarding UNHCR
premises.” These points may have been based on discussions between UNHCR and
demonstration representatives on October 3 and 26, but they were not published in any
demonstrator statement before or after the sitin.
The tone of UNHCR’s October 30 press release was surprisingly combative. It addressed the
“demands of the Sudanese demonstrators” alternately as “priority areas of concern to
UNHCR,” “selfserving,”
and “allegations unsupported by any piece of evidence.” In the
same document, UNHCR attempted to distance itself from the demonstrators by stating as
“clear fact” that the protesters were primarily economic migrants who fell outside the
agency’s mandate and that they were almost all from southern Sudan, undermining their
claim to refugee status and protection:
Firstly, the vast majority of the Sudanese demonstrators are southern
Sudanese….Secondly, a great many of them are unsuccessful asylumseekers
(the socalled
“closed files”) who are not of concern to UNHCR
and new arrivals who have registered themselves as refugee applicants
with the hope of immigration to America or Australia….The situation of
the demonstrating Sudanese nationals, many of whom are not refugees as
defined by the 1951 Convention or the 1969 OAU Convention, demands
national legislation and/or policy measures outside the frame of refugee
protection and indeed of UNHCR’s mandate….Objective factors in south
Sudan indicate that these people are generally not fleeing persecution or
even generalized violence, but economic deprivation….It is this often
deliberate blurring of the distinction between refugees fleeing persecution
and migrants in search of economic opportunities that for the most part
characterizes the Sudanese “protest” against UNHCR office in
Cairo….In addition, the signing of the peace agreement in southern Sudan
increased nexus requirements for status recognition and created new
opportunities for protection in Sudan, so that UNHCR’s responsibility to
refugees from that area changed. 37
The italicized segments above are a series of subjective and judgmental determinations by
UNHCR that display a negative if not hostile attitude toward the protestors. It is important to
note that UNHCR’s insistence that the protestors were not really refugees was echoed in
much of the media. 38
37 Emphasis added. See “Sudanese Demonstrations in Cairo,” UNHCR Cairo, op. cit.
38 For example, “These people see themselves as refugees, fleeing a country that offered little hope for a better
life, and yet the law does not consider them refugees,” in Allam and Slackman, New York Times, op. cit.
20
The facts eventually spoke otherwise. As noted earlier in this report, the demonstrators were
from all parts of Sudan, including Darfur, the East, and the North. More importantly, a
December 16 study of the park population showed that 43 percent had yellow asylum seeker
cards and 24 percent had blue recognized refugee cards, which made a total of 67 percent of
the protesters of immediate concern to UNHCR. Of the remainder, 13 percent were closed
files cases and only 15 percent had neither a card nor a closed file. 39 These estimates were
later confirmed by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which showed that of the 2,174
people removed from the park at the end of December, around 70 percent were almost
immediately released as registered asylum seekers or refugees. UNHCR staff advocated for
and obtained the release of those from Darfur and of the vulnerable women and children
population. Only 169 individuals were left who may have been considered “of no concern to
UNHCR,” and even they were eventually released. 40
The October 30 UNHCR press release pointed out that the demonstration was illegal and
would have to end, praising the Egyptian government’s restraint in dealing with the
protesters. The document concluded with the suggestion that obstinacy on the part of the
“selfappointed
organizers” was the root of the failure to reach a compromise and that “this is
regrettable, and many innocent men, women and children who joined the demonstration,
misled by rumors, are paying the price.”
On the same day, UNHCR released another document titled “Rumours, Myths and
Speculations Behind the Sudanese Demonstrations.” This statement charged that “persons
have been spreading false and misleading information in order to induce many into joining
the sitin.”
41 Since knowledge of the protest was primarily spread through word of mouth, it
is difficult to confirm the validity of this charge. Demonstrator testimonies reveal that a large
majority of the participants held strong convictions about why they were demonstrating and
that few, if any, needed to be induced to move out of their flats and into the park. In fact,
several demonstrators said that they learned about and joined the protest after discovering it
during independent visits to UNHCR’s offices.
39 See Schafer, op. cit. The study included a survey of 150 demonstrators and 15 group interviews. Shafer
witnessed an Egyptian television news crew ask everyone at the demonstration to hold up their blue or yellow
cards, if they had them, and found that “an overwhelming majority of the refugees immediately produced
UNHCR cards, with yellow cards dominating.” Schafer photographed the event; photos are on file with
FMRS.
40 See “The Aftermath” in this report, which provides more detail on these efforts.
41 UNHCR, “Rumours, Myths and Speculations Behind the Sudanese Demonstrations,” 30 October 2005, on
file with FMRS.
I went to UNHCR office weekly to inquire with them about my status, and three days of
the start of the demonstration, I went to the office and saw all the people there in the
park. I asked what everyone was doing there and they said they all have a lot of
problems, and so I went there and joined the protest. I was upset with UNHCR and
decided to stay. I stayed until it was broken up. I was disappointed in the office, because
I had gone repeatedly for the year, putting in inquiries into my situation, and they never
helped me.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 29 January 2006
21
The Response of Egyptian, Sudanese, and Resettlement Country Governments
The Egyptian government’s role during the demonstration’s first month was primarily
protective. Police maintained a constant presence around the park, with some officers in plain
clothes and most in uniform. They had a peaceful relationship with the demonstrators. As one
demonstrator said,
The relationship with the police was very good; we respected them and
they respected us and they were guarding us. That’s why we brought our
bags and clothes and money to the park; we knew the police were around
the park and it was a safe place. If they found children wandering outside
they would direct them back in the park, with no problem. 42
Many expected that the park would be cleared in time for Eid AlAdha
celebrations at the
beginning of November, but it was not. Instead, the police continued to play what seemed a
protective role throughout the threemonth
period. One article quoted a brigadier, Mohamed
Ibrahim, as saying, “Security is there to protect them there around the garden twentyfour
hours a day.” The article went on to claim that the security staff’s orders to treat the protesters
well came directly from Interior Minister Habib AlAdly.
43 In a speech in the park in late
December, one protestor said, “We thank the Egyptian government…since we came here in
this park, we find there is police around us protecting our lives. I am quite sure—250
percent—if not this Egyptian government protecting us, we shouldn’t stay here in this park
for three months. I give many, many, many thanks to the Egyptian government.” 44
Unfortunately, this protection and its appreciation were not to last beyond December 29.
According to a UNHCR representative, the Egyptian government’s patience with the protest
was not due to prompting from UNHCR. 45 Egyptian government representatives charge that
they faced continual pressure and even threats from UNHCR to end the protest, although
UNHCR has denied these allegations. In a statement made several days after the forced
eviction of the demonstrators, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said that “throughout the three
months…the Egyptian authorities faced continued pressure from the regional office of the
UNHCR [which] demanded in writing [three times] and verbally the need for the authorities
to intervene and end the protest and held [Egypt] responsible for any possible harm on its
staff and offices.” 46
42 FMRS interview, 29 January 2006.
43 October Magazine, 29 October 2005, op. cit., p. 79.
44 Speech given 21 December 2005. Transcript on file with FMRS.
45 The UNHCR representative said the police “have shown remarkable restraint and should be commended.
They have had no prompting from UNHCR.” See Alex Gomez, Themba Lewis, Martin Rowe, Assad Khalid
Salih, Leslie Sander, Stacy Schafer, and Helen Smith, “UNHCR Responds to the Cairo Refugee Sitin:
An
Official Response,” Pambazuka News, 27 October 2005.
46 “Egypt Deflects Blame for Deadly Sudanese Protest Breakup,”
Agence France Presse, 4 January 2006,
available at .
This charge was repeated in an FMRS interview with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (see Hamzawy, op. cit.),
but has been denied as “nonsense” by UNHCR (see Dessalegne, op. cit.).
22
It remains unclear, and subject to much speculation, why the government of Egypt was
uncharacteristically lenient toward the protesters for such a long period. Some believe this
patience should be seen in the context of the government’s historical disagreements with
UNHCR over who ought to be responsible for refugees, and even that Egypt may have
allowed the protest to last so long in order to pressure UNHCR to deal with the mounting
problems of Sudanese asylum seekers.
In an article in AlNaba
newspaper, a UNHCR representative was quoted as saying that
“Egypt since President Gamal Abd El Nasser has refused to handle the responsibility of
refugees in their land, placing the responsibility on UNHCR. With the large number of
problems for refugees inside Egypt and the small amount of funding UNHCR receives,
discussions with the Egyptian government about who will be responsible for the refugees will
occur. In the next two years, the government will take responsibility for those refugees.” 47
Statements by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also emphasize that the government
was particularly conscious of Egypt’s special relationship with Sudan in its handling of the
demonstration. 48
The Sudanese government, meanwhile, took an interest in the sitin
in its early months, a
matter of grave concern for many asylum seekers and refugees, who were worried that the
government might target them for having fled Sudan. Demonstrators reported that
representatives of the Sudanese government often circled the park at night in embassy
vehicles. In the early hours of the morning on October 15, a few Sudanese men in a jeep with
diplomatic license plates arrived and allegedly infiltrated the camp, distributed alcohol, and
attempted to start a fight. The intruders were stopped by demonstrators and handed over to
Egyptian police. The rear license plate was removed from the intruders’ vehicle to keep as
evidence and was photographed. Later, the same vehicle was photographed on a street
adjacent to the Sudanese embassy, with its rear license plate missing and a replacement paper
license in the window. Sudanese officials indicated that the men using the vehicle that night
were friends of embassy employees but that they were not affiliated with the Sudanese
government in any official capacity. 49
47 Ahmed Baraka, “The Secrets of the Sudanese Demonstration in Front of Mustafa Mahmoud Mosque and
Their Demands to Create Camps for Them in Egypt,” AlNaba,
date unknown, translated by Omar Idriss.
Statement made by an Assistant Protection Officer at UNHCR.
48 For example, “The evacuation could have been done easy and without any loss if we had intervened from
the beginning, but we did not want to interfere because of the sensitive relationship between Egypt and
Sudan.” Hamzawy, op. cit.
49 “For the Seventh Week: The Sudanese Refugees Keep Going in Front of UNHCR Office,” AlWafd,
14
November 2005. The photos are on file with FMRS.
It’s a conspiracy between the Sudanese government and the Egyptian government since
they both want us sent to Sudan. The Egyptian government wants refugees out of their
country and the Sudanese government doesn’t want to look bad by the people who fled
their regime.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 12 January 2006
23
Representatives of resettlement countries chose not to get involved in the protest and
supported UNHCR’s negotiation efforts. When asked about the protest in October,
representatives from the Australian and the United States governments, which are among the
handful of large donors to UNHCR and hosts to resettled refugees, affirmed their support for
UNHCR’s efforts and gave no indication of any change of policy regarding resettlement
programs. 50
Daily Life During the Sitin
Although uncomfortable, the park became a refuge for the protesters and many noted that
they felt safe there. Their voices were being heard and recognized on a global scale; UNHCR
was in dialogue with them about their futures; they did not have to pay rent and thus worry so
much about money; and, more than anything, they were together, surrounded by security, in
the public eye, and enjoying a strong sense of community and solidarity. Many moved all
their belongings and family out of their previous dwellings and into the park.
As the demonstration gained participants and longevity, more comfortable arrangements and
structures were created in the park. The ground was covered with a layer of mats and
blankets. Luggage and other items formed partitions with narrow walkways between living
spaces. Separate sections were built for men and for women and children. Media reports
describe how, at first, sheets were hung as shelter from the sun. As the weather turned colder,
the sheets were replaced with tarps.
Meals were prepared in a communal kitchen area on gas stoves, with food bought with
money pooled from those in the park and shared. Clothes, food, and blankets were donated by
community members, neighborhood residents, and Egyptian and international
organizations. 51 Makeshift shops inside the park offered snacks. In addition to the mosque’s
toilets, some people used the nearby houses of friends.
Still, living conditions were difficult. Demonstrators reported having too little food: “We only
had one sandwich to eat everyday, and milk was given only to the children and the elderly.”
50 United States Regional Refugee Coordinator for North Africa and the Middle East Gerard Cheyne said, “We
will work with UNHCR in Cairo and elsewhere in the region to encourage the Sudanese to return to Sudan. At
the same time we will continue to consider for resettlement any Sudanese for whom repatriation is not possible
and for whom resettlement is believed to be the best durable solution—as determined by the UNHCR.” The
Principal Migration Officer for the Australian Embassy in Cairo, Ross Wilkie, stated that “any decision by
UNHCR is one for them to comment on. Our large refugee resettlement program in Africa, which includes
significant numbers of Sudanese from Cairo…is continuing.” Pambazuka News, 27 October 2005, op. cit.
51 For a report on donations, see AlAhram
Weekly Online, 1723
November 2005, op. cit.
I felt very safe and very relaxed in the park, except for the final day when it was broken up.
We received no alarm or warnings.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 28 January 2006
24
Showing the level of distrust in the community, protesters accepted food contributions from
some Egyptians, but several said, “We were afraid that it may have been poisonous.” 52
The park had a makeshift hospital with equipment for administering intravenous medication
and a small supply of oral medications. A Sudanese refugee doctor regularly visited the
park. 53 An Egyptian NGO reported that four babies were born in the park during the protest’s
three months. There were seven confirmed deaths prior to the forced eviction, including a
toddler, twin infants, and an adolescent female, although the number is disputed. One
protester reported as many as 11 deaths. 54
Many visitors and members of the media remarked on the orderliness of the sitin,
despite the
presence of a large number of people in a small space:
They maintained a level of cleanliness in proportion with their numbers—
3,000 persons in a park without a lot of services. I saw them more than
once collecting their garbage and putting it away. It is not their problem
that it was never collected by the garbage collector. I think they were
organized and they had a great sense of community. Every one of them
was responsible for a particular job, and there were always group
meetings. They were also proactive—they prepared for the rain before the
rain started. 55
Demonstrators themselves highlighted the respectfulness and organization of the sitin.
Protesters organized English, Arabic, and art lessons for children. On one occasion,
demonstrators made puppets from disposable items and performed a puppet show for the
children in the park. Daily speeches were given in which speakers reminded those present to
“respect this place, it is your community,” to “respect the police,” and to ignore the insults of
passersby,
stay in the park, “stay orderly, and avoid violence and rowdy behavior.”
Demonstrators entering the park were checked, and alcohol and potential weapons were
confiscated.
Inside, the park was very organized. It became an independent life….The
people tried to reflect civilized behavior, especially because we were
portrayed in the Egyptian media as being uncivilized, drinking, etc. We
had a time to sleep, a time to wake up. We wanted to deal well with the
media coming, with the police outside the park. Even the guards inside the
park searched anyone coming into the park to make sure that they didn’t
have any alcohol with them, and if they did, they would be handed to
Egyptian security….The internal environment was very respectful, and
everyone respected the other, Muslim or Christian, living together in
peace.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 29 January 2006
52 FMRS interview, 3 January 2006.
53 Shafer, op. cit.
54 See AlAhram
Weekly Online, 1723
November 2005, op. cit.; email from protest leader to Nora Danielson,
17 May 2006; transcript of speech, 21 December 2005, op. cit.
55 FMRS interview, 8 January 2006.
25
Some accused the demonstration’s internal discipline of going too far. A number of firsthand
accounts describe how those who came to the park drunk or who misbehaved were punished.
A tree in the middle of the park apparently served as a makeshift prison, where individuals
were sometimes tied up, covered by blankets, and doused with water if they cried for help. 56
Even visitors, including suspected security personnel from the Sudanese embassy, were on
occasion “disciplined” in such a manner. Personality and political conflicts seemed to mesh,
and one interviewee accused the security detail in the park of making up its own law and of
stealing mobile phones and money. He said he tried to report the perpetrators but that the
police did nothing. 57 Several demonstrators vehemently denied these allegations.
Ongoing Negotiations with UNHCR
Soon after the demonstration began, participants held elections to choose representatives for
public relations work and to negotiate with UNHCR. Committees were created to oversee
donations and security. With few exceptions, the Sudanese interviewed by FMRS, especially
those who participated in the sitin,
spoke at length and with pride of the level of organization
and decisionmaking
within the park.
The dynamics of leadership changed as the park’s population grew. From the outset of the
demonstration until the fateful December 17 agreement, five male organizers maintained a
visible public presence. These five leaders, although initially referred to as “selfappointed”
in UNHCR documents, 58 were nonetheless viewed by UNHCR, possibly for lack of
alternatives or out of convenience, as representing the demonstration as a whole. They were
present at multiple meetings and were authorized to negotiate on behalf of the protestors. The
five were routinely interviewed by local and international media, met and hosted visitors to
the park, and were the main negotiators in meetings with UNHCR and others. In addition,
these leaders were responsible for supervising the high level of internal organization in the
park.
In the beginning of December, the five began backing away from the term “leaders” and
began referring to the demonstration as a spontaneous and selforganized
event. 59 Media
attention also shifted away from individuals who previously had prominent media and public
relations roles.
56 Leigh Sylvan, “Revised News Article,” unpublished, January 2006, on file with FMRS.
57 FMRS interview, 3 January 2006.
58 See UNHCR documents, “Rumours, Myths and Speculations Behind the Sudanese Demonstrations” and
“Sudanese Demonstrations in Cairo,” op. cit.
59 FMRS interview, 13 January 2006.
We wrote our requests on a list and gave the leaders the list and said please talk to the
office about them. The leaders were chosen through election….The first five leaders, they
were very strict and frank and we trusted in them. If they said, “Go to the moon,” we’d go
to the moon, because they were trying to give us our rights.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 28 January 2006
26
On November 17, demonstration representatives met with UNHCR representatives, Goodwill
Ambassador Adel Imam, senior Egyptian government officials, and several Sudanese
community leaders. The meeting resulted in an offer of onetime
housing assistance for
demonstrators who had lost their homes while at the sitin,
as well as help with the costs of
elementary education and assisted return to southern Sudan for those refugees and asylum
seekers who chose to repatriate. During the meeting, the demonstrators were told that
residency permit fees had been lifted and that the Four Freedoms Agreement would not be
applicable to Sudanese asylum seekers. Finally, UNHCR said it would investigate detentions
and missing persons if names were provided.
After the meeting, UNHCR issued a press release that announced the involvement of
Goodwill Ambassador Adel Imam and of the government of Egypt in working to resolve the
Sudanese sitin.
The release is the first official document to recognize direct cooperation
between the Egyptian government and UNHCR in relation to the demonstration, and it is the
only public statement by UNHCR that addressed the demonstrators directly, with the term
“you.”
Demonstration representatives, in turn, released a statement entitled “In Response to
UNHCR’s Statement Dated 17 November 2005,” which acknowledged that since “most of
the demands do not fall within the mandate of UNHCR, it is therefore logical to omit some of
the 20 demands despite their legitimacy and importance so that we can reach a point of
understanding and a meeting point through which UNHCR can respond to the demands of the
Sudanese refugees based on the rules and regulations of asylum.” This statement
demonstrates that the protesters understood the nonapplicability
of the Four Freedoms
Agreement to Sudanese asylum seekers and refugees, accepted the offers of assistance, and
acknowledged that UNHCR was not compelling them to repatriate. The statement reiterated
the view that assistance should not be used as indirect pressure to convince refugees to
repatriate. It also repeated demands for an honest and transparent RSD process with
individual interviews as well as for the opening of closed files. These specific points
remained obstacles to fruitful negotiation. 60
On November 24, a “highlevel
delegation from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva,” held a
meeting with “the five leaders of the demonstration,” Adel Imam, Sudanese community
leaders, and Egyptian government representatives. Showing an increasingly conciliatory
attitude, UNHCR addressed the demonstrators directly in the park, apparently in an effort to
reach the demonstrators through channels other than their leaders. Radhouane Nouicer,
Deputy Director of UNHCR’s Genevabased
Bureau for Central Asia, Southwest Asia,
Northern Africa, and the Middle East, declared to the crowd:
We can talk about assistance for the most vulnerable or the reopening of
files if there are new and valid arguments, something UNHCR always
does. Some other demands, however, are based on false information—
60 Voice of Sudanese Refugees public statement, “In Response to UNHCR’s Statement Dated 17 November
2005,” November 2005, on file with FMRS.
27
such as forced repatriation, which does not occur—or not realistically
feasible, such as massive resettlement to third countries. 61
A UNHCR press release that followed expressed “extreme concern” on the part of the agency
and the Egyptian government about the “deteriorating humanitarian situation” in the park. 62
On November 27, a meeting was held between the organizers of the demonstration and
UNHCR in the presence of Farouk Abu Issa, the former Sudanese Minister for Education,
former SecretaryGeneral
of the Arab Lawyers’ Union, and current spokesperson for the
National Democratic Alliance. On November 29, UNHCR released a public statement
entitled “Sudanese Demonstration at UNHCR Cairo,” which described the progress of
negotiations. According to the statement, “Although the meeting reached a positive
conclusion, it now seems that the leaders of the demonstration have once again changed their
mind about ending the sitin
unless all their original demands are met immediately.” 63
The December 17 Agreement
On December 17, UNHCR announced that an agreement had been signed by the five leaders
of the demonstration, which set forth the responsibilities of UNHCR and the demonstrators in
ending the sitin
amicably (see Appendix B). The agreement would apply only to
demonstrators whose names were included in a definitive list submitted to UNHCR by the
protest leaders. While much of the agreement offered little new, it did contain several
significant offers. 64
For the first time, UNHCR offered a conditional opportunity for the opening of closed files
through a written request submitted by the individual seeking review. Additionally, any
person on the list from Darfur with a closed file could approach UNHCR to obtain a yellow
card. Under the agreement, all yellow cardholders
could have their files reviewed for valid
status claims. After an initial interview, if individuals insisted on RSD, it would be
undertaken. The offer, however, included an implied threat that, if rejected, individuals would
automatically become of no concern to UNHCR and would “no longer be eligible for
ongoing assistance.” While appointments for RSD interviews would be provided by the
agreement, there was no mention of when or under what circumstances the interviews would
take place. The agreement authorized eligibility for those on the sitin
list for oneoff
61 As quoted in “UNHCR and Adel Imam Address Sudanese in the Park and Appeal for the End of the Sitin,”
UNHCR Media Relations and Public Information Service, Geneva, 24 November 2005, on file with FMRS.
62 See “Sudanese Demonstration at UNHCR Cairo,” UNHCR Cairo, 29 November 2005, on file with FMRS.
63 Ibid.
64 See UNHCR, “Cairo, 17 December 2005,” 17 December 2005, on file with FMRS.
They brought the agreement to us and told us that this is our limit after three months; this
is all we can get from UNHCR office, the office can’t offer more than this from us. We,
the refugees, replied, “Okay, but let them write us a guarantee, a document, promising that
this will happen,” but the leaders said, “This is the UN, they won’t give a written
guarantee to refugees, we are just refugees.”
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 28 January 2006
28
financial assistance for housing. It also provided for monthly meetings between UNHCR
Cairo senior management and the demonstration leaders.
The other major focus of the December 17 agreement was on how to clear the park
logistically. The document outlined that park residents could approach UNHCR for
processing in groups of 20 at a time, with priority given to those in need of special assistance
and those who came directly from Darfur to Egypt. The demonstrators would be interviewed,
their situation decided, and then they would be sent home or to new accommodations with
offers of assistance. They were not to return to the park. The entire process was given four
days to be completed. The agreement precluded a mechanism for feedback to those remaining
in the park, a problem that would prove to be its undoing.
Mixed Reactions among Protesters
On the morning of December 19, UNHCR representatives went to the park to explain the
agreement. Although demonstration representatives had signed the agreement, protesters
were not in agreement and did not reach a consensus about whether to accept or reject the
solution. Confusion and uncertainty reigned, and a few protesters publicly stated their
intention to remain until UNHCR finished all interviews. Evidently, the protesters were afraid
that by not getting feedback on the initial interviews and by being dispersed, they would lose
the momentum and collective strength they had gained over the previous months. Again and
again, protesters interviewed for this report emphasized that they had wanted guarantees in
writing or from embassy officials. UNCHR tried to reassure them that public and
international media attention to the agreement was sufficient guarantee of UNHCR’s
intentions to honor it. However, no evidence was found to suggest that UNHCR had
requested the presence of embassy representatives in the park in order to lend credence to the
agreement. 65 A UNHCR representative acknowledged this concern in a December 19 address
to the demonstrators, saying, “I know this is the reason why you will not leave the park,
because of the guarantees.” Agency representatives noted the empowerment experienced by
the demonstrators and understood that this perceived power was connected directly to the
protesters’ presence in the park.
Most demonstrators seem to have consented to the agreement but wanted to stay in the park
until all cases were processed. On December 19, one protester declared to the large crowd
and in front of UNHCR personnel: “The refugees, they did not refuse a solution. All of us, we
did agree to basically all the demands [but] we agree to remain here until all the process is
65 One representative said, “This is the first time we hear of this request.” See FMRS interview with Eric Audet,
23 March 2006, on file with FMRS.
After the agreement between the leaders and UNHCR, most of us waited for UNHCR to
call us to come for interviews/processing. We were waiting for normal procedures from
the office to start, like getting tickets for interviews, or, for people with blue cards, for
RSD interviews. However, we doubted that there would be enough time to process
everyone, because they had allocated three days only and there were more than 2,000
refugees.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 29 January 2006
29
finished. I’m trying to give you the information….So, we agree that we have to go to the
office and meet them.” 66
In response, a UNHCR representative said:
I do not want to participate in this political rally. I am only here to clarify
some issues for you. Okay, you know the process takes long. To remain
here for two, three, four, five, possibly six months will also mean that you
will have casualties, not only in terms of physical suffering but also in
terms of the legal implications [in the Egyptian system]. And we cannot be
held responsible for the casualties or the failure to meet the legal
requirements. And the reason I say this is because UNHCR has…done
everything that is required of us, but you are not willing to vacate this
park. Then it is your responsibility and the international community will
view it as such. 67
The discussion continued until the crowd was eventually asked whether it would accept the
agreement as is or with the condition of continuing to occupy the park until all cases were
processed. Loud cheering confirmed the protesters’ preference for the second option, and the
speaker finished his statement by saying, “If each and every individual, refugee, woman, and
child, if you want to go there, that you can solve the problem, then they can go. We don’t stop
anybody. If each anybody want to go there, let him go. We don’t stop him.” 68
The most visible division in the leadership and among the protesters came as a result of the
December 17 agreement. Some suggest that the tragedies that occurred during the forced
eviction are the result of an overlong stay in the park and of repeated refusals of solutions
proposed by UNHCR. As mentioned above, a UNHCR representative warned of possible
casualties and “legal ramifications” in the December 19 speech. A November 17 UNHCR
press release maintained that the offer the agency made “represents a final opportunity to
resolve the sitin
peacefully and quickly.” 69
66 “UNHCR Speech to Sudanese Refugee Demonstrators,” transcribed by FMRS researcher,19 December
2005, on file with FMRS.
67 Ibid.
68 Ibid.
69 UNHCR, “Goodwill Ambassador Adel Imam Works with UNHCR and the Government of Egypt to
Resolve the Sudanese Sitin,”
17 November 2005, on file with FMRS.
The UN agreed to take a look at yellow cards cases. Eighty percent of the refugees at the
sitin
approved of this agreement. They were made up of mostly Northerners, Westerners,
and Easterners. The remaining 20 percent were made up of South Sudanese who would
probably be deported since the war is over in their area. All the refugees of the park
remained there for this 20 percent. They felt that it would split up the Sudanese
community if not everyone got what they wanted.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 3 January 2006
30
Communication between UNHCR and the demonstrators ceased. On December 22, UNHCR
sent an official letter to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying, once again, that it
could do no more and paving the way for the forced removal. Despite growing rumors that
security forces would break up the protest, demonstrators continued to settle in for winter,
reinforcing their makeshift homes with plastic tarp roofs and expanding out onto the
pavement surrounding the park.
We demanded that representatives from the embassies guarantee us that the resettlement of
Sudanese was open as an option. But the UNHCR said that it would be unable to do that.
On the 17 of December, after the meeting with the UNHCR, there was a press conference
in the park. Sadiq El Mahdi came. In fact, personnel from the Australian, American, and
Canadian embassies were also supposed to attend, but they did not show up. We were told
by Sadiq that this was due to security problems.
Sadiq said that the agreement between the UNHCR and the refugees would be fulfilled.
But these are only empty words. If any representative of the embassies would have turned
up, I am sure that the demonstrators would have left the park.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, date unavailable.
31
FORCED REMOVAL
The forced removal of the Sudanese protesters was an emotionally and politically charged
event. Although it is difficult to determine a precise chronology, the following timeline is
based on accounts by protesters, the Egyptian authorities, journalists, human rights activists,
local residents, and other eyewitnesses and bystanders who were present on the night of the
forced removal.
Afternoon and evening, December 29
· Witnesses notice an increased police presence in the area of the park.
· Police tell a number of protesters that the officers are there to protect them from a Muslim
Brotherhood demonstration. Many protesters accept this explanation when they see a
group of 20 to 40 bearded men dressed in traditional gellabiyas gather outside the
Mustapha Mahmoud mosque.
The police gave protesters no warning that they would be removed from the park, with force
if necessary. Throughout the day, the authorities seemed to be deliberately avoiding telling
the protesters their intentions. One protester commented:
In the afternoon, many police vehicles began arriving close to the park. We could see
how cars from the parking lot in front of the park had been removed. I heard two
different answers from the police. One officer said that this was in preparation for a
speech by a Sudanese minister about our rights. Another policeman said that Egyptians
wanted to demonstrate against our sitin
; therefore, they had to remove the cars fearing
that they might be damaged. 70
Around 1:00 a.m.
· Approximately 4,000 riot police surround the park. An Egyptian bystander counts “60
state security wagons, 10 armored cars, [and] six ambulances.” 71
· A group of highranking

Egyptian officials, including the director of security for the Giza
district of Cairo, meet with protest representatives.
· The authorities tell protesters that they will be taken under police guard to “camps” with
“humane conditions,” and that they would be provided with food, water, and shelter. The
demonstrators are told that if they refuse to go voluntarily, they will be removed by force.
· The protest representatives ask for guarantees that the camps really exist and are safe.
They suggest that either a delegation of protesters be sent ahead to view the camps in
advance or that UNHCR officials provide guarantees regarding the safety of the camps.
The authorities tell them neither is possible.
70 FMRS interview, 4 January 2006.
71 El Nadim Center for the Management and Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, “Testimony: What happened
in Mustafa Mahmud?”, 4 January 2006, on file with FMRS.
32
The protesters refused to leave peacefully for several reasons. One was their fear of
mistreatment in police custody, which is well founded. According to a 2003 report on
detention conditions for asylum seekers and refugees, 79 percent of respondents said that they
were subjected to “violence, harassment, and abuse” while detained. 72 Another reason was
the fear that the buses would take the demonstrators to the airport to be deported. Some
protesters were concerned about losing the sense of solidarity and strength achieved during
the sitin.
The protesters’ response was to ask for guarantees about the location and conditions of the
“camps,” which the authorities refused to give. As became evident later on, the socalled
camps were not facilities where refugees and asylum seekers could be permanently housed,
but police training camps that had been turned into temporary detention facilities. In the end,
the authorities did not address the protesters’ fears and made no concessions.
2:40–5:00 a.m.
· On three or four occasions, water canons surrounding the park are fired at protesters, each
time for 10 to 15 minutes.
· In between the water canons, there are several rounds of talks. The authorities’ initial
demands are repeated but no concessions are made by either side.
· Sudanese embassy and Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) representatives
meet and negotiate with protest leaders, but they fail to convince them to heed demands
made by police and to leave the park peacefully.
· Riot police begin “warming up” by chanting nationalist slogans, running in place, and
jumping up and down.
5:00–5:30 a.m.
· Final negotiations with SPLM officials end and water canons are turned on for the last
time.
· Riot police move into the camp to begin removing people by force. They press inward
from all sides, leaving no exits for protesters who may want to disperse at this point. The
only option is to board the buses.
· In some parts of the park, protesters resist being removed and police aggressively beat
them with batons and sticks.
· Some protesters are crushed underfoot as a result of people being forced inward into the
park center.
· Some children who were covered by blankets and plastic sheeting to protect them from
water are stepped on and may have been crushed or suffocated in the mayhem.
· Individual protesters are restrained by two or three policemen each and loaded on buses.
· The buses move out to different locations in and around Cairo.
72 Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners, “A Study of Refugees’ Experience of Detention in
Egypt,” 2003, p. 80.
33
Egyptian government officials claimed that no violence was used to remove protesters.
Soon after the eviction, Mr. Mofid Shehab, Minister of State for the Shura Council, told
the People’s Assembly that it was “decided to evacuate them without using any
weapons.” He also stated, “At 4:45 a.m., some of the protesters, some of them drunk,
started to throw equipment they had collected at the police.” 73 This was also reported in
the daily press. Eyewitnesses strongly contradict this account, however, and many say
that nothing was thrown at the police before they entered the park. Once the raid began,
however, protesters in some parts of the camp reportedly threw kitchen utensils, plastic
bottles, and even fuul (beans), and some tried to fight back with sticks. This resistance
was quickly overcome.
I was not aware of anything until they were hitting me. I think there were five policemen for
every refugee. When we started to defend ourselves, there were many more coming. They
came and attacked. I saw one person I knew. They were beating him and when he fell down,
they broke his neck. One of the police broke his neck with his baton. One pregnant woman
also died in the same place.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 13 January 2006
Security forces moved into the park from all sides, blocking possible escape routes. The
area was already overcrowded and those on the edges were forced inward. Eyewitness
reports indicate that police used disproportionate and indiscriminate violence, causing
injuries and death. In the mayhem, both adults and children were trampled by police
and possibly by protesters themselves.
Security forces aggressively beat protesters, even those who offered no resistance, including
children and some adults who were apparently already unconscious. One journalist who
witnessed the removal said, “I saw women and children sitting down being beaten by
police—very enthusiastically, too. I saw two guys being beaten while unconscious, totally
inert. In 20 years of reporting, I never saw anything like this: people being beaten with such
hate and ferocity, like animals. It reminded me of documentaries showing baby seals being
beaten.” 74
Police continued to be kick or beat protesters with batons even after they had been restrained
and removed from the park, and while they were on the buses. There are some indications
that the level of violence was unplanned, or at least that not all security officers were
enthusiastic participants in the mayhem. Two bystanders reported plainclothes officers
shouting at lowranking
police to stop the beating but being ignored.
73 Transcript of the People’s Assembly debate on the evacuation of Sudanese protesters, 2 January 2006.
74 FMRS interview, date unavailable.
34
Some of the police said, “We are forced, we don’t want to do that, but we have orders.” I
thought that Abdulrahman was going to die because he was beaten and I did not know where
Abeer was. I saw people…an eighteenmonthold
baby died in Abdulrahman's hands in the
stampede. People were running over him and his sister was crying and could not find her
parents. I think it took 1 hour and 50 min until they brought us to the buses.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 8 January 2006
Several protesters said that after entering the park, some police used handheld
canisters of
gas, which may have been CS gas (tear gas, which has a distinctive peppery smell), pepper
spray, or another chemical. Demonstrators said it made their eyes burn and one protester
described the canisters as having pink and red writing. This description matches photographs
of tear gas canisters used by Egyptian police on demonstrators during 2005’s parliamentary
elections. Two days later, a bystander returned to the remains of the camp and found police
looking for lost canisters of what they referred to as pepper spray.
Before the attack, water canons were aimed over the ######### of or directly at protesters.
Some protesters suggest that there was a chemical in the last spray of water, but this
was not consistently reported. A minority of demonstrators interviewed also reported a
number of other weapons, including “electric sticks” (electric cattle prods) and knives
or sticks with knives attached, 75 and one person said that police had shot protesters with
“silent guns.” None of these reports were confirmed, however.
The authorities deny that any weapons or excessive violence were used, and clearly did
not consider wooden batons and tear gas as weapons despite the damage they inflict as
a result of misuse. Regarding the causes of deaths, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
official told FMRS: “The police did not use any kind of weapons; the deaths were
caused by suffocation, and nobody was beaten.” 76 Minister of State Shehab said,
“Regarding the injured, they were 73 Sudanese and they were hospitalized in the
instant.” 77
But eyewitnesses reported that there was no sign of immediate medical attention for
protesters. Injured and even apparently unconscious Sudanese were put straight onto buses to
be taken to the detention camps. One demonstrator reported, “They beat us with sticks and
shoved us into the buses. We were even beaten in the buses.” 78 A protester and a bystander
said that a threeyearold
boy, who had been hit on the neck by a police baton, was taken to
Torah detention center, where he died a few hours later. Reports suggest that the only
Sudanese who were put into ambulances were those who were already dead. There are reports
of between two and 10 bodies seen lying on the street.
75 A doctor who treated demonstrators’ wounds at Sakakini Church on January 3, 2006, noted lacerations that
required stitches, but said that these are consistent with both sharp and blunt objects (see next section).
76 See Hamzawy, op. cit.
77 See People’s Assembly, op. cit.
78 FMRS interview, 12 January 2006.
35
5:30 a.m.
· The park has been cleared.
The scene is one of stunned silence and desolation. Hundreds of blankets and suitcases are
strewn all over the park. Other private belongings, such as notebooks, family pictures,
children’s toys, and blue and yellow refugee identity cards, are scattered on the ground.
We hope the international community to take us to any place except here and Sudan. I feel
afraid, I don’t feel safe. I left my home where there was a lot of killing and there was no
safety. Now there is no safety for me here.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 14 January 2006
36
THE AFTERMATH
Confusion and anxiety characterized the weeks following the breakup
of the sitin.
It proved
difficult to find reliable statistics covering the number of dead, hospitalized, and detained,
and even more difficult for individuals to locate their family members and friends. Families
were often forced to rely on informal channels, such as word of mouth from church members
and detainees who had been released, to discover the whereabouts of loved ones.
Despite this, the Sacred Heart Church (Sakakini) in Abasseya moved quickly to gather a list
of missing individuals; it had an incomplete list of 120 by January 1, 2006. Rumors mixed
with official reports from the Egyptian government regarding how many were killed. Initial
eyewitness reports of bodies seen in the morgue ranged as high as 265. 79 Security officials
put the number at 25, while the Interior Ministry claimed only 12 had died in the incident. 80
There was also confusion over whether those Sudanese who had been detained would be
deported. While the government issued a statement on January 3 that the then 654 Sudanese
in detention would be deported, 81 other sources indicated that no deportation would occur.
Medical Treatment
Hundreds of demonstrators were severely beaten by riot police and suffered such injuries as
concussions, broken bones, bruises, and lacerations. Some reported having been exposed to
unknown chemicals and suffering respiratory problems, while others were trampled or
smothered under plastic tarps.
While official referrals to hospitals totaled fewer then 150 persons, AMERA estimated that
hundreds more sustained injuries. In addition, AMERA estimated that at least 200 people in
the three primary detention centers had significant medical concerns. 82 When UNHCR staff
gained access to the detention facilities almost a week after the forced removal, most of the
detainees had only received first aid.
Approximately 600 injured or sick Sudanese were triaged at a makeshift clinic in Sakakini
Church during the five days following the incident. CARITAS, which is the primary provider
of health services to refugees in Cairo, was closed on December 30 and in the days
immediately following the forced removal. The severely injured were seen within the first
day or two and transferred to the Italian Hospital in Abasseya. The injured were also
transferred to El Sanabel Hospital and El Agouza Hospital. Injuries included severe head
injuries, lacerations, and fractures. Following an attempt by demonstrators to organize a
79 See Eric Reeves, “Egypt Celebrates Fifty Years of Independence for Sudan,” 3 January 2006, available at <
http://www.sudanreeves.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=83>.
80 See Hossam Bahgat, “UN Says Egypt Has Given Another Week to Sudanese Refugees,” Sudanese Tribune,
9 January 2006.
81 Ibid.
82 Personal correspondence, 26 January 2006.
37
second protest within the church premises, 83 the makeshift clinic at Sakakini was closed and
the injured were redirected to facilities at Arba waNuss
and CARITAS.
UNHCR called a humanitarian coordination meeting on January 9, 2006, at its offices. The
Medical Focal Point stated that approximately 700 persons were treated, most with cuts,
bruises, and broken bones, of whom 40 persons were sent to the Italian Hospital. There were
at least four traumatized children who were nonfunctional
(i.e., not speaking or eating) but
who were “starting to come around now.” 84
Most of those who had been in detention received only basic first aid, some apparently from
soldiers and others possibly from doctors. Of the medical cases that were seen at the three
detention centers, none was considered life threatening. Most had cuts, bruises, and/or broken
bones and associated pains. Four older women were reported to be in a bad state, one with a
heart condition and one with a large gash on her leg that could have become serious.
Authorities at the detention centers were told to keep on eye on these persons, though they
would not allow them to be released immediately for medical treatment.
In the detention center there were many people in a very bad condition. Although there were
people trained in first aid at the detention center, they deliberately did not offer to treat
anybody.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 3 January 2006
Deaths
It is believed that all the bodies of those killed were sent to Zenhom Morgue. According to a
survey conducted by AMERA on January 2, “Unconfirmed sources indicate that bodies were
also being kept elsewhere, at hospital morgues, although Zenhom Morgue…did not have any
information on additional incoming bodies.” 85 AMERA collected these unconfirmed reports
from four different hospitals—Oum ElMesreen,
Manishiet Bakri, Kasr AlAini,
and
Imbaba—with the total being more than 250 deaths. Investigations by Dr. Ashraf Azer and
others from UNHCR, as well as AMERA legal advisors, revealed this number to be
exaggerated. Up to 35 had been reported dead at Manishiet Bakri, though this number was
never confirmed. The body count from the Kasr AlAini
Hospital varied from 23 to 27,
though UNHCR found only one dead body that was subsequently transferred to the Zenhom
Morgue. The Imbaba Hospital reported three dead, all of whom were also transferred to
Zenhom. The Oum elMesreen
Hospital reported nine dead, all of whom were transferred to
Zenhom.
Zenhom Morgue’s final count was 28, of whom 11 were children under the age of 12. 86 This
included one man who committed suicide while in detention. 87 In a letter dated January 30,
83 It is unclear what group or person was responsible for the attempt at organizing this second protest. Some
have attributed responsibility to Kifaya, an Egyptian political opposition group. Others have suggested the
Muslim Brotherhood may have been involved. There are no confirmed reports.
84 It is unknown which components of this brief are in reference to those in and those out of detention.
85 “List of Bodies at Zenholm [sic] Morgue as 2.01.06,” document on file with AMERA.
86 See “List of Bodies at Zenholm [sic] Morgue as of 18.01.06,” document on file with AMERA.
38
2006, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs put the number of dead at 27. 88 On February
2, another boy died after more than a month in a coma resulting from severe beating suffered
during the forced removal. This brought the confirmed number of dead at the morgue to 29.
One of the leaders of the demonstration has suggested that as many as 53 died as a result of
the forced removal, but this number has not yet been verified. Testimonies of many Sudanese
indicate that there may have been more deaths in the days following the breakup
of the
demonstration. 89 The Egyptian government has not released any autopsy reports or
information regarding the causes of death.
Permission to view the bodies was only given to immediate family members. AMERA
reported that bodies were kept in “makeshift
coffins/boxes” and that initial information
provided by officials at Zenhom about the identification of bodies and the number of children
killed was contradictory and confusing. 90 Some relatives expressed concern that organs had
been removed at the hospitals or in the morgue, though the assistant to the lead doctor at
Zenhom and Dr. Azer from UNHCR reported that, given the time that passed between death
in the hospitals and final transfer to Zenhom, the cellular death of the organs would have
rendered them inoperative. Relatives and family members were not allowed to photograph the
bodies.
Initial family concerns included delayed access to the bodies of their loved ones. In addition,
family members were upset by the performance of autopsies and the sacrilege of delayed
burial. In late February, bereaved families were seeking closure on the matter, as the
government of Egypt had not yet released the bodies of their loved ones. This was a source of
considerable emotional stress.
On February 3, one individual, after having secured permission from the relevant Egyptian
authorities, traveled with the body of his maternal uncle’s wife to the Cairo International
Airport in preparation for a transfer to Sudan. Although he possessed what appeared to be the
appropriate paperwork, 91 he was told at the airport that he had to return the body to the
morgue. 92
87 See “Detentions” section below.
88 See “Letter of Egyptian Embassy in London to the Parliamentary Group Concerning the Sudanese
Refugees,” 30 January 2006, available at MFA_News/Statements/Letter+of+Egyptian+Embassy+in+London+to+the+Parliamentary+Group+concer
ning+the+Sudanese+Refugees.htm>.
89 See “List of Bodies at Zenholm [sic] Morgue as of 18.01.06,” op. cit.
90 “Note for the Record, 1.01.06,” document on file with AMERA.
91 This paperwork included: 1) a death certificate (with no cause of death listed); 2) a letter of permission from
the Ministry of Health to transport the body to Sudan, confirming his authorization as the closest living
relative in Cairo to receive the body; 3) a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent from Khartoum via
the Sudanese embassy in Cairo that providing permission for the deceased’s body to enter Sudan; and 4) a
document from the Ministry of Justice to confirm again that the holder is the legal guardian of the deceased’s
body and that he officially took possession of the body on 3 February 2006.
92 See “Case Details for Family Member Prevented from Transporting Body of Deceased (Victim of
Mohandeseen Park Eviction) Back to Sudan, 10 February 2003,” document on file with AMERA.
39
Two pieces of information have subsequently come to light that explain the delays and
problems regarding the transfer of bodies from the morgue to families and, eventually, to
Sudan. First, UNHCR noted that it took a considerable amount of time to verify the identity
of those who had been killed and then to find relevant family members. Second, a joint
investigative team—consisting of officials from the Sudanese Ministries of Foreign Affairs,
the Interior, and Justice in partnership with a forensic doctor from the Egyptian Ministry of
Justice—was formed to look into the widely circulated rumors of organ theft. According to a
UNHCR email, it was the Sudanese authorities in Egypt that requested that no bodies be
allowed to leave the country until the investigation was completed. 93 The team completed its
work on February 15 and made its findings known to the relevant authorities; the findings
have not been made public.
The same email also suggested that as of February 19, relatives would finally be able to take
the bodies of their loved ones from the morgue for burial, whether in Sudan or in Egypt. This
did not happen. After weeks of confusion, bureaucratic hurdles, and ongoing political
infighting, a number of bodies were released from the morgue on March 8, but only for burial
in Cairo. By March 21, after almost three months of obstructed efforts by relatives and
advocates to transport the deceased to Sudan, all remaining victims were buried in Cairo.
Detentions
An eyewitness notes that six white public transportation buses transported the demonstrators
to the Dahshur Military Camp some 40 kilometers outside of Cairo on the Al Fayoum desert
road. 94 Other Sudanese were reportedly taken to the Torah police camp, the Alexandria
Desert Road Police Camp, the Manshiet Nasr detention facility, and a detention center in
Dokki. According to Mofid Shehab, Sudanese were taken to four detention sites, though he
did not specify which four. 95
Those without any identification were sent to three different prisons: all women and children
were sent to Kanater Prison, while men were sent to Shebeen Alkoum Prison (some 65
kilometers outside of Cairo) and Abu Zaabal Prison (approximately 40 kilometers outside of
Cairo). According to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “those who have been vacated
were safely driven to empty housing units in a suburb of Cairo under the custody of the
judicial authority.” 96
The police divided the demonstrators in detention into three groups: blue cardholders,
yellow
cardholders,
and those without documents, including individuals with closed files and who
were newly arrived and not registered with UNHCR. It appears that those who held blue and
yellow cards were later grouped together and put back onto buses. They were then released in
various areas in small groups (1012
people) throughout Cairo in the days and nights
following the forced removal.
93 A copy of the email, sent on 18 February 2006, is on file with the author.
94 See Nora Younis, “Disgraced to be Egyptian: A Testimony,” available at <
http://www.norayounis.com/2005/12/30/74>. Last accessed 30 January 2006.
95 See People’s Assembly, op. cit.
96 See “Letter of Egyptian Embassy,” op. cit.
40
Mofid Shehab reported on January 2 that 2,174 Sudanese had been removed from the park
and 1,444 had been released shortly thereafter. 97 The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
stated on January 18 that after “resolving the protest,” 1,550 people had been released. 98
According to UNHCR, 627 Sudanese remained in detention on January 5, when it requested a
month from the Egyptian government to do “proper legal assessments” to determine whether
the detainees met the refugee definition. 99 The Egyptian government allowed UNHCR three
days, which was later extended to January 26. UNHCR conducted the legal assessments with
the Sudanese in detention. The government did not grant access to lawyers or NGOs.
A January 13 UNHCR press briefing announced that on January 11, “164 Sudanese asylum
seekers and refugees, including 41 women and 31 children, and holders of UNHCR
registration cards as asylum seekers or refugees, were released by the Egyptian authorities
upon UNHCR’s recommendation and following photo identity verification.” 100 UNHCR also
noted that it had received “no guarantees” that the 463 demonstrators still in detention would
not be deported, though it advised the Egyptian government against “forcible return.”
UNHCR reported that 183 detainees remained in custody by January 19. Radhouane Nouicer,
UNHCR’s Genevabased
deputy director for the region, who was then on mission in Cairo,
reiterated that UNHCR would conduct a “proper, indepth
legal assessment to ensure whether
these people are of concern to UNHCR.” 101
Employing 25 interviewers, UNHCR representatives met with the 183 detainees for an
average of three hours each over a weeklong period and met the January 26 deadline. On
January 27, UNHCR announced that 14 of the remaining detainees were found to be “persons
of concern who should be released immediately.” The organization also recommended to the
Egyptian government that 34 of the recently arrived detainees be allowed to appeal
UNHCR’s decision. While under normal circumstances an asylum seeker rejected at first
instance has 30 days to express her intention to appeal and a year to formulate a legal
argument, UNHCR asked the government that the detainees be given five days to appeal.
According to a January 30 letter written by the Egyptian embassy in London, “All those who
proved to be refugees, asylum seekers, or have a valid legal permit or entrance visa were
released.” 102
Conditions in Detention
Not much official information on the conditions in detention is available. UNHCR provided
clothing, shoes, and personal hygiene items, but also noted that “morale is very low, as a
97 See People’s Assembly, op. cit.
98 Ministry of Foreign Affairs Statement on the Sudanese Refugee Crisis, 18 January 2006, available at <
http://www.mfa.gov.eg/MFA_Portal/enGB/
MFA_News/Statements/sud.htm>.
99 UNHCR briefing, 27 January 2006.
100 UNHCR briefing, 13 January 2006.
101 UNHCR briefing, 19 January 2006.
102 See “Letter of Egyptian Embassy,” op. cit.
41
number of people are showing signs of trauma because of the events and many have been
separated from their families.” 103
In the hall where we stayed [in Kanater Prison] there were beds but not enough for everyone.
Each of the 17 beds was shared by two women. About 30 more women had to sleep on the
ground, which was very cold and wet, due to the toilets inside the hall. Among us, there were
about 15 children. There were three children without their parents in the hall; their ages were
approximately one, five, and 11 years old.
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 8 January 2006
One demonstrator noted that those injured were only given rags to clean their wounds and no
other treatment. Two protesters who were taken to Mounira Hospital noted that the doctor
used the same needles to stitch up all of the injured Sudanese without disinfecting them.
Describing treatment in the detention centers, one demonstrator said, “When somebody tried
to move a bit because of the pain or the coldness/dampness of the floor, he was beaten with
sticks or slapped.” 104 Another noted, “In the camp, the officials were writing down names.
They were very bad to us. One officer started to abuse people. He was hitting the women,”
calling them “whores” and other expletives. 105
Family members were separated. One man recounted: “On Saturday night, my wife and I
were put on two separate buses, one for women and one for men. When we refused to get
separated, we were told that both buses would arrive at the same camp. This was not true. My
wife was brought to Kanater and I was brought to Shebeen Alkoum.” 106 He described his
experience at the prison:
We were 25 people in our cell. The size of the cell was about 4x3 meters.
There were no beds. We received blankets. It was very cold. The floor was
cement and was very damp.
Inside the cell was a toilet separated by a wall. We were told to drink from
it.
In the middle of the night, one of the men inside the cell went into the
toilet. When he did not come out for a long time and did not answer our
calls, we banged against our cell door to get the attention of the police
who were on the floor under us.
It took about one hour before the police opened the door. When they
opened the toilet door they discovered that the man had hung himself. I
took a picture on my mobile phone showing him hanging.
103 UNHCR briefing, 13 January 2006.
104 FMRS interview, 4 January 2006.
105 FMRS interview, 13 January 2006.
106 FMRS interview, 8 January 2006.
42
During the investigation we were taken to another room and then returned.
When we returned to the room we refused to carry on drinking from the
WC because of the dead body. We were told to drink further from the WC
and we did. 107
Many demonstrators said that their belongings, especially money, were confiscated by the
Egyptian authorities, although this was not always the case. One man recalled: “One officer
offered to keep our money safe until we would leave prison. He held his promise.” Another
woman was surprised by the good treatment: “It was very hard to believe that these people
were Egyptians because they were treating us very well. They gave us juice and biscuits, and
milk, pajamas, slippers, and blankets. The treatment was very good. It was hard to believe
that they were from the same nationality like the police who was hitting us.” 108
Those who had been detained were often released in abandoned areas. One refugee recounted
his release from the Torah police camp: “At 2 a.m. on the following night, the weakest were
selected. We were promised to be taken to a place where we could get medical treatment,
beds, and blankets. In fact, we were asked to leave the bus in small groups of three to four
people in the middle of nowhere without shoes or money.” Another described a similar
experience: “On Saturday night, the Egyptians brought the bags from the park. But they did
not give us sufficient time to look for our belongings. They put a group of 20 people into a
bus and dropped us somewhere. I was unable to walk and I did not have shoes on.” 109 One
demonstrator recalled, “I was released on Friday 6 p.m. We were insulted by the police. They
took us on a bus before we were released and then they would stop every now and then and
let us out of the bus after insulting us. They left me out with other refugees in a place that I
didn’t know.” 110
Threatened Deportations
Shortly after the breakup
of the protest, the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry indicated that
it would deport the Sudanese who remained in detention. AlAhram
Weekly reported that the
“Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced that it was deporting 645 Sudanese it classified as
‘illegal immigrants.’” 111 On January 4, the Egyptian daily AlAhram
noted that 650 Sudanese
detainees were to be deported to Sudan.
On January 5, however, the Egyptian government announced it would delay the deportations.
Astrid van Genderen Stort, a UNHCR spokesperson, said that the government had agreed to
move the deportations back three days. 112 It was at this point that UNHCR first had access to
the detainees and began to determine which individuals were already registered with
UNHCR.
107 Ibid. See also the AMERA document, “List of Bodies at Zenholm [sic] Morgue as of 18.01.06.” It appears
the body of the man who died in detention was transferred to Zenhom Morgue.
108 FMRS interviews, 8 January 2006
109 FMRS interviews, 4 January 2006.
110 FMRS interview, 14 January 2006.
111 Gamal Nkrumah, “The Noose Tightens,” AlAhram
Weekly, 511
January 2006.
112 “Egypt to Delay Sudanese Deportations,” Agence France Presse, 5 January 2006.
43
From January 7 through 20, the Egyptian government allowed UNHCR to carry out its legal
assessment of the Sudanese detainees and no deportations occurred. On January 18, an article
from the New York Times confirmed that no deportations would take place. According to
Nasser Hamzawy from the African Affairs department of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, “After the UNHCR and the authorities look into their individual files and determine
their status, they will be released.” 113
Nonetheless, there was again concern that detainees would be made to return to Sudan after
UNHCR finished its assessment on January 26, at which point 183 Sudanese remained in
custody. As discussed above, UNHCR recommended that 14 of the 183 be released and that
another 34 be given a chance to appeal. Those remaining were determined “not to be eligible
for international refugee protection under UNHCR’s mandate.” 114 The Egyptian government
appears to have put those fears to rest when, on January 30, Nasser Hamzawy indicated that
none of those remaining in custody would be deported. “Now that the UNHCR has completed
its assessment interviews, it’s been decided that none of the remaining detainees will be
deported back to Sudan.” 115
On February 11, all Sudanese remaining in detention were released from prison. It appears
that the passport of each had been extended and given a sixmonth
residency stamp—an
operation carried out by the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior in cooperation with the
Sudanese embassy in Cairo.
Involvement of the Sudanese Embassy in Cairo
One issue that remained unclear during the weeks following the breakup
of the
demonstration was the role of the Sudanese embassy. AMERA has a list of names, given to
the organization by a client, that was apparently collected by the embassy in preparation for
deportation. Some of the testimonies also indicate that the embassy was interested in having
the Sudanese detainees return. One demonstrator said, “On Wednesday, we were told to go
downstairs in groups of 10 people. At the front gate, there were six officials from the
Sudanese embassy who wanted to take information from us.” He added, “One official from
the Sudanese embassy approached me and said to the policeman that he wanted to take me
with him.” 116
Many of those in prison described how they were told they would be deported. One example
came from a woman who was sent to Kanater: “Since we were without documents, the prison
management said that we would be sent to the Kanater Prison, and then we would be
deported.” 117
113 Michael Slackman, “Egypt Says It Won’t Deport Any of the Jailed Sudanese,” New York Times, 18 January
2006, Section A; Column 1; Foreign Desk; p. 3.
114 UNHCR briefing, 27 January 2006.
115 “Egypt: No Deportation for Sudanese Detainees, Says Government,” IRIN, 30 January 2006, available at <
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=51415&SelectRegion=Middle_East&SelectCountry=EGYPT>.
116 FMRS interview, 8 January 2006.
117 FMRS interview, 28 January 2006.
44
The “attention” and involvement of the Sudanese embassy gave rise to the possibility that
those in detention should be considered to be sur place refugees, which are individuals who
become refugees by virtue of activities since leaving their country of origin. 118 On January 8,
AMERA forwarded a legal argument to UNHCR Cairo and Geneva arguing that those in
detention should be considered “of concern” to UNHCR on this basis. It was argued that the
involvement of the Sudanese embassy, particularly the preparation of travel documents, the
highly politicized nature of the demonstration, and the indication that the demonstration was
undermining the bilateral relationship between Sudan and Egypt amounted to a reasonable
likelihood of persecution upon return to Sudan.
In an email dated January 13, UNHCR acknowledged that it was clearly aware of the
involvement of the Sudanese embassy. The email referred to the “uncertainty surrounding the
ramifications for the safety of the persons concerned due to their involvement with the
demonstration and the role subsequently played by the Sudanese officials.” 119
Emergency Assistance
Many of the Sudanese who had moved to Mustafa Mahmoud Park were evicted from their
homes. After the demonstration was broken up, many demonstrators had no housing.
Compounding this problem was the number of Sudanese who suffered injuries during the
violent removal. It proved difficult for humanitarian organizations to coordinate and respond
to the great need for assistance in the days and weeks following the removal.
Two staff members from AMERA worked on December 31 to transfer critically injured
Sudanese to hospitals in Cairo. Following the advice of the lead doctor from CARITAS, the
two began to transport Sudanese to Sanabel Hospital. Starting from 10 a.m., the two worked
throughout the day and late into the night taking patients to the hospital. The next day, they
transported patients to Oum El Nour Hospital. The two AMERA employees concluded their
account of the two days following the breakup
of the demonstration on an ambivalent note:
It was observed that the need for medical attention among the survivors
was great. Without guidance and assistance many would have suffered
through pains, bruises, and broken bones without being able to care [sic] at
a hospital. One can only wonder how many more who we do not know
about are still in need of medical attention and still either unconvinced to
go to the hospital or not yet linked with assistance in getting to a medical
facility. Of course, those still in detention likely had serious injuries, and
as no outsider had access initially to the prisons and detention facilities in
the early days, these injuries went untreated. 120
118 The UNHCR Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status indicates that the key
assessment is “whether such actions may have come to the notice of authorities of the person’s country of
origin and how they are likely to be viewed by those authorities.” See par. 96 of the Handbook, 1979.
119 Email from Hamdi Bukhari, UNHCR Geneva, to Tarek Badawy, AMERA, 13 January 2006.
120 George Milad and Mohamed el Messiry, “Sudanese Eviction Aftermath,” document on file with AMERA.
45
Staff from UNHCR, CARITAS, and AMERA canvassed various hospitals in Cairo in search
of injured Sudanese. As noted above, convincing those who had been wounded, often
severely, to go to a hospital posed yet another challenge, as many Sudanese were wary of
Egyptian assistance. By January 6, 10 different facilities had seen patients, with over 190
having been treated at the Italian Hospital at Sakakini Church. 121
AMERA staff coordinated with the church in compiling lists of those missing, as well as lists
of Sudanese detained at the various facilities. UNHCR also requested lists, as reliable
information on the whereabouts of friends and family members was difficult to access.
UNHCR only provided information to the International Committee of the Red Crescent/Cross
(ICRC) for security and confidentiality reasons. 122 At January 5, Sakakini’s list of missing
stood at 120 (and was acknowledged to be incomplete). At January 15, AMERA had a list of
21 clients whose whereabouts were unknown or unconfirmed.
On March 14, UNHCR issued a twopage
statement entitled “Missing Persons Following the
Events of 29 December 2005.” 123 The document describes how communitybased
associations, churches, and NGOs forwarded lists of missing persons to UNHCR, and how
UNHCR collaborated with ICRC to “connect missing family members and answer queries
about family members who may be in prison.” 124 The number of those missing as a result of
the forced removal remains unknown. Although the UNHCR document says that “some
organizations have sent follow up inquiries of persons still missing over the last fortnight, and
this number remains at less than five persons still missing,” 125 another list given to FMRS
includes more than 23 names. 126
UNHCR established an emergency housing and assistance fund at the Bank of Alexandria
that was handled by CARITAS. Assistance was limited to Sudanese who had been at the
demonstration from September 29 through December 29, and “whose names appeared on the
list submitted to UNHCR by the leaders of the demonstration on 19 December 2005.” 127
Sudanese were directed to different branches in Cairo depending on the first letter of their
name. By January 18, the housing fund was exhausted. UNHCR claimed that 1,500 people
had benefited from the assistance. There were also reports, however, that the bank had told
individuals to come back after two weeks, which caused considerable frustration. Some
reports indicated that more than 500 people claiming to have been at the protest came to the
bank, but their names were not on the list submitted to UNHCR. 128
121 See “Update 6.01.06: AMERA Coordination of Medical Assistances and Related Updates,” document on
file with AMERA.
122 See “Report on the UNHCR Meeting on Separated Children and Missing People,” 17 January 2006,
document on file with AMERA.
123 UNHCR, “Missing Persons Following the Events of 29 December 2005,” 14 March 2006, document on file
with AMERA and FMRS.
124 Ibid.
125 Ibid.
126 Document on file with FMRS.
127 See UNHCR, “Announcement,” 3 January 2006 (English and Arabic), facsimile on file with AMERA.
128 See “UNHCR Meeting on Separated Children and Missing People,” op. cit.
46
UNHCR directed those still in need of assistance to CARITAS or directly to the UNHCR
Administration Office. 129 A UNHCR representative also stated that those released from
detention would be assisted. 130 The agency said it would give blue and yellow cardholders
released from detention LE300 to find housing. 131 Americans Aiding Refugees (AAR), a
private charity, established the Sudanese Survivors of December 30 th Fund, separate from UN
resources. This charity directed donations toward medical attention, shelter, and other basic
needs.
UNHCR and a Sudanese NGO, SUDIA, coordinated to address the issue of unaccompanied
minors. UNHCR stated it would provide for foster care of children who had been orphaned as
a result of the removal. It intends to channel funds allocated for an HIV prevention program
to foster families in the Sudanese community who would take responsibility for 24
unaccompanied minors. 132
UNHCR, AMERA, and the El Nadim Center for the Management and Rehabilitation of
Victims of Torture collaborated in an effort to meet the mental health needs of those
traumatized by the violence and suffering during and after the breakup
of the demonstration.
These groups coordinated with other service providers in Cairo. AMERA offered counseling
to family members of the deceased, and it organized a meeting with UNHCR on January 15
to determine what would be done with the dead. After some negotiation, UNHCR agreed to
pay US$1,000 (through CARITAS) to each family and to facilitate the transfer of the bodies
from the morgue to each of the families. 133 In March, more than two months after the forced
removal, the money was disbursed. Families were also supposed to be able to decide whether
to have the body transferred to Sudan or to have it buried in Egypt. However, as noted above,
all of the bodies were buried in Cairo.
AMERA continues to provide crisis counseling for the immediate family members of the
deceased and has received referrals for counseling for children traumatized by the violence.
In addition, AMERA advocated successfully for assistance to orphans. Four were
subsequently reunited with their grandparents in Sudan. Longterm
mental health support for
immediate family members is still needed. UNHCR and ICRC also need assistance in
information dissemination regarding the deceased and missing so that families can be
reunited.
Another concern centers on the belongings lost during the breakup
of the demonstration.
Allegedly, the Egyptian government is holding three truckloads of items in a warehouse in
the Dahshur police camp but will not take responsibility for distributing them, claiming this is
UNHCR’s task. 134
129 Ibid.
130 See “Briefing at UNHCR on 18 January 2006,” document on file with AMERA.
131 See “UNHCR Meeting on Separated Children and Missing People,” op. cit.
132 Ibid.
133 See “Meeting at AMERAEgypt,
15 January 2006,” document on file with AMERA.
134 See “Briefing at UNHCR on 18 January 2006,” document on file with AMERA.
47
Local and International Reactions
UNHCR
UNHCR’s reactions to the eviction of the protest varied. The BBC quoted High
Commissioner Antonio Guterres stating on December 30 that he was “deeply shocked at the
deaths.” 135 In a written statement, he declared that “although we still do not have all the
details or a clear picture of what transpired…there is no justification for such violence and
loss of lives.” 136 Similarly, CNN stated on December 30 that Kofi Annan, SecretaryGeneral
of the United Nations, condemned the unjustified violence of the Egyptian security and
regretted that the situation was not handled peacefully through dialogue according to
UNHCR’s demands. 137
In contrast, Astrid Stort, the spokeswoman for UNHCR Cairo, declared that the Egyptian
government had been patiently handling the situation of Sudanese refugees in cooperation
with UNHCR. In a press conference attended by Goodwill Ambassador Adel Imam, she
announced that several hours had been spent on negotiations with protestors from the
beginning of the protest until the December 17 agreement. She added that UNHCR had asked
the Egyptian government to end the protest peacefully and had not expected the high rates of
injuries and death. She said that UNHCR understood the problems refugees face and that
UNHCR tries to assist them to its fullest capacity. 138 Yet she also stressed that UNHCR
needed to prioritize its assistance to refugees, alleging that many of the protestors were not
refugees but economic migrants. Stort noted that UNHCR could not help prevent
discrimination in Egypt, where unemployment is high. 139
UNHCR noted that the Egyptian government reserved the privilege of ending the protest for
the sake of Egyptian society. According to Stort, the Egyptian government had not been
reluctant to handle the situation peacefully, especially given its special relationship with
Sudan. She said that UNHCR was in full cooperation with the Egyptian government in
conducting interviews with demonstrators in detention centers. 140
The deputy representative of UNHCR Cairo, Dessalegne Damtew, meanwhile, denied that
UNHCR had asked the government to end the protest: “Who are we to tell a sovereign
government what to do? We have been giving the government updates and we reported the
deteriorating health conditions at the park. We never requested the forced removal of the
asylumseekers.”
141
135 “Twenty Sudanese Die in Cairo Raid,” BBC, 30 December 2005, available at <
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4568340.stm>.
136 “Annan Slams Cairo Protest Deaths,” CNN, 30 December 2005, available at
.
137 Ibid.
138 Fawzi Mekhemer, “UNHCR’s Spokeswoman: Protest Eviction Took Place Based on an Agreement by the
Egyptian Government,” AlAkhbar,
4 January 2006.
139 “Twenty Sudanese Die in Cairo Raid,” op. cit.
140 Fawzi Mekhemer, “UNHCR’s Spokeswoman,” op. cit.
141 Gamal Nkrumah, “The Noose Tightens,” op. cit.
48
The UNHCR is based on three foundations: providing human rights, protection and
development….I have been in Egypt for four years and as a refugee I never had any of the
these three basic rights. That is why I call upon the international community to interfere and
address the problems of the Sudanese refugees here, so that the catastrophe which happened
here will not reoccur.”
FMRS interview with demonstrator, 14 January 2006
Egyptian Government
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed AbouEl
Geit stressed that throughout the three months of
the protest, Egypt’s role as a host country was to mediate between UNHCR and the protestors
and to aid the beleaguered residents of the area. According to AbouEl
Geit, Egypt played a
leading a role in providing security to UNHCR, coordinating several negotiations, protecting
refugees in Egypt, contacting Sudanese officials who promised refugees a secured voluntary
return, and forming a committee that consisted of concerned Egyptian ministries to discuss
strategies for ending the protest peacefully.
On December 22, 2005, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs received a letter from UNHCR
stating that the situation had become critical in the park, that it was attracting media attention,
and thus that it was affecting the image of the Egyptian government and UNHCR
internationally. The letter requested that the Egyptian government end the protest.
AbouEl
Geit stressed that ending the protest was not done on the government’s initiative and
called attention to the fact that it had provided security for the sitin
for three months,
allowing a protest in one of its squares. He also noted that the demonstrators had violated
Egyptian law, as well as the refugee convention by breaking domestic law. He added that no
other country in the world would allow refugees to protest in one of its most prominent
squares for three months. He expressed his sadness at the deaths that resulted from the
eviction; however, he stressed the distinction between the decision to end the protest and the
events that followed. 142
I did not imagine people were going to be killed….People say water canons were behind the
deaths. It is not true—the water was aimed over their #########. Look at the documentaries to see
this was a false claim.
Minister of the Interior Habib ElAdly,
Hadith AlMedina
TV program, January 27
At a People’s Assembly soon after the removal, opposition groups and parties criticized the
violence Egyptian security forces used. However, members of the National Democratic Party,
who constitute the majority, as well as Mofid Shehab, noted the strong bonds between Egypt
and Sudan. According to the majority of MPs, the Egyptian government violated neither
international law nor the Geneva Convention. Like AbouEl
Geit, Shehab stressed that the
government has a responsibility to its citizens who were negatively affected by the protest.
142 Ahmed Abu El Geit, “Egypt’s Calls to Explain the Facts Behind the Eviction of the Sudanese Protest,
UNHCR Did Not Direct Any Blame to Egypt,” AlAhram,
3 January 2006.
49
He ended his statement by saying that no other country would have allowed such a protest to
occur on its territory. 143
In the months following the sitin,
several demonstrators complained that they were being
harassed and threatened by Egyptian police and security forces, who they said were using
many of the same arguments put forward by the government officials above. The members of
Refugee Voices, the group that first organized the protest, said that they were being
interrogated, detained, and threatened with being spied on by the government and “friends of
the security.” Several members said that security forces threatened to frame them for crimes
such as drugdealing
and currency trading. They appealed for international protection from
these humiliating and frightening tactics. 144
Egyptian Media
Adel Imam held the protestors responsible for the deaths and injuries that followed the
eviction. He argued that the Egyptian government tried to its full capacity to solve the
situation through negotiations and to end the protest peacefully, but that protestors never
wanted to reach an agreement with the other parties. “As a goodwill ambassador for refugee
affairs, I have tried to mediate between UNHCR in Cairo and the refugees, but we never
understood what they wanted—finally we realized that they wanted to be resettled. However
this is not a simple matter because it has to do with international agreements and depends on
acceptance by resettlement countries.” 145 He added that even after the protest ended, a
number of refugees who were released threatened the staff at UNHCR and CARITAS, which
in turn stopped providing support to the refugees. 146
On January 1, AlAhram
reported that 36 humanitarian organizations had declared that the
Egyptian government had not violated international human rights law, specifically the 1966
Convention on Civil and Political Rights and Convention on Economic, Social, and Cultural
Rights. It was also reported that the government had requested an intervention from the
National Council for Human Rights. 147
In an AlAhram
article, Ambassador Masum Marzuk, director of the Sudan department in the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attempted to clarify Egypt’s position regarding the eviction of
the protesters. He said that the eviction was a response to the continuing calls by UNHCR to
the Egyptian government to handle the situation and to the complaints of nearby residents,
but that the government would have preferred to handle the situation peacefully through
negotiations that the ambassador attended personally. He noted having witnessed the
stubbornness of the protestors and their refusal of the Four Freedoms Agreement, which he
143 Refaat Rashad, Osama Saeed, and Mohamed El Fiqi, “People’s Assembly Discusses the Eviction of
Refugee Protestors,” AlAkhbar,
3 January 2006.
144 Refugees Voice in Egypt, “Appeal for Group Protection and Humanitarian Assistance,” 23 February 2006,
on file with FMRS.
145 “UNHCR Did Not Ask for Investigations for the Eviction and Is Not Blaming Anyone,” AlAhram,
4
January 2006.
146 Ibid.
147 Emad Hegab, “According to 36 Humanitarian Organizations: Egypt Did Not Violate International Human
Rights Law,” AlAhram,
1 January 2006.
50
claimed benefited the refugees specifically. According to Marzuk, refugees considered the
park under the jurisdiction of UNHCR and not of the Egyptian government.
The ambassador said that the leaders of the protest were responsible for spreading misleading
information to keep the protest going, including rumors that protestors who stayed in the park
would receive aid or be resettled. He said that prior to the eviction, protestors had been
warned yet had responded to these warnings with violence toward the security forces. Marzuk
reminded people who had condemned the action taken by the Egyptian government that the
government was previously blamed for not taking action. He praised the patience of the
government in dealing with the stubborn protestors, who had refused all previous support. 148
The main concern of many writers at AlAhram
was to reiterate the positive relations between
Egypt and Sudan, as well as to point out the negative impact refugees have on the economy
of Egypt. Local newspapers often interpreted blame of the Egyptian government as a
conspiracy against the relationship between Egypt and Sudan and argued that the incident
should not become a wedge between the two countries. 149
On January 5, 2006, AlAhram
published a number of articles on Sudanese labor in Egypt.
One article, an interview with the Minister of Labor, stressed that the ministry is only
concerned with Sudanese laborers who are legally employed. Sudanese who entered the
country illegally and who work in the informal sector do not fall under the ministry’s
mandate. 150 In Sabah AlKheir,
an Egyptian magazine, an article entitled “Sudanese Brothers
Refused All the Possible Solutions” blamed the protesters for the situation. It claimed that the
spread of AIDS and other epidemic diseases was the main reason behind the eviction. 151
International Media and International Civil Society
The New York Times reported that the Egyptian government had not only blamed the
Sudanese and UNHCR for the eviction but that it had also threatened to deport more than 600
refugees who had no legal documents. It also stated that the way the government handled the
situation has not been publicly questioned. 152
Deirdre Clancy, director of the International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI), commented
that the eviction appeared to be a “premeditated violent attack by state forces on a group of
refugees and asylum seekers carried out with utter disregard for human life.” 153 IRRI
148 Masum Marzuk, “Truths and Frauds Concerning the Issue of Protest Eviction,” AlAhram,
15 January
2006.
149 See Nadia Mansur, “Hababakum Ashara: The Slogan of Sudanese Communities” and “The Sudanese in
Egypt Who Has an Important Value,” Wagih AlSaqar,
“Refugees Dream of the Yellow Card,” Nermine Qotb,
“A Survey of What Has Happened: Citizens Criticize What Happened in Mohandeseen,” AlAhram,
4 January
2006.
150 Abd Al Azeem AlBasel,
“The First Conversation with the New Minister of Labor with AlAhram
Newspaper: I am not responsible for the smuggled informal labor in Egypt,” AlAhram,
5 January 2006.
151 “Sudanese Brothers Refused All Possible Solutions,” Sabah AlKheir
Magazine, Issue 2609, 2 January
2006, pp. 1011.
152 See New York Times, 18 January 2006, op. cit.
153 IRRI, “IRRI Condemns Horrific Attack on Refugee Demonstrators in Cairo,” Press Release, New York and
Kampala, 2 January 2006, available at org/Newsletters/NorthAfrica/PR010206.
htm>.
51
criticized the fact that only UNHCR had access to the detainees. Moreover, it claimed that
local hospitals had been uncooperative in providing information about the number of injured
and the number of dead in their morgues. 154
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Egyptian Organization for
Human Rights (EPHR) issued a condemnation of the violent action of Egyptian security
forces and described the attack as a violation of multiple international standards that bind
Egypt. FIDH called for an investigation into the eviction. It also called upon the Egyptian
government to adopt a new law to guarantee the protection of refugees and asylum seekers. 155
Egyptian Civil Society and Opposition Parties
On December 30, 2005, a number of Egyptian human rights NGOs issued a joint statement
on the removal. They described the Egyptian Ministry of Interior as the real criminal, who
knows no other way of dealing with opposition except through violence. They condemned the
local media and newspapers for misleading the public by failing to convey the reality of the
situation for refugees, who lived for three months in humiliation and hunger. 156 The NGOs
called for a few concessions from UNHCR and the Egyptian government, including the
release of detainees, the resignation of Minister of the Interior Habib ElAdly,
a transparent
investigation of the removal, publication of the names of the dead, and civil society access to
detained refugees. They also encouraged condemnation by civil society of UNHCR and of
the Egyptian government’s treatment of refugees.
On January 9, 12 Egyptian NGOs, many but not all of the same ones that authored the
December 30 statement, sent a letter to Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights. The letter lamented the failure of UNHCHR to make any public statement regarding
“the excessive use of force by Egyptian security forces.” 157 The groups called for an
investigation into what happened, including an examination of UNHCR’s conduct. The letter
concluded:
At a minimum, we request that you publicly condemn the killing of
dozens of Sudanese protestors, and take steps to ensure that the Egyptian
government fulfills its obligations under international human rights law to
investigate these serious human rights violations, bring their perpetrators
to justice, compensate the victims, and halt any deportation without due
process of law of any of the protestors back to Sudan.
154 Ibid.
155 The statement can be found at .
156 A statement by 12 NGOs in Cairo, 30 December 2005, document on file with FMRS.
157 The letter can be found at .
52
COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
FMRS put this report together in order to clarify what happened on that fateful morning and
why, as well as to consider what can be done to ensure that it does not happen again. It is in
this spirit that the following comments and analysis are offered.
A series of failures on the part of the Egyptian government and UNHCR, combined with
unrealistic expectations and grave miscalculations on the part of the demonstrators and their
leaders, resulted in the tragedies of the forced eviction. This is a complicated story with many
actors, each of whom bears some level of responsibility for the unnecessary deaths of so
many people, including 12 children, and the physical injuries and psychological damage to
hundreds more. The incident further damaged already strained relations between UNHCR
and refugees and between UNHCR and the government, as well as to the government of
Egypt and its reputation as a host country. It will take a long time to repair this damage.
Egyptian Government
The government showed remarkable restraint over the three months of the sitin,
but came
under increasing pressure from UNHCR, the local media, and residents to remove the
protesters. Under the Egyptian Emergency Law, the gathering was manifestly illegal, and it is
to the government’s credit that such a long period of time was given for the peaceful
resolution of the issues between the demonstrators and UNHCR. Given the failure of
negotiations, however, it was inevitable that the Egyptian authorities eventually intervene.
During the removal, Egyptian security forces did not offer protesters the choice to disperse
peacefully, which might have averted the violence that occurred. Instead, a decision was
apparently made at the highest levels to remove the demonstrators to unidentified detention
centers. The authorities gave no clear or consistent information to protesters about the
“camps” they were being transported to and refused to grant any requests for guarantees. In
fact, misinformation about where the demonstrators would be moved meant that negotiations
were compromised from the start: no guarantees concerning the “camps” could be offered
because they were actually detention centers. This was very difficult for the protesters to
accept, and consequently, neither they nor security officials had an avenue by which to avoid
the confrontation.
Egyptian security used excessive and disproportionate force in removing the protesters,
leaving no alternatives or avenues for escape. No allowances were made for the safety of the
park’s occupants, especially vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and the sick.
Security forces entered the park from all directions at once, leaving nowhere for people to
flee. They used indiscriminate violence, and there was no immediate medical attention
available to injured protesters. Inadequate training in crowd control methods does not
adequately explain the high number of casualties and injuries that resulted. This is clearly a
matter for Egyptian and international human rights organizations to pursue.
In statements and in interviews with FMRS, government officials have chosen to deny that
there was any police violence. Some claim that any violence was only in response to the
53
protesters’ aggression. Most eyewitnesses dispute these assertions. Given the substantial
international media coverage, this denial seems shortsighted. It has also reduced the
possibility of a dialogue about the lessons to be learned from the tragedy and what measures
could prevent further incidents of the kind.
With attention focused on asylum seekers and refugees, and the issue discussed openly in the
People’s Assembly, this may be an opportune time for the government to seriously consider
the passage of domestic legislation to detail and systematize Egypt’s obligations under the
1951 and OAU refugee conventions, as well as to make its policies and procedures clear.
Without transparency and clarity, asylum seekers and refugees cannot access services, and
this translates into frustration that could lead to a repeat of the protest strategy. UNHCR has
been encouraging the government of Egypt to articulate such laws, putting the legal
responsibility for refugees back where it belongs, on the state party to the refugee
conventions.
UNHCR
UNHCR’s mandate is the protection of refugees and asylum seekers. From the beginning of
the sitin,
however, the agency adopted a hostile and confrontational attitude toward the
protesting asylum seekers, refugees, and closed files. It issued statements that accused the
protesters of everything from rumormongering
to outright deception. It suggested that the
demonstrators were not of concern to UNHCR, given that they included closed files and
persons the agency claimed were economic migrants. UNHCR also implied that the protesters
were responsible for keeping other, nonSudanese
asylum seekers away from its offices
although the decision to “close” the office was made by UNHCR itself. The agency’s claims
drove a wedge between the various communities of concern and exacerbated the lack of
communication between UNHCR and asylum seekers and refugees. Its attitude served to
confirm the protesters’ grievances and frustrations.
Throughout the sitin,
UNHCR exercised tight control over its public posture visàvis
the
protest. It refused to allow its staff to go the Moustafa Mahmoud Park and interact with the
refugees directly until December 17. The agency leadership insisted on meeting and
negotiating only with the leaders of the demonstration, even as it was denouncing them as
“selfappointed”
and accusing them of creating false expectations to lure people to the
park. 158
In early statements, UNHCR placed itself squarely on the side of the government of Egypt,
citing mutual concerns and interests. It repeatedly asked authorities to remove the protesters,
albeit “peacefully,” without demanding any substantive assurances that the intervention
would indeed be peaceful. UNHCR staff members were present as bystanders during the
evening of December 29, but no one from the agency was officially sent to intervene, despite
requests by protesters and increasing evidence over many hours that the protest could end
violently. It is unclear what UNHCR could have done at that late stage. The die was cast, and
all the agency could do was watch.
158 See, for example, UNHCR’s statement, “Rumours, Myths and Speculations Behind the Sudanese
Demonstrations,” op. cit.
54
UNHCR took a number of grave risks concerning the safety of the population in the park. It
must accept accountability for a number of failures and miscalculations that, at least
indirectly, led to the tragic results.
The Protesters
Leaders of the protest and the protesters generally must also bear some of the responsibility
for the incident. The protesters remained adamant about their demands throughout the three
months and refused to accept any compromise that may have ended the protest, such as that
offered by UNHCR in the failed December 17 agreement. While the protest leaders did
accept and sign the agreement with UNHCR, dissenting voices within the park succeeded in
overturning the decision, despite warnings from supporters and friends, and convinced others
to continue the protest.
It is understandable that the level of frustration that led to the protest in the first place and the
sense of unity and solidarity achieved during the three months militated against a
compromise. Nevertheless, the protesters should have been aware of the low likelihood that
the authorities would allow the sitin
to continue indefinitely or that it would end peacefully.
This was not the first time that authorities reacted violently to demonstrations in Egypt. Many
refugees in Cairo have firsthand experience of police brutality, and the refugee demonstration
in August 2004 was broken up violently.
Questions remain about whether everyone in the park made an informed decision to be at the
sitin,
and whether the leadership actively sought to create and sustain unrealistic
expectations. Also relevant are complaints about excessive control by the protest’s security
and organizing committees, particularly related to the public message and to punishment.
The protesters do not seem to have considered or planned for a possible intervention by the
authorities. Some demonstrators thought they were under UNHCR rather than Egyptian
government jurisdiction, and thus felt protected from the state’s intervention. Given the
number of vulnerable people in the park, especially children, the lack of planning by protest
organizers was a tragic oversight.
The accountability of victims of violence is a complex and sensitive matter that is impossible
to address here. It may be enough to say that the protest leaders had a responsibility to those
who elected and followed them, and a particular responsibility to protect children and
particularly vulnerable adults.
Longterm
Thematic Issues
A number of issues arise that require serious consideration by all parties if such a tragedy is
to be averted in the future. They are the same problems and issues that led to the protest, and
longterm
solutions and programs are required to resolve or at least to ameliorate the
frustration and hopelessness that asylum seekers and refugees in Egypt feel. These issues
55
include problems of communication and trust, the provision of adequate services that make
life livable even in limbo, and a redefinition of responsibilities and roles.
Information
Topping the list is the need for adequate, thorough, and helpful information for asylum
seekers and refugees in Egypt. The rumor mill that often plagues newcomers and longterm
residents in Cairo and creates false and unrealistic expectations has to be dealt with in an
active and comprehensive manner, involving everyone concerned. While the need for good
and effective information sharing among all parties concerned has been evident for a long
time, it was dramatically highlighted in the aftermath of the forced removal. Throughout
January and much of February, most parties did not know where detainees were located, who
died or was injured, and what emergency aid was available and where.
UNHCR, the Egyptian government, and organizations that serve refugee communities need to
improve access to authoritative, useful information for asylum seekers, refugees, and closed
files, as well as for Egyptian society and Sudanese community members. The information
must include where to access services, as well as trustworthy details on resettlement
prospects and the implications of various authorities’ decisions. Refugees must know the
policies of resettlement countries, the political dynamics developing between Egypt and
Sudan as well as Egypt and UNCHR, and developments in relations between UNHCR and
the population of concern. This is a challenging prospect, given the size of the refugee
population widely dispersed in Cairo’s urban setting.
Centralizing this information through the Web would be one helpful avenue. While many
asylum seekers and refugees may not have access to computers or the Internet, some do, and
they have a responsibility to share information with their compatriots. Service providers can
also rely on such a service to accurately inform their clientele on a regular basis. 159 A recent
effort by FMRS students, members of Student Action for Refugees, may be an auspicious
beginning for such an effort. 160
This recommendation applies not only to the need for accurate and helpful information, but
also to a reconsideration of its purposes. Beyond simply informing refugees about a particular
fact or service, the parties involved must clarify why such a fact or service needs to be known
and how to make use of it. For example, UNHCR issued a onepage
brochure about its
blanket decision to suspend RSD interviews for Sudanese asylum seekers, which may not
have been enough. UNHCR might have also organized community meetings to announce the
decision and offered more thorough explanations of the reasons for the decision.
159 See “Services for Refugees” on the FMRS Web site for an annotated list of organizations that provide
services for refugees. This list provides only basic information and needs constant and regular updating, which
FMRS sometimes fails to do.
160 “Refugee Online: The Use of the Internet as a Source of Information and Communitybuilding
in Cairo,”
proposal presented at the FMRS Wednesday Seminar, 17 May 2006. For more information, email
[email protected].
56
UNHCR has a particular responsibility to coordinate efforts in this regard. 161 There has been
a longstanding
problem of communication between refugees and UNHCR, and the agency
needs to reexamine
the “fortress mentality” it periodically exhibits. UNHCR must assess
how to rebuild trust, communication, and relationships with the Sudanese asylum seeker and
refugee community. A communications strategy may include regular community visits to
evaluate needs and share information, the publication of frequently asked questions in
accessible and straightforward language, and taking account of the different languages
spoken by the various refugee communities. Regular examination and evaluation of how
information is publicized and distributed needs to take place, and this can happen in
cooperation with partner agencies and service providers. This, of course, requires additional
resources from Geneva, which may be difficult to come by, but it is necessary if similar crises
are to be avoided. The key is open and transparent communication with the communities
concerned. UNHCR needs to rebuild faith in its role as an agency that serves people in need
and not only the governments that provide funds.
The government of Egypt also has significant responsibilities in making known to the refugee
community what services it is prepared to provide. In particular, the government must work
to improve the flow of information from the policyformation
level to implementing bodies,
including schools and healthcare providers, and to cut back bureaucratic and feebased
hurdles that hinder access to these bodies.
Racism
Part of each party’s effort to disseminate accurate information should be to overcoming the
reasons people sometimes stay away from, for example, certain service centers for reasons of
assumed racism or selectivity. In this regard, Cairo’s Sudanese community has a significant
responsibility to ensure that accurate information is available to refugees, to dispel damaging
rumors and unrealistic expectations, and to attempt to break down selfmarginalizing
attitudes
and behaviors.
This, however, needs to be complemented by serious educational efforts aimed at Egyptian
society generally, to confront the racist attitudes demonstrated by sectors of the general
public and by Egyptian media, security forces, and police. Educational programs in schools
as well as public workshops and other educational efforts should aim at relaying information
on why asylum seekers seek protection in Egypt, the living conditions and hardships faced by
them in Cairo, and the historic relations between Sudan and Egypt.
It is particularly incumbent upon the Egyptian government to include refugee matters,
including refugee law, in its training of police and security forces. Educational institutions
such as the American University in Cairo can provide these services, as well as special
programs to educate the media and civil society. All need to work together to dispel racism
and resentment, in part through education about the struggles and rights of refugees and
asylum seekers. All need to work to create programs on international refugee law and on
international responsibility toward individuals who have lost the protection of their countries
161 UNHCR hosts a bimonthly
InterAgency
Meeting, where information is shared amongst serviceproviders
and partner NGOs. However, this meeting is by invitation only and does not include refugees. It is designed
for the service providers themselves only.
57
of origin.
The charge of racism has often been levied at the private security personnel employed by
UNHCR itself. It is incumbent upon UNHCR to ensure adequate training for its personnel,
even if they are formally employed by a private security firm. In the final analysis, UNHCR
is responsible for the treatment of its clients from the moment they first approach its offices.
Living Conditions
Both the government of Egypt and Sudanese asylum seekers see Egypt as a transit country for
refugees. They share a preference for rejecting longerterm
programs that may ameliorate
difficult living conditions with the expectation that, soon enough, refugees will be resettled to
another country. Experience has shown that relatively few are resettled and that the majority
has to resign itself to many years of life in limbo. Yet life goes on and families need adequate
shelter and food and children need schooling. They need a life as normal as possible even if
the legal situation is temporary and the future has yet to be resolved. This is the purpose of
the rights granted to asylum seekers and refugees by virtue of the 1951 Convention.
The daily difficulties faced by asylum seekers, recognized refugees, and closed files create a
situation that is untenable if it lasts for years. The government of Egypt needs to recognize
that refugees are a special population with special needs. The 1951 Convention and its
regional version, the 1969 OAU Convention, provide for a set of rights and privileges that
people must enjoy even as they wait to be repatriated or resettled. Different degrees and
levels of rights are provided for by the conventions, 162 and meeting those needs should be a
priority for the government of Egypt and for UNHCR.
In particular, the government of Egypt must facilitate the acquisition of work permits by
asylum seekers and refugees. It is not enough to say that refugees have a right to work, and
then to deny them permits. The ability to work legally would go a long way toward helping
this group be selfsustaining
and less reliant on the minimal aid provided by UNHCR and its
partner agencies. It would enable families to pay school fees for children and to effectively
provide for other needs. Legal work would also minimize the exploitation faced by many, as
they work “under the table” or in a shadow economy without any protection or recourse.
Most of all, the ability to work would make possible a life of selfreliant
dignity for asylum
seekers and refugees. Lastly, it is important to note that workingage
refugees number in the
thousands and would not significantly affect the government’s efforts to ensure employment
for its own citizens. For example, there should be no reason to deny a work permit for those
refugees who can selfemploy.
In Closing
Six months after the violent breakup
of the demonstration, the situation for refugees is as
difficult as it has ever been, and in some cases even worse. Many employers have dismissed
Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers out of a generalized fear of “trouble,” and youth
162 Some rights under the convention should be equal to those exercised by nationals of the host state, such as
elementary education, while others are to be enjoyed at a level at least equal to aliens in the same
circumstances.
58
violence in the community is escalating to dangerous levels. Other than shedding light on the
difficult situation that asylum seekers and refugees face in Egypt and highlighting the
importance of paying attention to this situation, the tragedy has changed very little on the
ground. The government of Egypt has not done enough to meet its legal obligations toward
asylum seekers and continues to relegate all matters related to refugees to UNHCR. UNHCR,
in turn, continues to implement its mandate in the same fashion, with few significant changes,
under the same financial and human resource constraints as before. The population of
refugees in Egypt continues to fend for itself, for the most part, dealing with the same
constraints, hostilities, and difficulties it has always dealt with in the effort to survive and find
some avenue for hope.
59
APPENDIX A
List of Protester Demands with Commentary
1. We, the Sudanese refugees in Cairo, fear that UNHCR or the Egyptian government will
impose compulsory involuntary repatriation to the South because we read in UNHCR’s
newsletters about repatriation how things have improved there. We have contrary
information and are afraid to return.
This point relates to potential repatriation to Sudan as a result of the January 9, 2005,
Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government of Sudan and the Sudanese
People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), which formally ended the country’s longstanding
civil war. As a result of formalized peace, it is likely that formal refugee status will be harder
to access for southern Sudanese. Repatriation has become a favored solution for UNHCR;
indeed, UNHCR has asserted that it is now safe for many refugees and asylum seekers to
return to Sudan. This controversial repatriation program provides UNHCR aid to Sudanese
who voluntarily return to Sudan. Many southern Sudanese in Egypt do not, however, believe
that it is safe to return and fear being forced to do so, either directly through policy or
indirectly through lack of alternatives and unlivable conditions in Egypt.
In its earliest version, this option read, “The Sudanese refugees object to the UNHCR
program of compulsory voluntary repatrtriation [sic].” The version of the list released by
UNHCR states, simply, “Sudanese refugees reject any notion of voluntary repatriation.”
2. Because of racial discrimination and no protection from it, and lack of the right to work,
health, and education, we can see no possibilities of our integrating into Egyptian society,
even temporarily.
Local integration is the reality faced by the great majority of Sudanese refugees and asylum
seekers in Egypt. Many feel that this option is impossible because of the high levels of
discrimination and racism in Egypt, as well as extreme difficulties in finding employment and
education. There is also widespread distrust of the Egyptian medical establishment, with
accusations of black market organ dealing and malpractice circulating widely.
While Egypt was a drafting member of the 1951 Convention and, in 1954, the first Arab
country to welcome a UNHCR office, its signing of the document itself was contingent on
five specific reservations to the Convention itself: “article 12(1) (personal status); article 20
(rationing); article 22(1) (access to primary education); article 23 (public relief and
assistance); and article 24 (labour legislation and social security).” 163 As a result of these
reservations, Egypt has maintained the right to deny refugees employment, education, and
legal status. These measures have considerably challenged refugees’ ability to integrate into
Egyptian society. Egypt, while maintaining a large number of refugees within its borders,
163 Sherifa Shafie, “FMO Research Guide: Egypt—Needs and Responses: Policies Towards Refugees,”
Forced Migration Online, June 2005, available at .
60
“officially…does not support the policy of local integration as one of the durable solutions to
the refugee problem.” 164
3. We believe that UNHCR is making unfair distinctions between Sudanese refugees
according to their ethnic/geographical origins in Sudan.
Demonstrators maintained throughout the protest that there is a distinction between being
considered refugees (what they considered a unifying quality) and being considered tribes or
of different geographical origins (potentially divisive). While vehement about national
solidarity and “unity in the park,” it is quite possible that alternative motivations include
worries about a blanket policy for all Sudanese. While UNHCR distinguishes the South as
safe for return, it does not look at the Darfur region so optimistically.
4. We ask UNHCR to intervene on behalf of those refugees who have been arbitrarily
detained by police and seek their release immediately.
Egypt’s prison population quite possibly includes refugees, but information regarding who
and how many is difficult to acquire and access to this population is limited. UNHCR has
successfully intervened in a number of cases to have recognized refugees released, notably
following a January 2003 police operation dubbed Operation Track Down Blacks, during
which many Sudanese were arbitrarily detained. Stories of arbitrary arrest and detention by
Egyptian authorities are ubiquitous in the Sudanese refugee community.
5. We believe that UNHCR is obliged to consider each refugee’s prospects for the future on
an individual basis.
This point alludes to the fear that all cases from South Sudan will be rejected, rather than
considered individually.
6. We fear the application of the Four Freedoms Act, signed between the Sudanese and
Egyptian governments, because we do not know how it will affect the refugees who do not
have passports but hold refugee status IDs. There is no guarantee that it will provide us
access to work and education and may put us out of reach of UNHCR protection.
The reciprocal Four Freedoms Agreement, signed by the governments of Sudan and Egypt
before the suspension of UNHCR RSD interviews in 2004, creates allowances for freedom of
movement, residence, employment, and property ownership between Sudanese and Egyptian
citizens. The demonstrators were unsure of the effects of this agreement on their status or
potential future status. Many saw the act as jeopardizing their refugee status and opportunities
for resettlement. UNHCR has maintained that its function in Egypt will remain “as necessary
and required.” 165
164 Grabska, op. cit., p.74.
165 UNHCR, “Rumours,” op. cit.
61
7. We fear the presence of Sudanese National Conference personnel in Egypt and ask
UNHCR to ensure our protection from them.
In an October 30 response to the demonstrators’ requests, UNHCR Cairo suggested, “the
claim that Sudanese security agents frequently abduct and torture refugees in Egypt is more
selfserving
than anything else. Why would the Sudanese Government be interested in
southern Sudanese in Egypt who are only the victims of the 21 years civil war, which in any
event has now come to an end?” 166 There is evidence, however, of harassment of refugees by
Sudanese officials, including an incident at the demonstration itself. Protesters reported that
Sudanese embassy vehicles would regularly circle the sitin
and that representatives from the
Sudanese government entered the prisons where former demonstrators were held.
8. We request UNHCR register Sudanese asylum seekers immediately on arrival because
delays threaten their protection.
While unregistered in Egypt, Sudanese in flight are in danger of being forced to return to
Sudan without the benefit of recognition of their official presence in Egypt and the temporary
protection offered by a yellow card. UNHCR maintains that it is a matter of policy to register
asylum seekers as quickly as possible. During the three months of the protest, the UNHCR
office became more inaccessible. Many Sudanese report being turned away from making
inquiries of any kind at the UNHCR offices, before the sitin
and after repeated visits.
9. We call upon UNHCR to help us locate the missing. Sudanese refugees that we have
identified.
UNHCR is aware of some number of Sudanese who have left Egypt for such places as Libya
and Israel “in an irregular manner,” and strongly suggests that this is due to the “spouse
abandonment [which] is quite widespread within the Sudanese community in Egypt” and the
“lure of resettlement.” 167 However, it is widely suspected within the Sudanese community
that many of their kin have been victims of foul play, prolonged detention, human trafficking,
and other fates while in Egypt.
10. We implore UNHCR to reconsider their criteria for assisting vulnerable refugees, in
particular elders, unaccompanied minors, and women who are currently being denied
financial support.
In its response to this request, UNHCR said that it already prioritizes care for the most
vulnerable. Funding is limited, however.
11. Because most files that are now closed were closed when procedures for RSD at UNHCR
were faulty, in the interests of fairness, we request UNHCR to reconsider the files of those
Sudanese refugees which have been closed.
166 Ibid.
167 Ibid.
62
It is thought that RSD procedures were faulty because asylum seekers were not being
considered under OAU guidelines, which would give all Sudanese asylum seekers prima
facie recognition as a result of the situation in their country. The UNHCR deputy regional
representative stated that the agency only uses its own statutes, including the “extended
definition,” which mirrors the OAU guidelines. 168
12. Realizing that Sudanese refugees are faced daily with discrimination and violence and a
denial of their human rights, we urge UNHCR to pursue resettlement for as many of the most
vulnerable cases as possible.
Only a portion of refugees are accepted for resettlement. Refugees view this as the most
favorable option because local integration is fraught with difficulty and repatriation is viewed
by most as dangerous. Both UNHCR and media coverage tended to focus almost entirely on
this last point—the desire for resettlement—which undermined some of the legitimate
complaints put forward by the protesters.
168 Dessalegne, op. cit.
63
APPENDIX B
The December 17 Agreement
Cairo, 17 December 2005
UNHCR, considering the best interests of an estimated 20002500
Sudanese demonstrators in
Mostapha Mahmoud park, mindful of the hardship that the current demonstration is causing
to many persons, especially to women and children, and desirous of finding a satisfactory
resolution to the demonstration within the requirements of the law of the host country and the
abilities of UNHCR, makes the following offer to those persons taking part in the
demonstration as a means of resolving the issue:
1. Persons demonstrating in the park and named on a definitive list provided to
UNHCR by the leaders of the demonstration:
1.1. This offer shall apply to all Sudanese nationals present in Mostapha Mahmoud park
who are named on a definitive list drawn up by the leaders of the demonstrators under
the supervision of the UNHCR.
1.2. All individuals named on the list will be processed as follows:
1.2.1 All blue card holders will have their durable solutions reviewed according to
standard UNHCR criteria relating to durable solutions.
1.2.2 All yellow card holders (including those newly registered) will have their files
reviewed for any valid claims that qualify their case for refugee status
determination and will be appropriately counseled. If any yellow card holder
demands that refugee status determination (RSD) should be conducted in their
case, the individual will be provided with an appointment for refugee status
determination to be conducted. However, if such persons are refused status as
a result of the refugee status procedures, that individual will no longer be of
concern to UNHCR and will no longer be eligible for ongoing assistance from
the UNHCR.
1.2.3 All persons not registered with UNHCR will be immediately registered as
asylum seekers and issued yellow cards.
1.2.4 All persons with closed files will have their case reconsidered for refugee
status determination (RSD) in light of new circumstances in Sudan.
1.3. All recognized refugees and asylum seekers registered with UNHCR and holding
valid yellow cards issued since 1 June 2004 and who are named on the list will be
64
assessed according to standard UNHCR criteria for ongoing assistance (financial,
medical and education).
1.4. All persons named on the list will be brought as of 18 December 2005 to UNHCR in
groups of 20 persons to be scheduled for processing of their case. Priority for
processing will be given to those individuals who fall within UNHCR assistance
needs criteria (aged and infirmed, sick or disabled, single women, single parents,
unaccompanied children). Included in this criterion will be those persons who have
come directly to Egypt from Darfur.
1.5. All cases named on the list will be eligible for a “one off” financial assistance for
housing. This shall apply to any case whether they are a registered asylum seeker,
recognized refugee, closed file or have not registered with UNHCR.
1.6. Once the individuals’ needs are addressed as above, those who are able to make their
own way to their homes will then be able to leave the office. Those persons who are
not able to make their own way to their homes will have appropriate arrangements
made by UNHCR.
2. Voluntary Repatriation:
2.1. Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers who wish to repatriate can approach UNHCR for
voluntary repatriation registration, either during the processing for assistance or at any time
thereafter. Those registered with UNHCR for voluntary repatriation may be assisted to go by
plane directly to Juba, with charter flights organized by UNHCR once a minimum number of
people have registered. Small repatriation grants are also available. On arrival in Juba,
returnees are given food and other essential items.
3. Those persons not present in the park and not named on the list
3.1. UNHCR procedures allow any person whose refugee status application has been refused
and whose file has been closed to request the reopening of her/his file on a case by case basis.
All reopening requests must be in writing to UNHCR. Reopening requests are considered
where new elements justifying reconsideration of the case are submitted in the request.
3.2. Any person from Darfur previously registered with UNHCR whose file was closed may
approach the UNHCR office and obtain a Yellow Card.
3.3. Any asylum seeker issued a yellow card since 1 June 2004 may benefit from UNHCR
assistance so long as they meet the established UNHCR assistance criteria.
4. New Comers:
4.1. UNCHR will continue, as in the past, to register all newcomers
from Sudan and issue
them a Yellow Card with which they can obtain a renewable six month residence permit.
Registration will be based on a thorough interview which will help UNHCR to identify any
individuals with particular vulnerabilities which may require special assistance and/or
protection.
65
5. Consultations with UNHCR
5.1. For follow up to the problems presented by the Sudanese demonstrators in the park and
any other needs that may arise in the future, UNHCR Cairo agrees to hold monthly meetings
between its senior management and the demonstration leaders.
________________________
With the acceptance of this offer, the sit in will come to an end. The persons named on the list
mentioned above will be processed in the manner set out in this offer and vacate the park as
soon as the initial processing is completed and is in any event before 22 December 2005.
Signed by five leaders of the demonstration

http://www.sudaneseonline.com/uploadvideo/pro...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.mp3

These children were killed by the Egyptian police. We will never forget them. One by one, write reports to UNHCR Geneva Headquarters...


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These children were killed by the Egyptian police. We will never forget them. One by one, write reports to UNHCR Geneva Headquarters...
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باالصورة الامن المصرى يدخل الاجئين السودانيين غرف التحقيق فى محاوله الى ارهابهمه

فى محاوله منه الى ارهاب الاجئين السوداننين داخل سجونه ادخل الامن المصرى بعض اللاجئين الى غرفه التحقيف متهمه بضرب جنود الامن المركزى فيا ترى من القاتل ومن المقتول