(SMFFPD- USA chapter)

Press Release

Friday December 30th, 2005

We the members of The Sudanese Marginalized Forces Forum for Peace and Development- USA chapter (SMFFPD)-USA chapter, strongly condemn the brutal acts of the Egyptian security forces today against the peaceful sit-in protest campaign organized by the Sudanese refugees in Cairo. The violent acts of the Egyptian security forces have resulted in the tragic death of ten Sudanese refugees, 79 other injured and 1682 refugees detained in Egyptian prisons according to the Egyptian South Center for Human Rights and Sudan Human Rights Organization (SHRO) Cairo branch.

SMFFPD – USA chapter demands the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all detainees, investigate into this serious matter and put those responsible of the killings to trial and compensate those who lost their loved ones in these tragic incidents.

SMFFPD – USA chapter urges the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to step into this matter and conduct a thorough investigation and strongly condemn this act of brutality against human rights and take necessary action protect the Sudanese refugees from any future acts brutality from the Egyptian security forces against the Sudanese refugees and direct the UNHCR office in Cairo to be up to its responsibility in safeguarding the basic rights of the refugees.

The Sudanese refugees in Egypt started their peaceful sit-in protest campaign on 29th of September 2005 till they were attacked today by thousands of armed security forces. The responsibility of these attacks falls squarely on the shoulders of the Egyptian government who gave orders for the attack, the UNHCR who ignored the right cause of these refugees and the Sudanese government who encouraged the Egyptian authorities and the UNHCR office in Cairo to ignore the rights of the Sudanese refugees in getting protection in a third country.

SMFFPD – USA chapter condemns this brutal and heinous act against the Sudanese refugees in Egypt and calls upon the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Anan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva and the international community to express their strongest condemnation to this flagrant act against human rights and demand an impartial investigation into the massacre of the Sudanese refugees in Egypt and take the necessary actions to protect the Sudanese refugees, compensate them for their losses, free all detained refugees, find ways to relocate them in safer countries and put those culprits who committed these grave violations under an internationally monitored interrogation and trials.

SMFFPD – USA chapter expresses its heartfelt condolences to the families of the Sudanese refugees who lost their beloved ones and calls upon all the marginalized forces of Sudan to unite against the oppression of the Sudanese government who forced them and many millions of Sudanese people to escape the country. The government of Sudan is the main culprit in all crimes against the Sudanese people and the cause of their sufferings.

Signed:

1. The Sudanese People Liberation Movement (SPLA)

2. The Beja Congress.

3. The Kushite Nubian Rally.

4. The Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance.

5. The International Nuba Mountains Association.

6. The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM).

7. The Sudanese United National Party.

8. The Blue Nile Sons League.