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U.N. faults Sudan for deporting Ethiopian refugees

The United Nations refugee agency criticised Sudan on Thursday for deporting at least 15 Ethiopian refugees back to their homeland, saying it had breached international laws.

Posted: Friday, October 12, 2007, 11:48 (BST)
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GENEVA - The United Nations refugee agency criticised Sudan on Thursday for deporting at least 15 Ethiopian refugees back to their homeland, saying it had breached international laws.

The deportation took place on Sept. 27, but only came to the attention of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) this week, the Geneva-based agency said in a statement, citing concerns about the refugees' safety in Ethiopia.

The 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention prohibits the forced return of people to countries of origin where they could face persecution.

The UNHCR said Sudan had previously pledged to stop deporting refugees back to Ethiopia after the agency raised concerns about a set of similar deportations in August.

"UNHCR was alarmed to discover that this commitment was not respected," it said, adding that the Sudanese government had not responded to repeated requests for information about the fate of up to 20 other Ethiopian refugees jailed in Sudan.

No information was immediately available about the identity of the Ethiopian refugees or why they faced danger at home.

The impoverished Horn of Africa country is fighting rebels in its troubled Ogaden region, ethnic Oromo rebels demanding greater autonomy and is embroiled in a border dispute with its neighbour Eritrea.



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Added: Friday, March 28, 2008, 14:33 (GMT)

march 17th, sudan authorties crack down on ethiopian refugees and taken to unkown place, all of then is badly tortued , but UNHCR Geneva yet not say any thing that sudan ignored the geneva convation repeatly, tortuing raping and deporting is practiesd
On this day Ato Derje Ayele ethiopian refugee, were contact unhcr protection section to protect him as he were srunded by government authorites , The UNHCR khartoum sent the unhcr car and bring him to unhcr office , after 30 muints the unhcr khartoum handed over to the government securities in order to tortue /deporte
The geneva UNHCR yet not able to critisese or on the case , I hope Geneva unhcr may prepare for apology for ethiopian people , other wies the quencequence maigyt be worst, Geneva should respect the law that it found on it, Sudan inforced to respect the international . Otherwies they are hunderd thuosndas of sudans in ethiopia invest and live feerly without any disturbanse , If un geneva ignored the refugees in such way the two nations will turns to sour , the two government friends shall not solive , it is the pwer of natives, ethiopians will going to take action at the boarder sudan

Beru bay, Alfa Egypt

Added: Friday, October 26, 2007, 20:25 (BST)

this article don't show the realities , ethiopian refugees in sudan aleardy forgotten for many years

On the article say that ' the agency based geneva concerned to citing the safty of the refugees deported ' this just the wrtitten paper to convice the world , practically will not happen

the refugee deported famlies before deportation they made apple to UNHCR khartoum , DO UNHCR khartoum unable to protect this refugees before deportation
Who is handed to the refugees document to ethiopian government ?

the political refugees consedred us a criminal refugees in khartoum , how we trust UNHCR khartoum and provied our case

many refugees able to use net but they do n't intrested give thier comments fear of the track back and may results risk
many of refugees fly to libay accrocing the death desart but UNHCR khartoum dont responded it , don;t tried to convince the world , as much as posible they tried hide the existance refugee in sudan , the number of ethiopian
refugees they put on data is complitly wrong

the GENEVA UNHCR condamens the deportation based the information avilable , we refugees surprise how this information posted ,contact Geneva ? because many many thigs are lost hiden
refugees have no power , we cant make any strong apple , we are under political presure for our legall rights , UNHCR khartoum shall not segregate the legall right of refugess by dividing under trbis we are one country ethiopian refugee , lets UNHCR khartoum stop any relation with ethiopian authirotes lets us humantrain organization work among refugees

I hope my apple may reach a responsible organization , ignoring , puting pressure on refugees, preventing form work , refusing the legall right of refugees don;t stop refugees, it is better to provied the real service for us

mulu , khartuom /sudan

Added: Friday, October 19, 2007, 20:36 (BST)

The united nation refugee agency Geneva , may criticize the sudan government for they deport Ethiopian refugees by volete Geneva conventions. the fact that the sudan government repeatedly announce to UNHCR to proved a protection for the Ethiopian refugees many of them ten to seven years seeking for protection under UNHCR Khartoum still their is responded .

Before september 27, this refugees were in jail ther familes were apple to UNHCR to provied them protection , but ther were no responed . Now ther familes are in seriouse condtions

the number of refugees deported on spetember 27 is 19 and recently other 11 refugees deported , they are not one ethnic group . they are from Oromo Amara ,Tegriy, and Gurage means they are an Ethiopian refugee not one or two ethnic group

Ethiopian refugees critising both UNHCR Khartoum and Sudanes Authoretis for they neglect the legal right of refugees

It is clear that the Ethiopian government is one of the most dictator number 17 in these world

Ethiopian refugees in Sudan continue apple to the international communties UNHCR Geneva accordingly the convections and apple to international human right organization

goban, sudan /khartoum

Added: Friday, October 12, 2007, 17:11 (BST)

Dear Sirs ,
In your article Reuters stated that "The impoverished Horn of Africa country is fighting rebels in its troubled Ogaden region, ethnic Oromo rebels demanding greater autonomy". Oromos rebels are not fighting in the Ogaden region. The Ogaden region is inhabited by Somalis and the Ogaden National Liberation Front is fighting in the Ogaden, not Oromos. Ogaden is the name of the territory under Ethioipian colonialsim and the people are Somalis.

The Oromos are the biggest nation in Ethiopia and it is estimated that they are about 40% of the people of Ethiopia. The Oromos have got their own liberation front that struggles for the emancipation of their people. Many people confuse the Ogaden Somalis and the oromos.

I hope you rectify that little error in you reporting.

adi, UK

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