Eritrean asylum seekers abducted in eastern Sudan
14 Eritrean asylum seekers have been kidnapped in Kassala state.
A representative of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday that the lorry, rented by the UNHCR to transport the asylum seekers to a refugee camp in Kassala, was intercepted not far from the camp.
The lorry arrived at the refugee camp with some of its remaining passengers who sustained light injuries, when they resisted the kidnappers, and managed to flee the scene.
Unknown gunmen abducted 14 Eritrean asylum seekers in Kassala state.
A representative of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday that the lorry, rented by the UNHCR to transport the asylum seekers to a refugee camp in Kassala, was intercepted not far from the camp.
The gunmen, in a pick-up truck, attacked the lorry coming from Kassala, and took 14 of the 49 asylum seekers to an unknown destination. The lorry arrived at the Shagarab refugee camp, with its remaining passengers, of whom six sustained injuries when they resisted the kidnappers.
“The UNHCR is following the incident with the Sudanese authorities to bring the kidnapped people back,” spokesman Nicolas Brass said. He explained that six of the abductees, four boys and two girls, were unaccompanied minors.
The Shagarab camp, jointly run by the Sudanese government and the UN, hosts 15,000 people, mostly asylum seekers. It is well-known that human trafficking gangs are operating in Kassala state.
Thousands of Eritreans cross into eastern Sudan every month, in a bid to reach Europe across the Mediterranean.
Related articles:
'1,000 Eritreans seek refuge in Sudan each month': UNHCR (1 November 2014)
‘Human trafficking on the increase in eastern Sudan’: MP (21 October 2014)
Sudan calls for support with combating human trafficking (17 October 2014)
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