Day 24 of sit-in strike by Beja Eritrea veterans in Port Sudan

A sit-in strike by 769 demobilised Beja Congress fighters at the Office of Reintegration and Demobilisation in Port Sudan, capital of Red Sea state, has entered its 24th day, apparently without any resolution in sight. The ex-combatants complain that the government has not absorbed them into the civil and military services as stipulated in the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA) signed in October 2006. Hamid Idris, a member of the Legislative Council of Red Sea state, told Radio Dabanga that the demobilised Beja Congress fighters are maintaining their sit-in for the 24th consecutive day without the national or state governments responding to any of their demands.Idris cautioned that disregarding the demands of demobilised combatants could lead to an escalation of the situation. The provisions of the ESPA on security arrangements called for the return of Beja Congress combatants from Eritrea, where they were based, and their integration into the Sudan Armed Forces under Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) supervision. Omer Hashim Al Khalifa, Chairman of the former Beja Congress combatants, has warned that they “will adopt other measures if their demands are not met”. The demands include that “demobilised ex-combatants should be awarded financial incentives for the psychological and financial difficulties they have endured for many years”. They also demand that ex-combatants be allocated residential plots, and those willing to join the civil service should be granted the opportunity to do so. Retired soldiers who have been demoted should also be allowed to retain their previous military ranks. File photo: Port Sudan (Jens Beakholm/UN-WFP)