Videos of torture in Libya sent to refugee family members by human traffickers demanding ransom
25 Jan 2018

Videos of torture in Libya sent to refugee family members by human traffickers demanding ransom

by | posted in: Africa, African Union, EEPA news and activities, Eritrea, Ethiopia, European Politics, Horn of Africa region, Human Trafficking, Libya, Migration, Sudan, Uncategorized, United Nations | 0

Belgian media showed images of Sudanese refugees held captive and tortured in Libya, showing the reality of torture for ransom in the country. These articles explain how migrants and refugees in North Africa are promised safe passage to Europe by smugglers, but often their journey ends in the hands of human traffickers in Libya. Here they are imprisoned and tortured while their families back home receive the images, together with ransom demands. Research has indicated the involvement of the Eritrean and Sudanese regime in human trafficking.   

News Highlights: Eritrean official declared ‘persona non grata’ in Netherlands, tension Horn of Africa mounts, more Sudanese troops deployed
18 Jan 2018

News Highlights: Eritrean official declared ‘persona non grata’ in Netherlands, tension Horn of Africa mounts, more Sudanese troops deployed

by | posted in: Africa, African Union, EEPA news and activities, Eritrea, Ethiopia, European Union, Horn of Africa region, Human Trafficking, Migration, Refugees in the EU, Sudan, Weekly news highlights | 0

In this week’s news highlights: Horn of Africa tension update; Sudanese officials have deep-rooted collusion with human traffickers, says Sudanese media organisation; Protests in Sudan met with police violence; Ethiopian opposition leader freed after one year; African high level panel focuses on migration; Dutch government declares head of Eritrean embassy office ‘persona non grata’; ECHR accepts appeals from Sudanese people against Italian police for possibily illegal returns; Hungary proposes taxes over NGOs dealing with migration; 1400 people saved in Mediterranean Sea by Italian coast guard, at least 2 die.

Rising tension in Horn of Africa region
11 Jan 2018

Rising tension in Horn of Africa region

by | posted in: Africa, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Horn of Africa region, Yemen | 0

In the initial weeks of 2018, the Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir announced the closure of the border with Eritrea which was was followed by the deployment of militia forces to the bordering regions. The reason for the border closing has not officially been made clear and Sudan has denied tension between the two countries. This manoeuvre comes just after the declaration of a six-month state of emergency in the Sudanese regions of Kassala and North Kordofan. The official motivation given for the state of emergency  was the Sudanese campaign against the trafficking of human beings, weapons, and drugs and in those border regions.