There is increasing concern over the fate of a group of Eritrean refugees being held
hostage by Bedouin people traffickers in the Sinai desert. The Eritreans are part
of a much larger group of refugees and asylum seekers from Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia
who have been imprisoned for over a month in degrading conditions.
Last week
during his Sunday Angelus Pope Benedict took the opportunity to call for the hostages
to be released.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Advocacy Officer for Sub-Saharan
Africa, Dr Khataza Gondwe, told Lydia O’Kane that there are reports that 100 of the
250 Eritreans refugees have be moved.
…”we heard that a group of a hundred
had been taken away. The fear is that there is a tendency to swap groups between trafficking
syndicates and these people may have been sold on so they cannot be found”. Dr
Gondwe also said that CSW has also been informed that prior to separating and moving
some of the Eritreans, the traffickers tore up the refugees’ religious materials and
assaulted them severely for failing to make payments to secure their release.Listen
here to interview with Lydia O'Kane