Egyptian Security Forces Accused of Murdering African Refugees

By Lauren Mellinger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – On September 9, 2 Sudanese refugees were shot and killed by Egyptian soldiers as they tried to cross the Egyptian border into southern Israel.  A third refugee was wounded in the shooting and was subsequently arrested by the Egyptian police.

In the past three years, more than 4,000 refugees have crossed through the Sinai Desert illegally, seeking asylum in Israel.  Many of the refugees are escaping from the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan.  During the summer of 2007, Egyptian authorities implemented a live-fire policy along the Sinai border between Egypt and Israel.  Since then, at least 20 African refugees have been shot dead by Egyptian security forces while trying to reach Israel.

According to Amnesty International, 23 of the refugees have been shot to death by Egyptian security forces since January, and dozens of others have been wounded.  Other refugees captured by the Egyptian security forces have either been imprisoned or forcibly sent back to their country of origin where they will likely face severe human rights abuses; a violation of the guidelines of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Survivors have reported that the Egyptian security forces have gunned down some of the refugees without a warning, including in situations where the refugees have raised their hands in surrender, although Egypt denies the allegation.  Sudanese refugees who are in Israel have reported they were caught and tortured in Egyptian prisons.

According to the Amnesty International Report, Egypt: Deadly Journeys through the Desert, the use of deadly force on the part of the Egyptian security forces against the African refugees violates international law as the refugees are unarmed and therefore do not pose a threat to Egypt.

While refugee advocates claim that Egypt adopted its live-fire policy as a result of US and Israeli pressure on Egypt to stop the flow of African refugees into Israel, both the US and Israeli governments deny this assertion.  However the Sudanese government has urged the Egyptians to take a tougher position on any Sudanese refugee caught in Egypt while trying to escape to Israel.  In a statement given in July 2007, Sudanese Refugee Commissioner, Mohammed Ahmed al-Aghbash, stated that any Sudanese citizen entering Israel was attempting to pursue a “Zionist agenda” and urged the Egyptian government to “firmly penalize them.’

Despite the Egyptian government’s adoption of a live-fire policy along the 155 mile border with Israel, thousands of African refugees continue to cross through the Sinai Desert seeking asylum in Israel.

For more information, please see:

The San Francisco Chronicle – Egypt Accused in Killings of African Refugees – 12 September 2008

United Press International – Egypt Said Increasing Migrant Slaying – 12 September 2008

The Media Line – Sudanese Killed At Egypt-Israel Border– 10 September 2008

Israel Today – Egyptians Gun Down Two More African Refugees – 9 September 2008

Amnesty International USA – Egypt: Deadly Journeys through the Desert – 20 August 2008

Author: Impunity Watch Archive