Eritreans (in Sudan)
A long-lasting and brutal war for Eritrean independence from Ethiopia left hundreds of thousands displaced to neighbouring countries. In 1990, about 500,000 Eritrean refugees were in exile in Sudan. While many returned home since, there are about 138,700 Eritrean refugees still living in Sudan.
Eritreans began fleeing their country in 1967, when the Eritrean Liberation Front's armed struggle for Eritrean independence from Ethiopia provoked a violent response by the Ethiopian army, which looted villages and attacked civilians indiscriminately. As the Eritrean fight for independence continued, hundreds of thousands of refugees fled offensives by the Ethiopian army in the following decades. In 1993, Eritrean independence encouraged some to return, but a violent border war from 1998 to 2000 led to further displacement. Since 2000, a fragile peace prevails, encouraging 98,000 refugees to return to their home country, which still struggles to recover from 30 years of war. As the human rights situation in Eritrea has been deteriorating, however, the flow reversed and thousands of Eritrean asylum seekers have been crossing into Sudan and Ethiopia. Hundreds are arriving every month, escaping open-ended military service and human rights violations at home.
With the political and human rights situation in Eritrea continuing to be bleak, voluntary repatriation is not a realistic option for Eritrean refugees - some of whom have been displaced for four decades. UNHCR has focused on resettlement as the only durable solution available for them, encouraging states to increase their resettlement quotas for Eritrean refugees.
Online Resources
- Abdel-Mageed, F. (1985) 'Report on Refugee Protection in Sudan', University of Juba.
- El Bushra, J. (1985) 'Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees in the Sudan', International Extension College (IEC).
- Gondwe, K. (2009) 'The Plight of Eritrean Refugees' , The Guardian.
- Kursany, I. (1985) 'Eritrean refugees in Kassala province of eastern Sudan: an economic assessment', Refugee Studies Programme.
- Selam, D (2002) The Refugee Crisis in Eritrea (Student project - essay and photos).
- Verney, P. (2006) 'FMO Research Guide: Sudan'.
- The America Team for Displaced Eritreans.
- UNHCR news stories (2011) 'Young Eritreans in Ethiopia Face Future in Limbo'.
- UNHCR news stories (2007) 'UNHCR Looks at Solutions for Eritrean Refugees of Eastern Sudan'.
Offline Resources
- Bariagaber, A. (2006) 'Conflict and the refugee experience: flight, exile, and repatriation in the Horn of Africa', (Aldershot: Ashgate).
- Hassanen, S. (2007) 'Repatriation, Integration or Resettlement: The Dilemmas of Migration among Eritrean Refugees in Eastern Sudan' (Trenton, NJ: The Red Sea Press).
- McSpadden, L.A. (1999) 'Contradictions and Control in Repatriation: Negotiations For The Return of 500,000 Eritrean Refugees', in Black, R. and Koser, K. (eds.) The End of the Refugee Cycle? Refugee Repatriation and Reconstruction, (Berghahn Books) pp. 69-84.
