In the third shooting incident in less than two weeks on Egypt’s border with Israel, two Somali refugees were shot dead Thursday morning by Egyptian border guards, according to a Somali refugee living in Cairo.
He said that the refugees had been attempting to sneak into Israel, but were stopped and shot by Egyptian police before they were able to enter the Jewish state. At least 6 people have been killed on the border in the past month and a half weeks.
“They were going to the border, but were not able to make it because police opened fire on them,” said Ali, a Somali refugee who himself had attempted such crossing last fall but turned back out of fear. He said a smuggle r contacted him early on Thursday with the sad news.
Egypt has killed nearly 40 African migrants since January 2008, according to hum an rights organisation.
The majority of individuals attempting to cross hail from Eritrea and Sudan, but an increasing number of other nationalities, including Somalis and Ethiopians, are attempting the dangerous crossing of Sinai in an effort to start a new life in Israel.
“It is horrible what happened to these people, but the government needs to under stand what is going on here in this country for us refugees,” said Ali, “because it is not good. We don’t have much of a life here in Egypt and a lot of people beli eve Israel is a better chance to start again.”
Egypt has been pressured by Israel in recent years to end the smuggling and tran sfer of goods and people across the lengthy desert border. Cairo responded last year by deploying additional police to the area and began a policy, condemned by Human Rights Watch (HRW), of “shoot-to-kill” of refugees.
In a 2008 report issued by HRW, it condemned the Egyptian government’s dealings with refugees along the border, saying they pose “little to no threat” to the security guards.
The New York-based organisation urged the Egyptian government to re-examine its policy of shooting migrants.
Cairo - 02/07/2009
Pana
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