- At last, the government of Egypt has allowed staff of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to have unhindered access to a number of assylum-seekers in the North African country's detention camps.
This development followed the Egyptian government's suspension of UNHCR protection staff from accessing asylum seekers in detention centres to determine their status last February. UN refugee agency officials kept piling pressure on Egyptian authorities to allow protection officers to evaluate the situation of the detainees.
UNHCR staff had arrived in Aswan on Sunday night to prepare to make preparation for UNHCR teams to carry out interviews and individual assessments of assylum-seekers in detention centres. UN staff would pay particular attention to Eritrean nationals in detention centres.
"Egypt has seen a surge of Eritreans entering the country illegally in recent months by land from Sudan or directly from Eritrea via the Red Sea," UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagnonis told journalists in Geneva.
On Monday, the UN team visisted detention centres in Aswan and Nasr ElNouba where they had access to some asylum-seekers. "The teams reported they saw close to 180 asylum-seekers, including a group of 40 Ethiopians," she said, adding that similar preparatory team would be sent to Hurghada to prepare the ground for the deployment of more teams.
"We also plan to send UNHCR teams to other locations in Egypt where reportedly asylum-seekers are in detention. In the coming days we will be discussing and reviewing the operational details with our governmental counterparts and proceed with the determination of the status of the concerned group."
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
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