Ethiopian in Khartoum protests on resident permit fee hike — The court of Imtidad El Daraja El Talta district in southern Khartoum convicted 65 Ethiopian demonstrators to 40 lashes and fined each of them SDG 5,000 ($771) or two months imprisonment. (Photo: Archive)

On Saturday, a Khartoum court sentenced 65 Ethiopians to 40 lashes and a large fine for staging a demonstration. Hundreds of Ethiopian nationals living in the Sudanese capital demonstrated in front of their embassy in southern Khartoum on Friday in protest against the increased fees for a stay permit.

The Sudanese authorities have reportedly raised the fees for a residence permit from SDG 300 ($46) to SDG 2,000 ($308). The protesters demanded the embassy to intervene.

The embassy guards failed to disperse the protesters, which led to the intervention of the police who detained more than 500 of them.

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The court of the Imtidad El Daraja El Talta district in southern Khartoum convicted 65 demonstrators to 40 lashes and a fine of SDG 5,000 ($771) or two months imprisonment.

Earlier this month, Ethiopians demonstrated as well in front of their embassy, against alleged human rights abuses against Ethiopian refugees in the country and the lack of support from the their diplomatic mission in Khartoum.

Ethiopians in Khartoum Staged Demonstrations

By Girma Alemu,

Ethiopians living in Khartoum, Sudan staged demonstrations inside the compound of the Ethiopian Embassy. The demonstration was regarding human rights abuse on Ethiopian refugees living in Sudan and opposing the lack of support from the Ethiopian embassy, Khartoum.

The demonstrators were confiscating videos and mobile phones who tried to take pictures and videos of the event. Ethiopian refugees in various prisons around Sudan are forgotten and are enduring daily tortures and abuses by Sudanese prison officials.

The Ethiopian embassy in Sudan has chosen to be quiet and passive instead of being proactive like other countries to extend its help when its own nationals are rotting in prisons in Sudan.

Ethiopian refugees in Sudan are regularly harassed, their resident ID cards are confiscated and are sent to prison for no apparent reason. If the refugees are not able to pay money to the officials, they will be left in prison indefinitely. Those who are unable to pay the requested money will not be able to return to their homeland even if they want to.

The Ethiopian embassy in Sudan is not willing to go to prison and ask the conditions of Ethiopian refugees. Even while the demonstration is staged in the compound of the Embassy, the officials or their representatives were not willing to talk to the refugee’s representatives besides accepting their written statements.