DATE=2/24/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-N / AFRICA(L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259518
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations is preparing to repatriate
thousands of Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees from
camps in Sudan. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports the U-
N refugee agency says it hopes to complete the
operation by the end of the year.
TEXT: The U-N refugee agency says the Sudanese
government has promised to cooperate fully on the
return of the refugees. The agreement between U-N-H-
C-R and Sudan follows similar expressions of support
last month from Ethiopian and Eritrean authorities.
There are about 12-thousand Ethiopian refugees and an
estimated 150-thousand Eritreans in Sudan. Many of
the Eritreans have lived in Sudanese refugee camps for
30-years.
U-N-H-C-R spokesman Jacques Franquin says the Sudanese
government has promised to make sure the repatriation
proceeds in an organized and orderly manner.
/// FRANQUIN ACT ONE ///
From Eritrea and Ethiopia, of course, the
subject is wider since we have to provide land
and make sure that people can re-integrate in
their countries of origin. So, there are some
commitments from both countries to help the
situation by providing land and providing all
the necessary tools to re-integrate those people
as soon as possible.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Franquin says the Eritreans also agreed to allow
several U-N-H-C-R staff to work in the country.
Three-years ago, the Eritrean government forced the U-
N-H-C-R to leave the country because it opposed the
refugee agency's efforts to repatriate the refugees
from Sudan.
Mr. Franquin says two U-N-H-C-R Officials are already
in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, preparing a return
plan.
/// FRANQUIN ACT TWO ///
We plan to start quite quickly. It means in
April or May we hope to be able to start. We
will at least put a hold on this repatriation
process in June and July during the rainy season
to resume in September, end of August and
September, and we hope to be able to finalize
this repatriation by the end of the year.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Franquin says the repatriation process should be
very quick if the three countries fully cooperate.
He says there is likely to be a delay in sending home
those refugees who come from border areas where
fighting is taking place between Ethiopia and
Eritrea.
The refugee agency recently carried out a census among
the Eritrean refugees in Sudan. It found that 90-
percent of them wanted to go home. The agency says
their return would put an end to one of Africa's
longest refugee crises. (SIGNED)
NEB/LS/JWH/RAE
24-Feb-2000 09:49 AM EDT (24-Feb-2000 1449 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
