Human Traffickers Kidnap 8 Refugees from UNHCR Camp at Shagarab; Incident Provokes Serious Conflict

On 22 January 2013, armed Rashaida tribemen entered and kidnapped 8 Eritrean refugees, seven of them women and a man.
Angered camp residents tried to confront the Rashaida tribesmen around the region. However, the armed Rashaida started random shooting. The desperate refugees continued to fight back with stones and sticks. The incident claimed a still unknown number of casualties on both sides.
A while later, armed Rashaida tribesmen from the Mestura and Menkut localities started moving towards the refugee camp riding 60 vehicles. Sudanese security and army members in the region arrived on time to stop the raiders.
The UNHCR-sponsored refugee reception camp of Shagarab, located on the Eritrea-Sudan border, has three divisions called Camp North, Camp Center and Camp South. Refugees are usually kidnapped while trying to move between the three divisions of the large camp.

It is to be recalled that the Shagrab camp was visited by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Antonio Guterres a year ago on 12 January 2012.