Sudan Dossier: Young refugees in Sudan between the hammer and anvil of the two generals.

_{The situation of refugees in the White Nile camps is beyond disastrous. Prison and darkness. You do not know what is going on around you. The ban on movement and the lack of basic life-saving services. There are no job opportunities and no way to communicate with anyone who extends a hand for help or the hope of escaping from the hell of the camps. In order to get out, you must obtain a permit. To leave the camp, the young people are completely prohibited from moving, traveling, and returning to their homelands.}

_{Despite the blackout of communications and the lack of oversight, the Sudanese security authorities are raving about beatings, abuse, and violations are happening against #refugees. Other alternative to escape are unsafe and expose their lives to danger and death.}

_{#Save_the_refugees #UNHCR}

_{(Tahani Ajak 24.02.24)}

Notes from a Refugee Camp in White Nile State

The longer the ongoing war in Sudan continues, the more severe the humanitarian situation becomes and the people’s conditions get worse and worse, and its intensity increases day by day since the start of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in the capital city of Khartoum in the middle of April last year, which led to the death of thousands of citizens and the displacement of many. Every day that passes, every second that passes, and with every bullet fired from the barrels of rifles, death is present and claiming the lives of innocent, defenseless civilians.

Young refugees are living in horrific conditions, as the forms of human rights violations against them by the warring parties are diversifying and evolving. In addition to suffering from the disastrous consequences of the war on their lives and facing death with every passing moment of the conflict. Sudanese status quo authorities are also committing major violations. Violating basic human rights and refugees eight guaranteed by the International Conventions of the United Nations and Human Rights Law, the refugees, namely the young ones are trapped between the hammer and anvil of the two generals, sometimes prohibiting them the eight of freedom of movement and denying them to move beyond the camps boundaries, other times tempting them to join the ranks of the fighting, voluntarily or under duress. Another mean is deportation, when the Sudanese authorities force people to cross to SouthSudan. These acts push some of them towards mediterranean's death boats, betting their lives as a price for their freedom.

By order of the Sudanese security authorities, the refugee camps in Sudan were transformed into a large prison in which refugees were besieged after they had been a safe haven for those fleeing the scourge of wars in their country. The suffering of refugees from South Sudan worsened every day, and their living conditions worsened after the outbreak of war, humanitarian organizations reducing their activities in the region, and most Its employees been evacuated from the conflict zone, which in turn has led to a complete lack of vital life-saving services, in days traveling, crossing, voluntarily to their home country in safety and dignity is denied.

Sultan J. Qaylo, one of the community leaders in the Naivasha refugee camp, which is located in one of the suburbs of the city of Omdurman, mentioned in a related interview about the conditions of refugee youth, saying: (The two armies target the youth in the camp in every way to carry weapons and fight alongside them, adding that one of the field commanders of the RSF came to the camp and asked us to provide them with young people to join their forces to contribute to the protection of the refugees in the camp due to the lack of security and the absence of authorities that provide protection, in addition to the factual state of widely spread of weapons and crimes in the area, describing that as a result of the communication black out from all Sudan which has led to lack of monitoring). People in the camp are exposed to the worst types of violations. All are acting as a driving force for many young men to take up arms and fight among the ranks of the RSF.

On the other hand, Mr. Onwok*, a refugee in the camp of Walaba in the White Nile State, said: “The Sudanese security authorities prevent refugees from leaving the camp and place greater emphasis on young people, forcing them to use risky alternative methods to leave in search of work opportunities, medical treatment or study.” He added: “The refugees in the Redis1 camp were saddened by the sinking of a fishing boat boarded by eight young men in their early twenties, the Sudanese Navy was able to rescue six of them, and two lost their lives.

In a related context, young people are being forcibly deported from various cities of Sudan to the border of South Sudan. The Wantao border area with Sudan, known as Ghouda corridor, has witnessed the successive arrival of hundreds of deported young South Sudanese. They were forcibly deported, leaving families behind.

The density of soldiers at military checkpoints is a trap for the people along the escape routes from war zones.

Take care:

They are here for you, not to protect you.

They stand in lines to inspect the refugees who should keep their heads bowed. Do not look the soldier in the eye, you are challenging him if you do so then death awaits.

There is a voice calling: (Oh Janabu).^[1] Whoever has his heart set on the call and turns to return the greeting, that means he has military experience and that can lead to certain demise.

The scenario is repeated in search of the other with different features, color, or different Arabic accent.^[2]

Detained, trapped, missing and forgotten under the rubble of homes just because they were different.

_#now

_{#Preventing and #prohibiting refugees from freedom of movement #The security_authorities_of_White_Nile_State prevent refugees in the western camps from traveling or crossing to the city of Al-Jabalain.}

_{#Refugees from camps #Al Gameiaa camp #Khor_Al-Warl}

_{#Umm_Sanqur #Al-Radis_1 #Al-Radis_2}

_{#Scouts #Gori #Refugees_travel_ban}

_{#Opening_safe_paths during wars #Voluntary_return_of_refugees}

_{#UNHCR #Unhcr_Sudan.}

_{(Tahani Ajak 03.01.24)}

_{About the Author}

Tahani Ajak is curreently based in a refugee camp in White Nile state. She writes about the lives and struggles of refugees in order to make them and their right to life visible.