Egypt
18.11.24
News Releases

North Africa: The Plight of Forcibly Displaced Sudanese

Geneva – Tunis, 5 November 2024 A new report by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the Libyan Anti-Torture Network reveals the alarming human rights violations faced by forcibly displaced Sudanese individuals. Despite their protected status under international law, they endure arbitrary arrests and detention, extortion, human trafficking, torture and ill-treatment, gender-based violence, and racial discrimination. These human rights violations are exacerbated by a humanitarian crisis, leaving forcibly displaced Sudanese with little to no access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and housing.

Since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in April 2023, over 10 million Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes, facing widespread human rights violations as they seek refuge in neighbouring countries, including Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt. Increasingly restrictive policies in these countries have led to heightened pressure, surveillance, and limitations on the activities of civil society organisations, hampering their ability to provide lifesaving aid to those on the move.

Despite cultural and historical ties, Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia have failed to uphold their international obligations to provide adequate protection for forcibly displaced Sudanese. These countries have implemented restrictive policies that have resulted in widespread human rights abuses and a deepening humanitarian crisis.

said a human rights defender from the Libyan Anti-Torture Network, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

The report, based on research, documentation, and surveys of 127 Sudanese individuals, along with interviews with 11 key informants—including community leaders and representatives from local NGOs, INGOs, and United Nations agencies—highlights alarming trends:

  • Over 40% of surveyed Sudanese reported experiencing increasing levels of racial discrimination or violence in their host countries. Among these, over 36% attributed such behaviour and violations to both citizens and authorities, while more than 25% identified criminal or non-governmental groups, including militias, traffickers, and smugglers, as the perpetrators.
  • 54% of surveyed displaced Sudanese expressed a desire to settle in a protective country, and 80% intend to attempt crossing to Europe within six months, despite the dangers involved. These perilous journeys come at a high cost: in 2024 alone, the United Nation’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded 1,351 deaths and disappearances in the Mediterranean, including 63 children.
The situation of forcibly displaced Sudanese in North Africa is on the brink of collapse. We must act now to avoid losing an entire generation of Sudanese, who are currently facing some of the most extreme forms of torture and ill-treatment along their perilous journey to find safety and refuge. What is happening is abhorrent and unacceptable, and it must stop.

said Isidore Collins Ngueuleu, Head of the Africa Desk at OMCT.

The report calls on the international community to take urgent action to provide protection and support to forcibly displaced Sudanese populations by addressing the root causes of displacement, creating safe and legal pathways for those seeking refuge, and ensuring respect for human rights.

Read the full report and the factsheet

For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Francesca Pezzola, OMCT Director of Communications: fpe@omct.org

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