Infinity Journal

Having been deployed with the United Nations Mission In Sudan (UNMIS) in the Nuba Mountains of Southern Kordofan for nearly 6 months, I was eager to make my way back to Juba, currently my home in Sudan. To get to Juba, I had to transit through Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum. The weekend I chose to travel coincided with Eid al-Fitr, the occasion that marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of the Hajj pilgrimage for Muslims worldwide. Businesses and government close for many days so that people may spend time with family and loved ones. While in Khartoum, I managed to have a few Eid dinners with my Sudanese friends, which was an interesting experience; however, what was most interesting was a meal prepared not by Sudanese Muslims, but rather Eritrean Christians.

Mimi, as she calls herself in English, is my friend’s cleaner in Khartoum. She is not a live-in cleaner; instead, she comes 3 days per week to clean the home, do laundry, etc. Upon arriving to Khartoum, I learned that she invited my friend to her home for lunch as a thank you for employing her, and I was to be her guest. Because it was the first day of Eid, the city was lifeless, and the thought of spending an afternoon eating a homemade meal and sharing the company of new friends was appealing.

My friend and I arrived to Mimi’s house only to be immediately greeted by what seemed to be a never-ending horde of people. “Mimi,” I said, “You have a large family!” “Yes, and more will come!” was her response. As we sat around a small wooden table, I counted 12 people. I would later found out that all of them lived in a 2-room home. Mimi arrived in Khartoum with her husband David from Eritrea nearly 10 years ago. They came here to escape the strife caused by the Eritrean-Ethiopian war. When she is lucky enough to have work, she will average between $150-$250 US p/month. That may seem like a decent sum of money when compared to those making $1 a day or less, but Khartoum is not a cheap city to live in, especially when it most be split between 12 people, soon to be 13. Mimi is 7-months pregnant with her first child.

As Mimi scooped a generous helping of Eritrean wot onto the injera on my plate, she began telling me her concerns for the near future. David has been out of work for quite a while, and because of the baby, she will be unable to work. Her nieces and nephews, all living with her, are young and energetic. They are desperate to work. Many even have degrees from Eritrean universities. One was a mathematics teacher before coming to Sudan 2 years ago. David asked me if he could work for the UN, or if I could help his younger family members get jobs. My smile quickly quivered for a moment. As much as I wanted to help, I knew I could not. The UN and its partner agencies are unable to employ Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees.

The problem is that according to Sudanese law, Ethiopians and Eritreans are unable to attain work permits to work legally in Sudan. Thus, they are often forced accepting temporary or casual labor, often “under-the-table”. Many are treated poorly, receiving meager wages and are prone to inconsiderate labor conditions. Some manage to scrape together enough money to open small, illegal eating stands. Those lucky enough to work as cleaners or laborers for the ex-pat community fair best, but there are simply too many refugees living in the city to provide jobs for them all.

According to UNHCR, there are 30,000 refugees from Ethiopia and Eritrea living in Khartoum alone, and up to 100,000 in East Sudan. They come to Khartoum seeking a better life, but instead face animosity and contempt from the Sudanese government. In July 2009, police in Khartoum began a crackdown on Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees, confiscating the contents of theirs homes and restaurants. Ethiopian media reported police beat and raped women and children. UNHCR determined that of the many refugees rounded up, 91 were fit for “refugee status”. Such a number is infinitesimal when compared to the thousands of refugees seeking support. Sadly, though many detained during those raids were deported back to Eritrea and Ethiopia, some will make their way back only to face such treatment again.

While much of the recent international media converge of Sudan this summer surrounded the plight of a woman arrested for wearing pants, the Ethiopian and Eritrean refugee issue went completely unnoticed. The ongoing political and humanitarian issues in Darfur and the drama surrounding the upcoming referendum and 2011 elections muzzle their cries for help. The Sudanese government loathes the idea of supporting this community; they merely tolerate them unless political necessity motivates them to act, often aggressively. The international community has their hands tied; after all, we are limited by our mandates and are, ultimately, guests here.

After thanking Mimi and her family for a wonderful meal, my mind raced.  I tried to think of ways to help them, and even offered to post a flyer withn the UN advertising their services.  I thought of Mimi's unborn child, and the community it was about to arrive into.  Worse yet, I thought of the consequences of renewed conflict in Sudan vis-a-vis the Ethiopian and Eritreans living in Sudan.  The voices of these people must be made heard.