Egypt Arrests 70 Sudanese en Route to Israel, Government Says
Sudan says asylum seekers held in Cairo prison after being stopped in Sinai.
Displaced people walk at the United Nations base in the South Sudan capital of Juba, on January 19, 2016. Credit: Jason Patinkin/AP
Sudan says that Egyptian authorities have arrested 70 Sudanese nationals while they were attempting to enter Israel, detaining them in a Cairo prison.
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Foreign Ministry spokesman Ghareeb Allah Khidi said Saturday in a report on the SUNA news agency that the Sudanese embassy is maintaining contact with Egyptian security authorities to follow up on the status and treatment of the detainees.
Egyptian authorities several months ago reportedly shot dead at least 10 Sudanese nationals who were trying to cross the Egyptian border into Israel. African migrants frequently attempt to cross the Sinai Peninsula and reach Israel, where they often surrender to Israeli authorities.