UN refugee chief warns Europe of a new influx of Sudanese migrants

Nairobi: Europe may have to deal with a new flow of Sudanese migrants if a cease-fire agreement isn’t signed soon between Sudan’s warring sides and relief efforts aren’t strengthened, the head of the United Nations refugee agency said Monday.

“The Europeans are always so worried about people coming across the Mediterranean. Well, I have a warning for them that if they don’t support more refugees coming out of Sudan, even displaced

people inside Sudan, we will see onward movements of people towards Libya, Tunisia and across the Mediterranean,” Filippo Grandi said. “There is no doubt.”

More than 9 million people are thought to be internally displaced in Sudan, and 1.5 million refugees have fled into neighbouring countries in 10 months of clashes between the Sudanese military, led by Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful paramilitary group commanded by Gen Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.

The conflict erupted last April in the capital, Khartoum, and quickly spread to other areas of the country.