Several hundred African migrants and asylum seekers, including children, are stranded in a remote, militarized buffer zone at the Tunisia-Libya border where they have been denied assistance or legal protection. Sudanese displaced by conflict have increased ranks of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa stuck on the Libya-Tunisia border.
A humanitarian crisis is rapidly developing in this desolate region as people escaping conflict and persecution in their native countries, particularly Sudan, find themselves stuck in an impasse and unable to cross into Libya or return to Tunisia.
Videos recently shared online depict dozens of stranded people and kids who lack access to food, water, shelter, or medical care since UN agencies are unable to access the area to disperse relief.
Many of the migrants were detained during police operations in the port city of Sfax in Tunisia, which is located southeast of the capital Tunis. The national guard and military then drove the migrants 300 kilometers to Ben Guerdane, where they were then brought to the Libyan border.
Residents of Sfax had been demanding for the expulsion of individuals arriving from unrest-ridden areas elsewhere in Africa, which had led to a spate of attacks and altercations between the locals and these new arrivals. Tensions had been mounting in Sfax for several months.
Over 2.2 million people have been internally displaced in Sudan, and nearly 700,000 more have fled to nearby nations, according to the UN. Some of them have traveled northwest to Libya and Tunisia in an effort to reach Europe.
Muhammad Ahmad Yaqoub, a 25-year-old Sudanese man who fled Sfax just before the raids started, told Arab News, “I came to Tunisia seeking safety, but instead, I found myself facing violence and hostility.”
Yaqoub, a survivor of the Darfur crisis, set off on a risky journey last year after being persecuted by local militias in his hometown of Al-Fashir, who he claims slaughtered members of his family.
He left the horrors of Sudan and crossed into Chad, only to become caught up in the continuing unrest in Libya, where he claims he was kidnapped by a local armed group. Yaqoub claims he was freed from slavery with the aid of a friend.
Given its proximity to Europe, Tunisia was chosen as his next travel destination. But the welcome was anything but warm. Yaqoub and many other displaced Sudanese have encountered the persistent fear of expulsion rather than shelter and assistance.
He claims that he has not yet gotten assistance from foreign humanitarian organizations and that he now camped out on the sidewalk in front of the UN building in Tunis.
The 22-year-old Sudanese citizen Madibo Ismail is likewise stranded in Tunisia after escaping the atrocities of war. He is waiting for an appropriate chance to travel by boat over the perilous sea since he dreams of living in Europe and is aware of the risks.
