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A message From Beirut, Lebanon
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Jun 25, 2010 - 9:25:45 AM


Dear Bakri
Greetings from Beirut
Allow me first to thank Sudaneseonline on its focuses on the plight of the Sudanese in Lebanon. 

The good thing now, Sudanese people start to organize themselves here in Lebanon, speak out, and demand an immediate action by the Lebanese and Sudanese authorities, with some support from the Lebanese progressive forces, and some Shiite organizations. Some Lebanese newspapers like AS- Safir, and Al- Akhbar are siding with the plight of the Sudanese workers. Infact some Lebanese in the Shite enclave of Al- Awzai defended the Sudanese against the brutal attack by the police in June 6th. To tell you the truth as a Sudanese who lives in Lebanon now.   Most  of Sudanese workers here need a concrete action to legalize their residency, lower the hefty residency fees from $1000/year to $50/ year like the treatment of the workers from Egypt. treated just like the Egyptian workers . They also need a strong intervention by the Sudanese embassy, and the government to negotiate labor contracts with Lebanon to provide services in hotels, and companies. They also need a presence of an effective and efficient   Labor attache to follow their working issues. In general, we don't want rhetoric,  and demonizing of the entire Lebanese society, we want to restore the dignity of the Sudanese, provide secure jobs for them in Lebanon and labor contracts, and end the police brutality, and punish the people who have committed the atrocity in Al- Awzai .We also want an immediate and unconditional release of all Sudanese prisoners in Lebanese jails. We should work hand in hand with the Lebanese patriotic forces to help ending discrimination, and unlawful labor practices in Lebanon against Sudanese workers in Lebanon. I am sure you are familiar now with the strong stand of the Progressive Socialist Party. Party of God, the Lebanese Communist Party, and some human rights groups inside Lebanon .  Sudanese media should also shed lights on the plight of the Sudanese in Lebanon, and take strong stand . Finally, the current crisis shows the weak, and indifferent role of the Sudanese embassy in Lebanon. Sudanese Ministry of Foreign affairs should  follow the situation in Lebanon carefully ,and take strong actions, including a formal protest to the government of Lebanon, and a formal demand for an investigation in the criminal activities by the Lebanese police in Al- Awzai's incident, and the mistreatment of more than 200 Sudanese in Lebanese jails.  Sudanese government should intervene to defend the rights of the Sudanese workers in Lebanon not to defend the action by the Lebanese authorities by repeating the false claims that the people who were arrested in Al- Awzai's incident were illegal workers. I hope you include some of my suggestions in any actions, and demands  would be taken
the demonstrators in Khartoum.
Regards

Abu Marwan



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