Refuge Network International, a humanitarian NGO working with refugees in Africa, recently paid a visit to two African migrant camps in Morocco. The RNT team visited refugees in the border town of Oujda and another large camp in the ancient Moroccan town of Fes where we encountered hundreds of disillusioned suffering Sub-Saharan African migrants stranded in Morocco on their way to Europe. The camps where they call home are segmented into small groups of ram shackled tents, composed of the main nationalities represented within the community. Cameroonians constitute the largest groups in both camps. Yaya, leader of the Oujda Cameroon camp group, informed us that there are over 200 Cameroonian refugees living there. We also found large numbers of Nigerians, Ghanaians, Gambians, Malians, Guineans and other French speaking Africans in the two locations. Conditions in these camps are so bad that even animals might find it challenging surviving there. All that separates the inhabitants from the harsh unforgiving North African weather are small improvised huts made up of a combination of polyethylene material, cardboard paper, pieces of stones, sticks and damaged car tyres. There are no toilets, no clearly defined cooking areas, no medical facilities, no electricity supply, no pipe borne water, and absolutely no proper infrastructure whatsoever. When they need to answer the call of nature, they simply do it out in the open field right next to where they sleep, shielded only by tall grasses and a few trees. Cooking is also done in the open with dry wood collected from the area. 

It is difficult to comprehend how these people survive from day to day. There are men, women, and children eating, sleeping and somehow carving out an existence there. Without proper documentation and without jobs, their options are pretty limited. The majority spend the day begging for money from passing cars in town. Time is also spent scavenging for food at the Medina. The situation is so depressing that it has left some mentally deranged. Though Moroccan society as well as the authorities is generally tolerant in their attitudes towards migrants, some undocumented Africans interviewed, complained of persecution and victimization by certain elements of the Moroccan police. A number of them had terrible physical scars sustained from brutal beatings. There were also allegations of unlawful confiscation and theft of their phones and money by law enforcement agents. Minor instances of racial discrimination were also reported.

With a view to addressing the huge refugee crisis in the country, the Moroccan government recently initiated a migrant integration programme aimed at regularizing the status of thousands of illegal immigrants in Morocco. Based on meeting certain stipulated pre-requisites, about 18 thousand undocumented persons were granted the right to legal residency. However, this liberal gesture has sadly not changed the many thousands who were not affected by the documentation exercise. Many are still living like animals on the fringes of the Moroccan society with no hope of going forward towards Europe, no funds to go back to their own countries, and no prospect of settling down permanently in Morocco.

Charles Gimoh                                                                       

Refuge Network International

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Ngwa Bertrand

16.Jul.2015

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Refuge Network International, a humanitarian NGO working with refugees in Africa, recently paid a visit to two African migrant camps in Morocco. The RNT team visited refugees in the border town of Oujda and another large camp in the ancient Moroccan town of Fes where we encountered hundreds of disillusioned suffering Sub-Saharan African migrants stranded in Morocco on their way to Europe. The camps where they call home are segmented into small groups of ram shackled tents, composed of the main nationalities represented within the community. Cameroonians constitute the largest groups in both camps. Yaya, leader of the Oujda Cameroon camp group, informed us that there are over 200 Cameroonian refugees living there. We also found large numbers of Nigerians, Ghanaians, Gambians, Malians, Guineans and other French speaking Africans in the two locations. Conditions in these camps are so bad that even animals might find it challenging surviving there. All that separates the inhabitants from the harsh unforgiving North African weather are small improvised huts made up of a combination of polyethylene material, cardboard paper, pieces of stones, sticks and damaged car tyres. There are no toilets, no clearly defined cooking areas, no medical facilities, no electricity supply, no pipe borne water, and absolutely no proper infrastructure whatsoever. When they need to answer the call of nature, they simply do it out in the open field right next to where they sleep, shielded only by tall grasses and a few trees. Cooking is also done in the open with dry wood collected from the area. 

It is difficult to comprehend how these people survive from day to day. There are men, women, and children eating, sleeping and somehow carving out an existence there. Without proper documentation and without jobs, their options are pretty limited. The majority spend the day begging for money from passing cars in town. Time is also spent scavenging for food at the Medina. The situation is so depressing that it has left some mentally deranged. Though Moroccan society as well as the authorities is generally tolerant in their attitudes towards migrants, some undocumented Africans interviewed, complained of persecution and victimization by certain elements of the Moroccan police. A number of them had terrible physical scars sustained from brutal beatings. There were also allegations of unlawful confiscation and theft of their phones and money by law enforcement agents. Minor instances of racial discrimination were also reported.

With a view to addressing the huge refugee crisis in the country, the Moroccan government recently initiated a migrant integration programme aimed at regularizing the status of thousands of illegal immigrants in Morocco. Based on meeting certain stipulated pre-requisites, about 18 thousand undocumented persons were granted the right to legal residency. However, this liberal gesture has sadly not changed the many thousands who were not affected by the documentation exercise. Many are still living like animals on the fringes of the Moroccan society with no hope of going forward towards Europe, no funds to go back to their own countries, and no prospect of settling down permanently in Morocco.

Charles Gimoh                                                                       

Refuge Network International

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

16.Jul.2015

Hits: 1441

Refuge Network International, a humanitarian NGO working with refugees in Africa, recently paid a visit to two African migrant camps in Morocco. The RNT team visited refugees in the border town of Oujda and another large camp in the ancient Moroccan town of Fes where we encountered hundreds of disillusioned suffering Sub-Saharan African migrants stranded in Morocco on their way to Europe. The camps where they call home are segmented into small groups of ram shackled tents, composed of the main nationalities represented within the community. Cameroonians constitute the largest groups in both camps. Yaya, leader of the Oujda Cameroon camp group, informed us that there are over 200 Cameroonian refugees living there. We also found large numbers of Nigerians, Ghanaians, Gambians, Malians, Guineans and other French speaking Africans in the two locations. Conditions in these camps are so bad that even animals might find it challenging surviving there. All that separates the inhabitants from the harsh unforgiving North African weather are small improvised huts made up of a combination of polyethylene material, cardboard paper, pieces of stones, sticks and damaged car tyres. There are no toilets, no clearly defined cooking areas, no medical facilities, no electricity supply, no pipe borne water, and absolutely no proper infrastructure whatsoever. When they need to answer the call of nature, they simply do it out in the open field right next to where they sleep, shielded only by tall grasses and a few trees. Cooking is also done in the open with dry wood collected from the area. 

It is difficult to comprehend how these people survive from day to day. There are men, women, and children eating, sleeping and somehow carving out an existence there. Without proper documentation and without jobs, their options are pretty limited. The majority spend the day begging for money from passing cars in town. Time is also spent scavenging for food at the Medina. The situation is so depressing that it has left some mentally deranged. Though Moroccan society as well as the authorities is generally tolerant in their attitudes towards migrants, some undocumented Africans interviewed, complained of persecution and victimization by certain elements of the Moroccan police. A number of them had terrible physical scars sustained from brutal beatings. There were also allegations of unlawful confiscation and theft of their phones and money by law enforcement agents. Minor instances of racial discrimination were also reported.

With a view to addressing the huge refugee crisis in the country, the Moroccan government recently initiated a migrant integration programme aimed at regularizing the status of thousands of illegal immigrants in Morocco. Based on meeting certain stipulated pre-requisites, about 18 thousand undocumented persons were granted the right to legal residency. However, this liberal gesture has sadly not changed the many thousands who were not affected by the documentation exercise. Many are still living like animals on the fringes of the Moroccan society with no hope of going forward towards Europe, no funds to go back to their own countries, and no prospect of settling down permanently in Morocco.

Charles Gimoh                                                                       

Refuge Network International

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

16.Jul.2015

Hits: 1723

Heavy fighting reportedly erupted on Tuesday for several hours and on many fronts between the Cameroonian army and the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram. Our source revealed that the fighting was intense in the Kerawa locality in the Far North region. The Boko Haram militants also attacked a military post in the town of  Ldaoustaf.

The Cameroonian army responded to the Boko Haram incursion killing 4 militants and injuring many. Ever since President Buhari took office as head of state of Nigeria, the Nigerian Islamic sect has carried out many suicide attacks against countries committed to its eradication, including Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. 

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Ngwa Bertrand

15.Jul.2015

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Boko Haram Takfiri militants have killed dozens of civilians during a series of recent violent attacks on four villages in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, local residents and security sources say. Local residents and the police confirmed on Tuesday that at least 43 people were killed near Monguno, a local government area of Borno State last Friday. 

Militants stormed the remote villages in the troubled state and rounded up dozens of people before slitting their throats, media outlets quoted Kilwa village resident Sheriff Kulo as saying. Sources say the heavily-armed militants also set scores of houses ablaze in the area.

Nigerian police had earlier said that they were investigating reports that dozens of people were killed in a series of raids by Boko Haram extremists in a remote region of northeastern Borno State. 

In a separate development on Tuesday, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari appointed new military chiefs shortly following the dismissal of the nation’s top military commanders. 

The dismissal of entire military top brass was widely expected as Buhari, a former general, had severely criticized the military's poor performance and failure to defeat Boko Haram Takfiri militant group.

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Ngwa Bertrand

14.Jul.2015

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Spain's ambassador to Cameroon,Marcelino Cabanas Ansorena and President Biya held a fifty minutes talk on Thursday.  It was a farewell audience granted by the Cameroonian dictator President Paul Biya at Unity Palace to the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain. Both the president and the outgoing ambassador shared similar views on all topics discussed. Marcelino Cabanas Ansorena declared his admiration for the determination of Cameroon in the fight against terrorism, for its hospitality to refugees and for its resilience in the current difficult economic situation.President Paul Biya gave a souvenir gift to Mr. Marcelino Cabanas. 

Cameroon reportedly has seven agreements with Spain dating from 1964. They include politics and diplomacy; Economy, finance and technology; culture and science. According to government sources, Spain was in 2004 and 2005 Cameroon's first trading partner in terms of exports. Revenues from exports in both years amounted respectively to 223 412 and 357 599 million CFA francs. Following the structural adjustment program in 1989, Yaoundé and Madrid agreed for a rescheduling of  675 339 525 CFA francs debt. Since 1990, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has archived as many as 25 projects funded by Spain in Cameroon.

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Ngwa Bertrand

10.Jul.2015

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