PHOTOS: Sudanese refugees protest gender violence

Activestills By Activestills November 25, 2014 | Edit

Photos by Oren Ziv / Activestills.org

Sudanese asylum seekers protest outside the European Union Embassy, November 25, 2014, Ramat Gan, Israel. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)
Sudanese asylum seekers protest outside the European Union Embassy, November 25, 2014, Ramat Gan, Israel. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

Approximately 200 Sudanese asylum seekers marked International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Tuesday by demonstrating against the European Union’s lack of action regarding Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. The protest comes in the wake of the mass rape of hundreds of women and girls in Darfur at the hands of al-Bashir’s soldiers over the last several months.

The demonstrators marched from Levinsky Park in south Tel Aviv to the building that houses the European Union delegation to Israel in Ramat Gan, demanding that the EU intervene in order to stop the rape and ethnic cleansing in Sudan, as well as try al-Bashir for war crimes.

Mutasim Ali, one of the leaders of the asylum seeker movement in Israel, explained in the lead-up to the protest that demonstrators decided to target the EU because “the UN is in Sudan but not doing anything.”

Sudanese asylum seekers march to the EU Embassy in Ramat Gan, November 25, 2014. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)
Sudanese asylum seekers march to the EU Embassy in Ramat Gan, November 25, 2014. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

“The African Union is also here, but they are hiding,” says Ali. “They do not want to properly investigate and are actually cooperating with the regime. The European Union can call on the government of Sudan to put a stop to this.”

Related:
Israel hasn’t recognized one Sudanese refugee
The origins and politics of Israel’s refugee debate

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Activestills is a collective of Israeli, Palestinian, and international photographers, united by a conviction that photography is a vehicle for political and social change. We believe in the power of images to shape public attitudes and to raise awareness on issues that are generally absent from public discourse. We view ourselves as part of the struggle against all forms of oppression, racism, and violations of the basic right to freedom. Our images are frequently published by many leading human rights, development, and advocacy agencies, as well as by alternative and leading news media. To stay updated on our latest images, like Activestills on Facebook or visit our Flickr photostream.

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