Foreign refugees in Sudan remain stuck in limbo with no end in sight as the ongoing armed conflict between the two rival military factions in the country causes more difficulties for them to return to their home countries.
The armed conflict which broke out between the Sudanese Army and the rival Rapid Support Forces in Sudan last year has displaced more than 10 million people including hundreds of thousands of foreign refugees.
According to statistics released by the United Nations, Sudan housed about 1 million foreign refugees before the armed conflict.
After the outbreak of the conflict, the foreign refugees affected by the war, like many Sudanese, have to move to other areas free from the war, and many were even forced to move from place to place.
"I'm running to South Sudan. I'm coming towards Khartoum. War will come to Sudan, [including] Khartoum. Therefore, I am coming to Port Sudan," said Sara Khatir, a South Sudan refugee.
Khatir is living in a shelter in the eastern Sudanese city of Port Sudan that accommodates hundreds of displaced people, including dozens of foreign refugees like Sara Khatir.
Converted from a school, the shelter is in poor conditions and overcrowded, almost entirely dependent on volunteers and humanitarian aid agencies to maintain its operations, with food, medicine and other necessities in short supply.
Water and electricity supply is often interrupted, sanitation is poor, and infectious diseases happen occasionally.
"Most of the people used to live after the donations of organizations. We leave everything behind us since we came in Khartoum. To return, it is our wish, all of us. But we don't have even a single coin that we can pay to reach even at the Egyptian border," said Edris Jop, a Moroccan refugee.
Foreign refugees in Sudan unable to return home due to ongoing conflict
Foreign refugees in Sudan unable to return home due to ongoing conflict
The former president of the European Central Bank (ECB) Jean-Claude Trichet provided insights into the ECB's recent monetary policy and the ongoing economic challenges during an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the three-day Bund Summit which opened in Shanghai on Thursday.
Trichet praised the ECB's decisive actions in addressing the surge in inflation in the Eurozone that dropped from over 9 percent two years ago to 2.2 percent this August.
"First of all, I think really that the ECB did its own work and job quite well, obviously, because we had a surge of inflation in Europe and as well as in the world, at least in the U.S. and in many, many countries, which was very dramatic. The central banks and the ECB in particular did not practice benign neglect. They took seriously the problem, and after perhaps a small number of months of hesitation, they decided to cope with the situation and they increased rates 10 times, successively 10 times, which of course they had never done before. By the way, at the same time, the U.S. Fed was increasing interest rates 11 times. So in both cases, I would say the central banks have been very responsible," he said.
Despite the reduction in headline inflation, Trichet acknowledged the persistence of core inflation which dropped slightly from 2.9 percent in July to 2.8 percent in August. Looking ahead, he anticipated that the ECB might continue to adjust interest rates cautiously, aligning with market expectations.
"I would say at the present moment, when I look at the situation of the European, they are, as well as other central banks, on their way to have a soft landing. I expect them to continue to diminish rates, probably next time this month, we will see. I don't want to substitute to the governing council. They will take a good decision, I'm sure, but it's largely anticipated by markets," Trichet said.
Former ECB chief provides insights into EU monetary policy
