Why are Egyptian troops killing so many Africans?

DAILY NATION ^ | September 27 2009 | By WILLIAM OCHIENG'

[Fred Nerks]

I have been reading the history of Egypt and the Nile Valley, stretching some 6,000 years back, in preparation for my teaching lectures, and I must say I am thoroughly impressed.

Diehard racists can say what they like, but there is no doubt, from solid evidence, that the Nile Valley was the cradle of human civilisations.

While Western Europe was still steeped in slumber and darkness, the communities of the Nile — Egypt, Nubia, Kush, Aksum and Meroe — were teaching their children reading and writing, mathematics, philosophy, algebra, trigonometry and fine art.

For a long time, the truth about African history was hidden, because those in Europe who explained it had not put their prejudices behind them.

But the truth is that while the European civilisation was later built on the achievements of ancient Greeks, the Greeks, in their turn, owed much of what they know to the ancient Egyptians, whether in the field of ideas or practical skills.

Having said that, we must also lament that the slave trade and slavery were the darkest blot of this wonderful civilisation. Throughout the Pharaonic, Greek, Roman and Islamic eras, black folk were hunted throughout the plains of Lower and Upper Nile for sale and servitude in the Mediterranean crescent.

Some were sent to southern Europe and to the Near East, while many were used in Egypt itself for agricultural and military purposes.

In the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries AD, the Arabs from Egypt had began to infiltrate the Shilluk empire of Funj in the north and central Sudan, destroying property, capturing slaves and robbing the inhabitants of land and livestock.

It was very similar to what has been happening in Darfur in recent decades. It was because of these Jihadist depredations that a large number of Luos left the Sudan to settle in Uganda and Western Kenya.

Slavery, by itself, might not be reprehensible, except when it was accompanied by vicious cruelty, torture and random death. Is it not sad that certain north-west Saharan African states still practise slavery to this day?

But my ire in this article is with the present day Egypt — supposedly the most advanced and enlightened of African states with preponderant Arab population. Forgetting, or simply ignorant, of shared historic glory, Egypt has been cruel and extremely unfair to Africans who visit or attempt to pass through it.

Unlike during the era of Gamal Abdel Nasser when Egypt was a safe passageway for Africans being persecuted by the imperialists, today Egypt is incorrigibly lethal. Stray into Egypt and you are a dead man.

These are economically and politically hard times for many Africans, particularly the Somalis, Zimbabweans and Ethiopians. Some want to cross over either to Europe or to Israel, for all sorts of reasons.

Indeed, illegal border crossings in Africa are commonplace and everywhere. It could be Zimbabweans crossing into South Africa, Somalis crossing into Kenya, Sudanese crossing into Uganda, Ethiopians crossing into Eritrea, Burundians crossing into Tanzania, name it.

Illegal though most of these crossings are, they must be handled with human dignity and within appropriate international law.

The Egyptian regime, under President Hosni Mubarak, has been murdering any Africans who strayed into Egypt, or who are seen at their border.

Indeed, since May this year alone, Egyptian troops have shot and killed 12 African migrants at its strategic Sinai border, who were claimed to be heading for Israel. I have read so many such shootings in the past.

The question is: Why this savagery? Who is President Mubarak attempting to please? Is he the only African leader besieged by opportunity-seeking migrants?

Africa is facing gigantic problems like poverty, droughts, famines, pestilence, unemployment and civil strife. We must desist from cheapening our lives by killing our people like one might kill pigs.

It is disturbing that both the United Nations and the African Union are tight-lipped as Egypt kills innocent African fortune-seekers.

Prof Ochieng’ teaches History at Maseno University.

[Fred Nerks]

Slavery, by itself, might not be reprehensible, except when it was accompanied by vicious cruelty, torture and random death. Is it not sad that certain north-west Saharan African states still practise slavery to this day?

[G8 Diplomat]

Some Arabs still call Africans ‘abid (slaves).

[Fred Nerks]

he writes: It was very similar to what has been happening in Darfur in recent decades. It was because of these Jihadist depredations that a large number of Luos left the Sudan to settle in Uganda and Western Kenya...

pity he forgets to mention that most of the people in the camps at Darfur are muslims; converting them to islam and teaching them submission makes them easier to round up.

[marron]

Where did he get the idea that arabs would be sympathetic to africans? Just because they happen to be “in” africa?

[Fred Nerks]

http://en.afrik.com/article12718.html

Related:

Sunday 2 March 2008

Egyptian border forces have arrested 12 Africans attempting to cross from Egypt to Israel in another show of force to stem the flow of illegal immigration into the Jewish state.
Egyptian border forces have arrested 12 Africans attempting to cross from Egypt to Israel in another show of force to stem the flow of illegal immigration into the Jewish state.

The 12, made up of five Sudanese, four Eritreans and three Nigerians, were arrested in separate incidents, security forces said here, adding that a seven-year-old child was among those arrested.

Israel has asked Egypt to do more to end the illegal crossing of immigrants into Israel from Egypt and Cairo has said it is doing as much as it can and has deployed more troops to the border in an attempt to increase security.

This is the most recent incident along the 160-mile desert border between Israel and Egypt that has become the transit point for many African refugees who seek a better life in the Jewish state.

Egyptian police have killed dozens of Africans in recent months in response to Israel’s claims that Cairo was not doing enough to stem the flow.

On 25 February, an Eritrean woman was shot dead by Egyptian police when she failed to stop after being warned by security forces.

“It is wrong that they kill people trying to have a better life,” Tawer Ali, a Sudanese refugee community leader in Cairo, told panapres.

“If they want things to change and if the government wants refugees to stop trying to go to Israel, then the Egyptian government needs to do better with the ref u gees here in Egypt,” Ali said.

According to the UN refugee agency here, some 1,500 Africans have entered Israel illegally via Egypt since January.

[Fred Nerks]

Sounds like they are heading for Israel...they would be fools to expect anything from the Egyptians.

[eclecticEel]

For a long time, the truth about African history was hidden, because those in Europe who explained it had not put their prejudices behind them.

Like it's a secret that Egypt (as least it's ancient incarnation) is about the oldest civilization on the planet? I always find it a bit strange when people bring up well known facts as if they're giving away a major mystery.

[Fred Nerks]

Kerma - Black Africa's Oldest Civilization excerpt:

As a direct result of these and other excavations, Sudan is emerging as one of the most significant archaeological regions in the world. Due to the country’s superbly preserved archaeology, it has yielded evidence of early cattle domestication that pre-dates any in Egypt’s Nile Valley. What’s more, the earliest Sudanese civilisation – known as Ta-Sety (“the Land of the Archers’ Bow”) to the ancient Egyptians and Kerma to modern archaeologists – is the most ancient African urban culture outside the Land of the Pharaohs. It flourished as a totally independent political entity for at least 15 centuries – until finally, around 1500 B.C., it was conquered by the Pharaohs of Egypt...

Seven statues found in 2003

[Jimmy Valentine]

Black Africans were one of the tradional enemies of ancient Egypt. On a number of Egyptian friezes, the traditional enemies of Egypt are portrayed underneath the picture of Pharoh.

[Melchior]

Abid (abeed), or slave, is the term used by Sudanese Arabs to describe non-Muslim Africans. Ironically the racist reverain Arabs also use the term to insult the Fur, Berti, Zaghawa, Masalit, and other Black African Muslim tribes.

[G8 Diplomat]

I know a Lebanese kid at school. He says his grandparents call blacks ‘abid.

[SunkenCiv]

The 12, made up of five Sudanese, four Eritreans and three Nigerians, were arrested in separate incidents

Imagine, living in a country that you know as home, and fleeing, of all places, to Israel, in pursuit of better opportunity and *greater security*. Sudan, Eritrea, and Nigeria are all Muzzie-ruled. Thanks Fred Nerks.

[bigheadfred]

All I know is that the darker the skin color, in Egypt, the less you had coming to you. I’ve seen it. I’ve never really thought about it before or looked into it, but how do muslims in this country treat each other if of a different ethnicity? I would bet your a** there is a LOT of racism involved.