Some Sudanese states have been witnessing over the last years a threatening phenomenon; missing as a result some of family members while going out to attend school or report to work. To campaign against this human trafficking phenomenon which has recently developed into trading in human organs, the Sudanese government has taken stern measures.  Sudan Vision daily has investigated the issue after contacting the authorities concerned.
An eye-witness tells his tragedy:
Sufian Idris , a child , abducted in 2012, and freed in 2013, told the paper he and other (24) abductees from Ethiopan and Eritrean nationalites were exposed to severe beating and torture at the hands of a gang and  transferred  to Rafah in Sinai  dessert . The gang, according to him, was comprised of Sudanese and other foreign co-partners using modern vehicles and sophisticated arms. The abductees were chained, prevented from performing their prayers and fed on one meal only every day.
Causes of the phenomenon spread
Based on UN reports human trafficking ranks third illegal trade after arms and drugs sales; as far as Sudan is concerned, human trafficking has been has been a big worry to Eastern Sudan states, causing people there to continuously experience a feeling of insecurity. Researchers have attributed the spread of the phenomenon in these states to their extensive   desert areas, hence becoming a fertile soil for crime. Added to that, these states neighbor poor overpopulated countries such as Ethiopia and Eritrea, and this has in turn   eased joint borders crossing by gangs, together with flow of labor from these countries.
Officials speak
Kassala representative on the states council, Mahmud Mohamed Mahmud, who spoke to the paper, says the phenomenon has become a real security threat to citizens in the Eastern states. Traffickers, he says, have capitalized on the interest of some citizens to immigrate to Europe and Israel via Sinai desert, hence trafficking has changed into trading in humans, to later develop into stealing the internal organs of the abductees. He cited as example the abduction of five students while on their way to school, the abductors pretended to give them a ride. The gang anaetisiced two of the abductees, stole some of their organs, while the other two managed to escape, he said, adding, a family of the fifth paid $ 10 thousand in ransom to free him.
Eastern Sudan call
Eastern  Sudan Bni Amir tribe chieftains  pointed an accusatory finger  at  a group managing human trafficking  gangs in Eastern Sudan , in coordination with organized groups in a number of neighboring  countries. Idris  Akkad, one of the chieftains ,  while receiving  returnees from  Israel ,  told them human trafficking gangers have asked for $35 thousand  for  freeing  every abducted  individual from the tribe. “We are well aware that these gangs have continued terrorizing the tribe’s members, hence this has affected herding and farming,” he said, affirming they would strike back.
Campaigning human trafficking
The Sudanese parliament has recently enacted legislations to nip in the bud human trafficking in all states. “The law has now been in force, with steps taken to establish human trafficking attorneys in them,” head of parliament committee for legislation told Sudan Vision.
For his part, Director of refugees’ protection at the national refugees’ commission said a joint plan would be implemented by deployment of military reinforcements along borders, saying the commission is arranging for convening of an international conference to reach a common action plan to eliminate human trafficking. He disclosed that 562 refugees have entered the Khartoum state fleeing traffickers.

Sudan Vision