Witnesses and security officials say at least 20 Sudanese refugees were killed in Cairo when police stormed a makeshift refugee camp to break up a three-month-long protest.
Thousands of riot police surrounded the camp overnight and used water cannons on the refugees. Police stormed the camp early on Friday after trying for hours to disperse the protesters, some of whom fought back with sticks and rocks.
A Voice of America reporter on the scene said police beat refugees, including women and children, with sticks and batons.
The Interior Ministry says the deaths were caused by a stampede, but the VOA reporter saw no stampede.
As many as two-thousand refugees had camped out in an upscale neighborhood near the offices of the United Nations refugee agency to demand to be resettled in a third country.
The U.N. agency said the refugees were ineligible for resettlement. The agency's chief (Antonio Guterres) expressed shock and sadness at Friday's events.
Thousands of riot police surrounded the camp overnight and used water cannons on the refugees. Police stormed the camp early on Friday after trying for hours to disperse the protesters, some of whom fought back with sticks and rocks.
A Voice of America reporter on the scene said police beat refugees, including women and children, with sticks and batons.
The Interior Ministry says the deaths were caused by a stampede, but the VOA reporter saw no stampede.
As many as two-thousand refugees had camped out in an upscale neighborhood near the offices of the United Nations refugee agency to demand to be resettled in a third country.
The U.N. agency said the refugees were ineligible for resettlement. The agency's chief (Antonio Guterres) expressed shock and sadness at Friday's events.