Missing Eritrean National Team Players Resurface At UNHCR Offices – Report

The national team players disappeared hours before they were expected to take a flight home after the end of CECAFA challenge tournament on Sunday…

The 12 members of the Eritrean national football team who went missing in Nairobi on Monday have resurfaced at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees offices seeking asylum.

According to a report posted in The Standard, the 12 players arrived at the UNHCR offices in Nairobi in a hired car and met with officials. They were later referred to the refugee offices at the Ministry of Immigration headquarters, where their case was to be heard.

It was not immediately established what the government and UNHCR decided on the cases but sources said it was being considered.

The development came as police launched a search on the players after team officials reported they had failed to return home after competing in the CECAFA Cup tournament in Nairobi.

CECAFA General Secretary Nicolas Musonye alerted police when only 13 team members departed after the tournament on Sunday.

A police team had been formed to pursue the case with a view of locating the players.

The officers had interrogated some Eritrean officials before getting information the players had arrived at the UNHCR offices.

Eritrea is under the rule of president Isaias Afwerki, whose government has imprisoned critics and exerted authoritarian controls over the economy, media and religion, according to UN reports and human rights organizations.

James Momanyi, Goal.com

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Posted by farajat on Dec 18 2009 Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry