German Delegation Concerned Over Returnees Resettlement in South Sudan

A German delegation from the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development in Berlin, led by Madam Kerstin Faehrmann, met with the Western Bahr el Ghazal State, Deputy Governor Efisio Kon Uguak in Wau to discuss on the fate of returnees relocation.

Faehrmann told Gurtong yesterday that, the Government of Germany was fully committed to reintegrate the South Sudanese who recently returned to the South after the referendum.

“Last weekend we had a meeting with President Salva Kiir in Juba, to discuss on bilateral issues related to development of new State (By July 2011) and our main interest was on the living conditions of the rural community,” said Faehrmann and continued that, “this is to establish the problems facing the returnees for Germany to deploy emergency aid.”

Faehrmann who is also the head of Division Emergency and Transitional Aid crisis unit in the German Ministry said yesterday that, she was aware of the German based organizations who were already on the ground collaborating with UNHCR, IOM and other International Organization to support the Government Southern Sudan, through their commitments of empowering the returnees with provision of both technical and basic needs.

Last month, the State Governor, Rizik Zackaria Hussen told UNHCR that that his government was committed to locating a piece of land to the returnees. However, the delegation was concerned about the delays in relocation.

“We are worried about the State Government’s delays to provide the returnees with plots for their settlement, before the rainy session begins, for them to start farming and sustain themselves,” Faehrmann added.

She explained that the reason for their visit to the Deputy Governor’s office was because they had observed that the State Government was not taking serious measures over the issue of settlement of Internally Displaced People.

The Deputy Governor, Efisio Kon Uguak assured the delegation that, he was going to write a letter to the State Ministry for Social development so that they can soon re-locate the returnees this weekend.

“We as the State Government are concerned over the settlement of the returnees and we are asking the German people to help us in supporting them returnees,” said Uguak.

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