Khartoum IDPs Set To Return To South Sudan

The acting Chairperson of the Southern Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (SSRRC) Reverend William Chan Achuil revealed this during the World Refugees Day celebrations held at Nyakuron Cultural Center on Saturday.

He said IDPs from Central Equatoria State will be returned to their original homes by GoSS.

“I would like to re-assure you that the Government of Southern Sudan will repatriate all the IDPs. We have received communication from the President of the Government of Southern Sudan that we should prepare for the repatriation of over 46, 000 Central Equatoria State IDPs who are in Khartoum”, he said.

He added that reintegration is one of the difficult aspects of dealing with returnees because it needs a lot of services delivery to every body.

“Once the IDPs are returned they have to be reintegrated into the society and during the reintegration they have to be provided with essential services for harmony”, he said at the celebrations whose theme this year was: “Home is hope built in my heart”.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Assistant Representative for Operations Geoff Wordley said there is need for sufficient funds to cater for the process.

“As far as Sudanese returnees are concerned, our biggest concern is based on the need to improve basic services and as a result we have constructed schools and health units. However, this is not enough and a lot still needs to be done”, he said.

He added that UNHCR is advocating for funding as it has recognised that the lack of basic services contribute to instability and conflicts among the people.

The acting Chairman of Southern Sudan Human Rights Commission Thomas Dut Gatkek said the insecurity posed by the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in South Sudan is hindering the return of some IDPs.

“We in Southern Sudan Human Rights Commission feel concerned about the LRA activities in South Sudan and we are hoping that when the referendum is over the LRA menace will be over too”, he said.

Currently 80,000 people in Western Equatoria State have been displaced and many refugees from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo have settled in the region.