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Sudan Tribune

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Over 55,000 Southerners return to south ahead of referendum

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

December 15, 2010 (JUBA) – The deputy representative of United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Southern Sudan, Mireille Girard, Sudan told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that over 55,000 Southern Sudanese have returned to the south ahead of the region’s independence referendum in January. The returnees have arrived through both organized by the autonomous Government of Southern Sudan programs and spontaneously to various states across the south.

Mireille Girard, Deputy Representative of UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says over 55,000 Southern Sudanese have returned from the north in the last two months. Juba, South Sudan. Dec. 15, 2010 (ST)
Mireille Girard, Deputy Representative of UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says over 55,000 Southern Sudanese have returned from the north in the last two months. Juba, South Sudan. Dec. 15, 2010 (ST)
Girard she said that once they arrive international NGO’s together with UNHCR are to assist them upon their arrival. UNHCR is responsible for providing temporarily accommodation at way stations for up to 72 hours, after which they are transported to their various final destination. On arrival other agencies like World Food Programme (WFP) and the southern government will provide the returnees with hummanitarian assistance including three months of rations.

UNHCR, Girard said, is providing non-food items to allow returnees to set up temporary houses when they are allocated land by the government upon their arrival. She added that oil-rich Unity state, which border shares a border with the north has seen the highest number of returns with 19,000 people arriving in the state in the last two months.

There is a continuing flow of movement from north to the South, she said. Currently awaiting transport to Western and Eastern Equatoria states at a UNHCR way station are a group who arrived by plane and by river on Tuesday, said Girard.

Many southern Sudanese fled to the north during the second north-south civil war, which began in 1983 and ended with a 2005 peace deal that granted the south the right to secede through a referendum.

Around four million people were displaced during the conflict and two million died according to UN estimates.

Disputes over post-referendum arrangements (oil, Nile water, citizenship, national debt and assets), the failure to demarcate the border and prepare for a referendum in the border region of Abyei to decide whether it will join the south have raised fears that there could be return to conflict.

On Monday the UN confirmed that the northern army had bombed areas of the southern state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal.

The southern referendum is still expected to go ahead on schedule on January 9, 2011, with most experts predicting the region will chose to secede from the north.

(ST)

4 Comments

  • Land-of-Cush
    Land-of-Cush

    Over 55,000 Southerners return to south ahead of referendum
    Mireille Girard
    Thanks you and other NGOs in supporting our government to return our lovely people back home; 55,000 southerners that are already back from north to south. This is a sign of separation. Might God bless the upcoming referendum as scheduled in 9th Jan, 2011.
    Secession is an option!

    Reply
  • John Ruei
    John Ruei

    Over 55,000 Southerners return to south ahead of referendum
    The coming of 55,000 Southern Sudnese to the South is an indicator of separation. I have appericated those who have arrived to the South.May almighty God bless them all.
    I urge those who are still to speed up for these remaining days and government to work hard so that the rest who are stillin the North will come soon before the end of the year.

    Reply
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