Sudanese refugees set to return home

NAIROBI--South Sudanese refugees living in Kenya are set to return home following today’s signing of an historic tripartite agreement for the voluntary repatriation of Sudanese refugees from Kenya to Sudan.

Mr Gideon Konchellah, the Kenyan minister for immigration and registration of persons signed on behalf of the government of Kenya, Brigadier Aleu Ayieny Aleu, the Sudanese State minister of interior signed on behalf of his government while UNHCR was represented by the Director of operations for the Sudan situation, Mr Jean-Marie Fakhouri. Also present to witness the historic occasion were UNHCR’s Kenya representative Mr George Okoth-Obbo, Kenya’s permanent secretary in the ministry of immigration and registration of persons Mr Emmanuel Kisombe and representatives from the donor community.

Last December, the UNHCR announced plans to take home at least 60,000 refugees. According to Mr Fakhouri, it could take up to five years to get more than half a million South Sudanese refugees living in neighbouring countries back to their homes. There are a further 4 to 6 million people displaced within Sudan, including an estimated 2.5 million in Khartoum alone.

Following the signing of the Sudanese peace accord in January 2005, UNHCR and other UN agencies have been helping communities in Southern Sudan to prepare to receive returnees. Last year, some 75,000 refugees went home on their own accord without the assistance of UNHCR “Our role is that whenever refugees and internally displaced persons go back home, they will find someone to welcome them”, said Mr Fakhouri. To this end, the UN refugee agency has opened 10 offices, built schools, dug wells and rebuilt hospitals to help entire communities better receive returnees.

“Clearly it will take a long time for Southern Sudan to provide the same services to their people that were provided in refugee camps”, Fakhouri said. “But at the same time, it is important for refugees to go back home and build their country”.

Speaking at the ceremony, Brigadier Aleu appealed to the Sudanese to return home as their country needs them. “I fought for 21 years but now I’m a minister and all I want is peace”, he said.

For the past decade and a half, Kenya has been home to thousands of Sudanese refugees and hosted peace talks that culminated in the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the north and south.