The governor of Sudan’s Blue Nile state and members of his government received Thursday the first group of 4,200 Sudanese refugees returning from South Sudan.
Blue Nile State is located in southeastern Sudan, bordering Sennar State, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
During a reception ceremony held by the state government at the entrance of Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile state, the governor said the refugees’ return marks the beginning of a voluntary repatriation program.
Governor Ahmed Al-Omda Badi praised the central government, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, for its support of the voluntary return initiative.
“The central government helped a lot in the return of the refugees. We should work hand in hand to bring them back. We hope we can work together so that the citizens can return to their homes to catch up with the rainy season for farming,” he said.
Hashim Orta, head of the Blue Nile state Voluntary Return Commission, said arrangements are being made to receive more refugees who had fled to South Sudan in the coming days.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, returnee Jamal Doka expressed his happiness at coming home, saying the timing allows him to prepare for the upcoming farming season.
“We are happy to be back this time because it is a good time for us to prepare for farming,” he said.
Another returnee, Magbula Suleiman, thanked the state government for the warm welcome and said she was pleased with the voluntary return program.
“We came from South Sudan, and now we found the situation stable in Damazin. We were warmly received, and we are happy to be back home,” she said.
The conflict between the army and the RSF erupted in April 2023 amid tensions over a planned transition to civilian rule. It has devastated the capital, Khartoum, displaced more than 12 million people and triggered what the U.N. calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with famine conditions reported in some areas.