The Government of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State has facilitated the transportation of 1,086 South Sudanese returnees who were stranded in the Abyei Administrative Area after fleeing the ongoing war in Sudan.
Thousands of South Sudanese remained in Sudan after independence in July 2011, and even more fled there and to other countries in the region after war erupted in December 2013 and July 2016.
The ongoing war between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commenced on 15 April 2023, killing tens of thousands, displacing millions, and destroying vital infrastructure.
After escaping deadly battles from Sudan’s Khartoum, Al Gazirah, and West Kordofan, among others, the war-affected South Sudanese nationals were first stationed in Abyei for months without proper shelter, food, water, and essential drugs, among other necessities.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Sunday, Lual Awach, the Chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) in the state, confirmed the arrival of the returnees, which included men, women, and elderly people.
“1,086 returnees arrived on Saturday in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State from Abyei Administrative Area after the state government funded their transportation,” he said. “The government rented 13 trucks to facilitate the transportation activities.”
One of the returnees who escaped the violence in Sudan, Awein Deng Anguei, commended the state government for transporting them from Abyei.
“We thank God for our safe arrival in Aweil, and we have been received greatly. We started our journey on 16 April in Sherq Al Nile in Khartoum and passed through other towns in the Sudanese capital, including Jabra, Mayo, Omdurman, Suk Al Gash, and Suk Libya,” Deng narrated. “We have been stationed in Amiet in the Abyei Administrative Area before arriving here.”
Another returnee, Yak Yal, said he was worried about the safety of the other returnees they left behind.
“We want to thank God for our safe arrival,” he stated. However, we fear for the situation of the many people (returnees) whom we left behind.”