FOCUS – South Sudan launches voluntary repatriation of Egypt refugees
By Roba Gibia
Sept 30, 2006 (CAIRO) — Southern Sudan government has launched an initiative for voluntary repatriation of south Sudanese refugees in Egypt. Around 241 people have already departed to Sudan in three batches.
Despite the limited resources and funds of Government of Southern Sudan, it has not forgotten its people in Egypt. It has launched now an initiative of voluntary repatriation of Sudanese and particularly south Sudanese refugees in Egypt.
The Representative of GOSS for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Omar Abdelrahman was in Cairo on humanitarian mission, and has opened an office for voluntary repatriation of Sudanese refuges in Egypt.
Abdelrahman has been actively engaged and talking to south Sudanese refugees and encouraging them to go back and build their country.
Many refugees welcomed and accepted the idea, and his office is responsible for processing the travelling documents and paying for the transportation from Cairo to Khartoum by land. For sick and elderly who were unable to travel by land were provided air tickets.
The first group is composed of 71 left Cairo on September 10, 2006, second group 80 left on September 17, 2006, third group of more than 90 left Cairo on September 24, 2006 and the fourth group will leave Cairo October 1, 2006, and there are a good number of refugees who are registering every day to return back home.
The returning refugees were filled with joy and happiness while getting on microbuses to Aswan, as there is nothing more like being in your own homeland. According to Ahmed Omar, the coordination office will be opened in Khartoum in October to facilitate and arrange transportation of Cairo refugees directly to south Sudan.
At least 28 refugees killed after the Thousands of Egyptian riot police wielding batons and water canon broke up a three-month sit-in in central Cairo, killing at least 28 people, including12 children and eight women on 29 December 2005.
It worth to remind that Southern Sudan cabinet, in an extraordinary meeting on the issue, condemned the killing Sudanese refugees in Cairo and the southern Sudan parliament requested a probe on the circumstances of the incident.
Since the Cairo incident in December 2005, Sudanese refugees have been hanging in absolute vacuum despite the fact that they were promised by UNHCR Office to expedite and review their cases for resettlement in USA, Canada, Australia, Denmark and other third countries which would accept them, and also they were promised for voluntary repatriation.
Nothing has been done in this regard, and most of the Sudanese and particularly South Sudanese who can afford decided to cancel their UN cards and return home on their own expenses.
On the other hand some south Sudanese refugees blamed their GOSS for been impartial toward the Mustafa Mahmoud garden incident, and were expecting to see a positive move from their government to restore their rights and dignity!
A COUNTRY TO BUILD
Speaking about GOSS Voluntary Repatriation of Sudanese refugees in Egypt, Ahmed said that Mustafa Mahmoud garden incident on December 29, 2005 is still present in the hearts and minds of the Sudanese. He added that this incident must encourage reluctant people to return home where they have a country to build.
“Time has not yet elapsed for us to forget this date, as this incident is a stand among us with our Egyptian brothers. We have to transfer this incident to the generations, because the mind is still weeping and the tears have not yet run out of eyes, and the heart is beating day and night, then what is next? This will be a clear message to brothers and sisters in Sudan and particularly for those Sudanese who are declining to return to Sudan. In addition, from this incident, it is a must for every Sudanese to return to his/her country, because the country is being built by its sons and daughters, and it is our duty to write and send you this message. Unquote » Ahmed said.
SUDANESE YOUTH GANG GROUPS
This initiative of GOSS is a good step forward, and requires enormous efforts to reach to the bottom line of this voluntary repatriation. But Ahmed Omar faces yet another task in Egypt, as there is handful number of south Sudanese youths in various Egyptian prisons convicted for committing murder. These youngsters formed a gang groups and have become a threat among the Sudanese society in Egypt.
The question is that as how Ahmed Omar is going to tackle this problem with the Egyptian authority? As according to Ajing Deng, Office Manager of Ahmed Omar that, some of these youth gangs have registered for voluntary repatriation, but requested that they should be taken separately by microbuses from their residential area directly to Aswan!
This is good news, but these youngsters should have at least psychotherapists to treat, guide and counsel them, in order to become good and productive citizens in society instead of hatred and reprisals. And this is the responsibility of GOSS toward these youngsters upon their arrival to Sudan or South Sudan.
(ST)