Egypt- Sudanese refugees upset by halt of return program

By Roba Gibia

Nov 30, 2006 (CAIRO) — When the initiative of voluntary repatriation of Sudanese refugees in Egypt was launched last September 2006, it has been appreciated and welcomed worldwide and was considered step forward in the right direction, and was hoped to put an end to the hardship and torment of some refugees in Egypt particularly after Mustafa Mahmoud incident. But on the other hand, many were doubtful and were questioning reliability and legitimacy of the initiative and its consistency.

It seems that the Sudanese refugees anxiety were obvious about the continuity of the voluntary repatriation process. As after resumption of the program after its halt for more than three weeks last October, the program is now being disrupted again due to the lack of fund since last lucky batch left on November 19, 2006.

The representative of government of south Sudan for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Omar, who is currently in Sudan, has not yet remitted money to office account to run the process. According to Ajing Deng, he is in embarrassing situation and has got lot of pressures from refugees who are scheduled for repatriation but was cut off by lack of money. And according to Ajing there are more than 1,000 refugees on waiting list.

During the recent visit of First Vice President Salva Kiir with company of Sudanese Ambassador to Egypt, told south Sudanese refugees willing to return home, and those who lost their passports at the incident of Mustafa Mahmoud, to contact Sudanese Embassy to offer free tickets as well as replacement traveling documents.

That was on political level, but the reality at Embassy is different, as those who went to Embassy as directed by the First Vice President were disgraced and never received fair treatment. And many were complaining from the mistreatment of embassy and vowed that their repatriation should not be under the embassy. It is worth noting that Sudanese embassy offers tickets for boat only and there is no train ticket from Cairo to Aswan and from Halfa to Khartoum, and there is no food allowance. But under the south Sudan voluntary repatriation initiative, the refugees were repatriated free and were offered food and pocket money too.

“The hatred and profound gap between north-south is still in the minds and clearly being practiced in Sudan embassy in Cairo” said an observer. As since signing peace agreement between south and north, nothing has been changed in diplomatic missions and still casting uncertainty among south Sudanese.

According to reliable sources, a Regional Office for International Cooperation will be opened in Cairo, and upon its opening it will be responsible for the repatriation of South Sudanese refugees who are willing to return home. But the question is, when this office will be opened. And the core issue here doesn’t lie on opening regional office, but the commitment and continuity of the program whether being under Regional Office of International Cooperation or reliable official. And the south Sudanese authorities have to ensure appropriate usage of the allocated fund in its desired mission.

The predicament of Sudanese refugees in Cairo were immense and diversity, as some are unable to return on their own, those who are working or depending on relatives abroad, have just enough to maintain flat, feeding and hardly for treatment and other requirements. Thus, the voluntary repatriation program is the only viable opportunity for some refugees who are longing to return home.

All these anxieties and desolation breeding variety of calamities and deviation of youngster’s, and that was apparent in lousy event occurred on November 27, 2006 where group of youth gangs attacked Malual Malai Ayuel, who belongs to another opposing gang group and was one of those scheduled to return to Sudan, with machetes and cut almost off his fingers at carpals bone and the other hand, thumb was cut off and some cuts at his neck and head and his friend was cut at stomach, moved the entire Sudanese community at Sakakini Church due to the awful scene of the event. This sort of acts, require joint and coordinated efforts between Egyptian and south Sudanese authorities to subdue and curtail these youth crimes by their deportation to avert fear among Sudanese community. And it is worth mentioning that since when the voluntary repatriation program commenced in last September, there were more than one hundred youth gangs repatriated.

(ST)