UN closes repatriation of Sudanese refugees in DRC
June 5, 2007 (NAIROBI) — The UN refugee agency said on Tuesday it has officially closed its program for the organized repatriation of Sudanese refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement, the UNHCR said the program closed over the weekend after the successful return of more than 8,000 Sudanese refugees from a string of refugee camps in the northwest of the DRC.
The UN agency said the last group of Sudanese returnees airlifted to Yambio on Saturday was met by traditional dancers and a local church youth band.
“Senior government officials who joined the welcome ceremony for the returnees, some of whom have been in exile for the past 17years, welcomed the effort returnees will make in rebuilding their country. They also warned them of the risks of HIV/AIDS,” it said.
The DRC becomes the second country – after the Central African Republic (CAR) — to complete organized repatriation to the vast region. Voluntary repatriation from CAR was officially closed on April 11.
The UN refugee agency said the repatriation operation from the DRC which was launched in June 2006 ended when the last of 10 flights chartered to transport some 470 refugees from Dungu landed in Yambio in western Equatoria Province of south Sudan.
“Poor road and security conditions linking Dungu in DRC and Yambio in south Sudan prompted UNHCR to organize an airlift of the nearly 500 refugees living in camps near Dungu. Road convoys would have traversed the insecure Garamba National Park,” it said.
Return convoys for more than 6,000 Sudanese refugees from DRC to south Sudan have been organized since 2006 by road from other refugee camps around Doruma, close to DRC’s northeastern border with Sudan, it said.
During the same period, the UNHCR said nearly 2,000 other refugees made their own way back to Sudan and received reintegration assistance on arrival back to their villages of origin.
The UN refugee agency has supported the construction of eight water boreholes and sanitation blocks for area schools in Yambio.
“We have also constructed and equipped a maternity clinic, repaired and equipped six primary health care centers and are now building three more schools. We are also supporting income-generating activities for returnee women and men.”
The UNHCR estimate that up to 5,200 Sudanese refugees may still be living on their own in various towns and villages in the DRC.
“However, they have not approached UNHCR for return assistance and it is assumed that they have opted to remain in the DRC. Others may still opt to return at a later date using their own means.”
Meanwhile, the UNHCR said a tripartite commission meeting bringing together the governments of Sudan, Kenya and UNHCR in Khartoum last Friday agreed to increase the pace of repatriation of Sudanese refugees living in Kakuma camp, northern Kenya.
There are some 45,000 Sudanese refugees in Kakuma camp – down from 70,000 in December 2005.
A similar meeting bringing together the governments of Uganda, Sudan and UNHCR in Kampala, Uganda, in early May also resolved to quicken the pace of repatriation from Uganda and to open new return routes linking refugee camps in northern Uganda with Eastern and Central Equatoria states in south Sudan.
Since the start of voluntary repatriation to south Sudan, some 145,000 Sudanese refugees have returned home, more than 63,000 of them with UNHCR assistance.
The UN refugee agency plans to aid the return of 102,000 Sudanese refugees from neighboring countries this year.
(Xinhua)