IDP says better north if conditions remain the same in south Sudan
By Ngor Arol Garang
September 6, 2009 (JEBEL AULIYA, Khartoum State) – Awut Deng Baak, a southern Sudanese leaving in Jebel Auliya, Khartoum State, says better to remain in northern Sudan if conditions remain the same in the South.
Already disillusioned, many of these IDPs returned to the capital as well as the other parts of the country months after their voluntary return in their homeland in southern Sudan. Lack of resources, and infrastructure as well as volatile security situation pushed them to return to northern Sudan.
Awut, who fled war-torn state of Warrap on foot in 2000 to the north, where she spent more than three years before the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on January 9, 2009, added that does not know the different between peace and war.
“I thought peace means everything including free transport to home from where we came. “I did not expect it is about creating and drawing classes of rich and poor,” she said
She said what is happening now is like what was happening when she left her ancestral home in the south.
Things were not easy in the south when my children and I left the region; she said adding that in the north, protection only in the camps was given without supports.
Living in the street with her two young daughters, just meters away from Jebel Auliya bus station, she said “no one helps us and I and my two children have no income. I am forced to begging money from passers-by to feed my children and myself,” she adds.
“People talk of peace, Peace, peace, Peace, but I don’t understand what they mean when people of my likes are still out in the street begging something to eat each day,” she posed.
“I have been living in this place for 8 years without any way to clean, or get drinking water. Nobody cares about my suffering. I was once in Wed El Basher Camp before I moved here. Asked why she moved, “I moved here because where I had lived was always crowded with public transports,” she explained.
“It was also there where I fell out of a moving car and then spent five months in Omdurman public hospitals, where I was cared for and given medicine for free till discharged,” she described.
“When I heard about free humanitarian treatment given to Internally Displaced Persons in the camp of Jebel Auliya by international organizations, I decided to come here. But when I came I realized that people here have no mercy, no sympathy and no humanitarianism here also. I found myself cheated,” she said.
Asked why she did not return home when people were being returned home in 2007-2008, she said, “when peace was signed and people were being asked to return, I did not refuse returning home, but to whom am I returning to after all my husband is dead,” she posed.
“This was one of the reasons I did not return. Another reason being that, people were being selectively returned, it was not general,” she said.
Third was, “because of my disability, I can hardly move without using my crutches. I still need medicine to ease my pain. In the south where transport remains a problem, my return will mean death,” she said. “It is better I remain here even if it mean south succeeding to form another country,” she adds.
She also continued to add “my children cry out for food day and night and I barely sleep at night because of my illness and hunger. My condition is getting worse with time because I don’t have good food and medicine.”
Awut, further added that, the war forced her to desert her ancestral home, leave land and lose cattle which she said to rely on for her livelihood, has changed hearts of the good people she used to know back home. I cannot imagine what our farmland looks like these days, she queried.
However, she said it would have been better for her to stay in the South even amid the conflict in which her husband was killed. I regret my decision to flee north where I’m stranded, she commented.
“My dream in life is to have a shelter for me and my children, and enough food and clean water. But I don’t know if it is possible for me to achieve this dream before I die, she queried.
(ST)
oshay
IDP says better north if conditions remain the same in south Sudan
I knew it ahahahaha, the SPLM has totally failed and Sudan will remain united. Southerners now understand how good life has been with the North now that they’ve seen the SPLM at work
Kur
IDP says better north if conditions remain the same in south Sudan
That is what the janjaweed regime wants, to keep people on the move so that nobody pays attention to their crimes and theft. Our people in Khartoum should return home because the NCP policy of displacement will not stop. This is how the regime survives, using innocent people as a political shield by causing tribal conflicts.
Kur
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
IDP says better north if conditions remain the same in south Sudan
My God the poor dinkas really want to live under the slavery treatment by arabs, now see we sing of separation and self determination of South while the dinkas desire to live with arab, how can this show that South has a capable leader if our own people are trying to abandon the region because of the poor management, can you now support the SPLA rather than Sudanese people Liberation Movement for Dinkas Change (SPLM-DC) I urge everyone that it is time for DC otherwise we waiting for 2011 for nothing in fact the entire dinkas will vote for unity but those who dream for separation will be left with no option only continuing the miserable life in South. Kiir must be replace by a genuine man could Riek, Wani Igga or Amum; we don’t want to see people abandoning this state’s of South just because of simple thing about security and safety. The killing in jungle states must be brought under control in order to send positive message to the Southerners in north.
Time is up and almost the worse is coming in 2011. Let’s get on the right track with a right man. I feel sad when I heard that my own people are denying to come back, it is another big shame on Goss if his own people are refusing to return back home. There is nothing more than removing a single man from power, dictatorship has nothing to do with, we need a leader who value its people by providing a tight security for all. Enough is enough of dinkas government, the dinkas where familiar with nomadic lives not political life, we need that they must hand this leadership to either one of Riek, Igga or Amum and this will make a big difference to this nation. We have to be a livable place on earth not worse place. We need a good reputition on our image not bad image.
Ahmed
IDP says better north if conditions remain the same in south Sudan
seriously just imagine if the SPLM told the NCP that it will leave the country! Do u think the southerner sudanese will still serve like this, Al bashir will only help south if SPLM stops… South sudan belongs to the country Sudan and the government wont help if the people dont want to be helped. Why cant the GOSS just let the north take over and build factories for food and other, because the GOSS is not doing anything
Joseph
IDP says better north if conditions remain the same in south Sudan
Absolutely IDPs are right the situation in south is not motivated, to get job is difficult. Take the ministry of Public service and Human resource development where Awut Deng is holding there are many vacancies and staffs are not getting permanent appointment because some of them getting salary without qualification.
To get plot in southern Sudan is difficult, particular in Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan and many other like insecurity can prevent IDPs to come back home.
I kindly advise GOSS to come up with a good plan that can motivate the needs of our people otherwise we shall remain slave under Jalaba.