380 returnees arrive Rumbek from north Sudan

By Manyang Mayom

December 17, 2010 (RUMBEK) – The Lakes state government has received 380 returnees from Khartoum on Friday according to local officials. The majority of returnees were women and children as well elderly people.

This is the first group of organized returns from Khartoum to the southern state ahead of the regions referendum on independence in January and around a thousand people turned out in Rumbek, the state capital, to welcome them.

Lakes state government slaughtered a bull in Rumbek’s Freedom Square to welcome the returnees with officials giving speeches to greet them.

Lakes state governor, Chol Tong Mayay, told the crowd: “You are welcome back home my people coming back from Khartoum – this is your actual home – land full with green environment – this is your soil of ancestors which is yours for you to own it – now you have arrived to celebrate South Sudan independence with your brothers and sisters”.

Governor Tong assured returnees that they will be allocated land and be given food and other assistance for a three month period to help their resettlement.

Tong said that “we will offer land for returnees for free and we will take care of those returnees for three month with support from UN agencies operating here in Lakes state”.

He noted that as the registration period ended on December 8 the recent returnees would not be able to vote in the referendum in January. However, he was confident they will “support their brother and sisters morally” come voting day.

Most observer believe that the south will chose to separate from the north, with whom the region has fought two civil wars since independence over identity, religion, resources (oil and water) as well as political and economic marginalization.

Since a 2005 peace deal the region was granted a large degree of autonomy and part of the national government but statements from southern leaders increasingly indicate that they hope the mainly Christian south votes to secede from the north, which has been governed by Islamic Sharia Law since 1983.

Matur Majok Magol, commissioner of Rumbek Central County, said he would guarantee security for the returnees and for the conduct of the referendum adding that the county was “ready to welcome” and celebrate and independent South Sudan after the referendum.

Magol said: “Yes, this county is the host county of all counties of Lakes state – we will ensure that all returnees are protected and their rights will be prevailed to them correctly.” He also shared that water resources would be shared equally in the state to ensure new returns have access to water points.

A representative from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Saed Hassen, said that organization would do its best “to support all those people coming back home – we will support them with what we have in our hands”.

Lakes state government has offered two primaries schools compounds – Rumbek Girls School and Comboni Primary School – as temporary accommodation for the returnees and the state’s department of health has promised to provide them with health care.

Malou Moses Majok, the assistant secretary for political affairs of the south’s governing party – the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) – in Lakes state noted the return of people from Khartoum was a good preparation for the south’s potential independence.

Majok said that “your coming to Lakes state indicates evidence that we have responsible to have new country,” saying that the returnees had “walked away” from the central government in Khartoum.

The second north-south civil war began in 1983 with the formation of the SPLM. Until the 2005 peace the southern rebels, who now govern the region, fought against successive Khartoum governments.

Majok told the returnees the “SPLM is your movement; it has been there for your right[s] and this SPLM will never led you down whatsoever what case maybe.”

(ST)