Three hectares of land allocated to returnees in Unity state
By Bonifacio Taban Kuich
May 7, 2011 (BENTIU) – Unity State authorities have allocated land for returnees in Bentiu town on Friday after the process was expedited through the involvement of United Nation’s refugee agency (UNHCR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM).
State minister of physical infrastructure Diew Charoaw Kuel speaking during the handover the three hectare of land to the returnees in Bentiu, the capital of Unity state, said that everyone coming from Khartoum had a right to be given a land so as to facilitate the process of development in the new state South Sudan.
South Sudan voted to become independent from the north in a referendum in January, after the region was granted the right to self determination in a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of conflict. Over four million people were displaced in the conflict, including many to Khartoum and other areas of north Sudan.
Kuel said that the allocation of land is an offer to all returnees to Unity state. He also said that UNHCR and IOM would be able to facilitate the travel of southern Sudanese back to the south ahead of independence. He added that social services are available to everybody within the land allocated to returnees in the state capital.
Mary Nyamai from UNHCR said that Unity state had had the highest number returnees across the ten states of South Sudan, which means integrating them will become a big issue. Nyamai said UNHCR are happy that the government had allocated land to the returnees but warned there were still challenges.
She added that, the CARE International, World Vision and others partners NGO’s will assist the returnees in terms of construction of their local houses in areas allocated for the returnees by providing them materials for construction.
Unity state governor Taban Deng Gai said his government was very concerned about the needs of returnees. He said the first priority is to allocate them land and provide social services to every citizen within the state. Deng urged the returnees to stay calm, to keep the spirit of laziness away and maintain strength towards building a better Republic of South Sudan.
Governor Taban promised that the South Sudan army (SPLA) would provide security to everyone and protect its citizens from any danger attacks from rebels and bandits in the state.
After elections in April 2010 Gatluak Gai began a rebellion as he was dissatisfied with the result, which saw incumbent governor Taban beat Angelina Teny, the wife of South Sudan’s vice president Riek Machar.
Unity State had received over 120,000 returnees before the South’s overwhelming vote for independence in the referendum in January.
(ST)