Over 30,000 urban refugees register in Kampala

May 22, 2014 (KAMAPALA) – The office of prime minister at the department of refugees in Uganda says it has registered over 31,000 urban refugees in Kampala over a period of three weeks.

Douglas Asiimwe, the senior protection officer at the refugees department desk in Kampala, told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that a huge number of urban refugees are from South Sudanese, Somalia, Congo and Eritrean.

“We are still tracking and issuing out identity cards for the refugees in Kampala after provision of three months paper expiration”, added the protection officer.

The senior official says the identity cards will be valid for a year and will help refugees’ status safety while they stay in Uganda. He said they are carrying out data registration with the UN Refugees Agency across the country for those crossing from South Sudan into Uganda.

There are over 106,735 South Sudanese have fled to Uganda since December when fighting broke out between soldiers loyal to president Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar.

Aluel Jok told Sudan Tribune in Kampala that she feels secure after receiving an ID card.

“Today I’m proudly for receiving this UN ID card. It has so meaningful for me and my children of being a refugees under UNHCR”, said Jok.

Andrew Lany, who was shot in the hand when fighting broke out in Juba on December 15 told Sudan Tribune he is not willing to return to South Sudan.

“How should I return back to South Sudan mean while the same people who have targeted me are still holding leadership? I and my fellow brothers were killed because we are from Nuer sharing same identity with [the] former vice president”, he said.

Lany is one of many refugees who are reported to have told the UN Refugees Agency that they are not willing to return home even if peace returns to South Sudan through talks that have been going on and off in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia since January.

(ST)