Sixty displaced persons have arrived in Bentiu, Unity State after government and Oil Company airlifted them on Saturday 3rd July 2024. The IDPs comprised of people who recently displaced from Sudan and those who have been in Juba camp.
The Secretary General of Unity State government, Hon. Tutdieng Kuol said the initiative to bring back home the IDPs is being led by the state authorities to support the individual who expressed willingness to be resettled.
He explained that some displaced persons in Juba find it best to returned to Bentiu and will be transport to their counties after security situation that forced them stay in the camp stopped.
“The state government have taken the initiative on the request of the returnees because they apply to return home and be settle in their previous places. I just spoke with the UNHCR, IOM and other NGOs bodies to support them with necessary needs.”
The Secretary General [Kuol] said government is making more preparation to transports other people who are ready to return home free of charge.
“Government has primary duty to transport people back to their places, people said they want to go to Bentiu because the state is now stable. They have heard that is peace and stability in Bentiu. Therefore, they have taken this decision to come back to their original places voluntarily without being forces to come,” he said.
The returnees comprise of women and children with few men among them. One of the returnees is Nyabol Ruei who spent 5-month Juba after being displaced in Sudan expressed happiness to be back home. She said life was difficult at Juba IDPs camp that make her family decide to come back to Bentiu.
“We came here to support our government and still being in the camp that make us depend on the UN food. We believe to cultivate and get assistance from the state,” she stated.
Another returnee is Nyachak Gatluak appreciated the leader of new Governor for taking the initiative. She says many of them stay in Juba due to lack of ability to reach Bentiu or place of origin.
“Bentiu is my home and that’s the place all my relatives stay. People will be able to see our suffering if we lack food or other basic needs,” she said.
The conflict in South Sudan have forced hundreds of people to be sheltered at the internally displaced persons camp in many parts of the country include Juba, Malakal and Wau. The parties who signed the revitalized agreement are implementing the deal and expect to conduct election in December this year.
