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| Why Idps Must Return Home |
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Written by : Peter Amoi Angara
The southern refugees or displaced around the Khartoum capital needed to go to their original home(south sudan). The fact that they are jobless,homeless,poor, and desperate. the cannot make it for their own to return home. The khartoum capital is not a safe place for them,because it is insecure and distable for them. They are not free under the INF government which imposed the curfew since it came up to power in June 30/1989.
Who is responsible with the displaced in khartoum? Simplly the SLM/A is responsible with the displaced refugees in khartoum,because they are the people whom it fought for them for twenty one years. Returning home of the southern refugees is the mission of the SPLM/A administraion in the south country. The first intiative of the SPLM/A is to bring home the displaced from the North part in order to make their choice between the separation and the forged unity.
The main purpose of the SPLM/A which I belived for its taking up the army struggle against the INF regime was to liberate the black Africans people in the Southern Sudan and to protect them from the domaination of the INF regime dictator and more racists toward the people of colours.
When the SPLM/A has signed the peace agreement and set up the system of the government in the south part,this administration needs the people to support it in the power. Of course, the SPLM/A cannot rule the land without the people on the ground. In this case,the SPLM/A needs the people under its power. It needs to resettle the returnees refugees on their original homeland(the South).
The southern refugees didn't fled their original homes because they liked it to live in the Northern part of the country,but the entirely southern regions were declared by the INF regime to be the military war Zorn operations. As a result, the southern people were forced to leave their homes. They are forced by the INF malitias and the sudanese army as well as the south regions were depopulated.
However, the southern people properties were taken away or confiscated from them, their homes were devastated, their elder men,women were killed, their beatiful women,girls and children were taken away to slavery in the Northern of Jallaba enemy. The rest of the people who had rejected the INF orders were terrorized by its malitias as the people run away from their homes and lived in the bush or in the jungle. The strategy of the INF at that time was to put the SPLM/A in the weak position as well as it could relinquish the army struggle against the INF regime in the North.
Apparently,to draw your attention,here,I have very importand remark that I would like you to understand at this point. I am not attemping to undermind the role of the SPLM/A and its administration in the southern part,but I am trying to challenge the capacity of the SPLM/A government by reminding it that the southern refugees in the chantey places around the khartuom capital are insecure and disstable. They are being killed everyday in the street at night like dogs. As we all know, the Northern Jallaba police was trained for that purpose. The Northern enemies always treat the southerns like foriegns people,view them as criminals,second citizens,uncivilized people and are obstacles to the progress of the Islamic tradition.
Finally, it is simple for the SPLM/A to speak out to the international agencies and organizations about how it should do with the resettlement of the southern refugees,especially the refugees around khartoum capital and the southern refugees in the Egyptian capital Cario must be put under consideration. The SPLM/A must stand up for this mission by helping the refugees to return home. The resettlement of the southern refugees should be the first priority of the SPLM/A administration in the southern country. The SPLM/A should never leave the INF to take the advantages out of the southern refugees by using them as slaves in their homes on one hand and using them against the self-determination on the other hand. If the SPLM/A is serious and needs to hold the referendum after six years,then the resettlement of the returnee refugees is very crucial and compatible for both the building of the nation and the positive of the separation which serve the 99% of the southern sudanese people.
Peter Amoi is a theologain,social service specialist
and the SPLM/A stalwart since 1983.
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I think returning home was left open since the peace accord was signed in January, 2005. However, what I know so far is that the return shall be dictated by the individual/family economic status there in the North.
What the intellectuals need to be taught now, however, is that job opportunities at this time in the South are more paying because lots of donors, foreign investors, and NGOs are coming in with hard currencies.
It is now time to find oneself a stable job with more security since the SPLA is training more military personels to bring peace into effect.
One thing SPLA should do more is working harder to use the laws that they just put in the books. They have no use inside the books unless they are enforced. Some places in South Sudan are still very dangerous for returnees to go. A very good example is Western Upper Nile, the so called Unity State. There are confused forces that are still not informed about the Sudan peace; GOM, and forces under Paulino Matip.
The best way to get rid of these insurgencies is the heavy deployment of SPLA forces in places arround the oil wells. This is the responsibility of the governor, Mr. Taban Deng Gai with staunch support from the SPLM leadership. Lots of bad things are still going on there such as rape, looting, and collection of unlawful taxes. Mature civil servants can not return to places like these. My main point is, it is the responsibility of the government of Southern Sudan to make returning attractive to the people.
Thanks. |
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Dear all
The time for idps to return is going to be different for different people, depending on many factors. There are the issues of, if I return, shall I get schools for my kids, health service, shelter, a job, a safe environment free from mines, basic necessities to start a new life, etc.? The GOSS, the UN, and other NGOs must make preparations for these people to return. They just can't get up one morning and set off. Reception centers must be set up at various places in the south, near to their homes, to receive them and prepare them to resume normal independent life. Without such arrangements, they will still feel displaced in their own homes. I learned that some idps who returned to their homes recntly found life even worse than when they were idps. This should not be allowed to happen.
I do recall very well the way returnees were received after the Addis Ababa agreement. A great deal of preperations went into getting resources in place for the returnees. I am not sure to what extent such preperations are taking place for our returnees this time. The GOSS should work hard together with the other humanitarian agencies to prepare to receive the returnees. Apologies for repeating myself.
A merry xmas and happy new year to all my friends, members, and staff of Gurtong. May the new year energize us even more to fullfil Gurtong goals.
Charles B. |
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