Five thousands South Sudanese flee to Sudan in one week

March 21, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - Nearly 5,000 South Sudanese refugees fled to Sudan in one week flowing the recent surge of violence in the Upper Nile state, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR ) said.

South Sudanese queue to be registered in Sudan in March 2015 (UNHCR photo)

Following the failure of South Sudanese peace talks two weeks ago earlier this month, violent clashes flared up between the two warring parties in the Upper Nile and Western Bahr el Ghazal states.

In October 2014, aid groups estimated the arrival rate of South Sudanese refugees at 1,000 people weekly.

"Since 8 March, about 4,000 South Sudanese refugees arrived in the (White Nile) state from South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, with a further 900 people arriving in South Kordofan," said OCHA in its weekly bulletin quoting the UNHCR.

More refugees are expected to arrive in Sudan as the fighting continue in the neighbouring Upper Nile state.

The Sudanese authorities agreed with the UNHCR to move the new refugees from Al Kuek in the White Nile to another area in Um Sangor, about 200km from the border, near the existing El Redis "relocation site".

Sudan refuses to consider the South Sudanese citizens as refugees.

But the Sudanese authorities agreed to deliver an ID cards for the South Sudanese giving them the right to reside, work, have access to basic services and move freely in their former country.

Khartoum authorities announced on Thursday 19 March that they registered over 100,000 South Sudanese since last February through 26 registration center in the state.

The UN sponsored registration operation will move to the White Nile state. during the upcoming weeks.

UN agencies say around half-a-million South Sudanese are now in Sudan, including an estimated 350,000 others who didn’t return to their country following its independence in July 2011.

(ST)