South Sudanese stranded at Joda urge Sudan to open border

Several South Sudanese citizens stranded at South Sudan’s border town of Joda are appealing to Sudanese authorities to open the border and allow them to cross into Sudan for humanitarian reasons.

Joda town is in South Sudan’s Northern Upper Nile State, at the border point with Sudan.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, one of the stranded citizens who spoke on condition of anonymity appealed to Sudan to allow them to access Sudan so that they can receive medical treatment in Khartoum, saying the humanitarian situation had deteriorated in Joda.

Another woman who also preferred anonymity for security reasons said she requires urgent medical attention and visit her children who are studying in Khartoum woman while urging Sudanese President Omar al Bashir to honour his directives to open the borders.

Last weekend Sudanese authorities arrested a number of South Sudanese citizens and accused them of illegally entering Sudan but were later released.

In June, the Sudanese government announced it would open the border between the two countries soon to allow the movement of people and goods across the sisterly countries.