Raga County: Refugees return from Sudan

(radiotamazuj.org)

One hundred refugees on Monday returned to Raga County in Western Bahr el Ghazal State from the neighboring Eastern Darfur State in Sudan where they took refuge during the war.

According to the returnees, the conditions in the refugee camps in Dhien, Eastern Darfur, are dire and characterized by insecurity, lack of clean drinking water, and firewood for cooking.

Romadan al-Madi who led the returnees back to Raga on Monday told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that the South Sudanese who are still in the camp are willing to return home but lack transport.

“My Name is Romadan al-Madi Fatur. We came one hundred in number,” Al Madi said. “The problems people are facing there are so many; the lack of clean drinking water and firewood. The living condition is also very bad.”

He added: “The number of people there is very high and they want to return home but the process of coming is difficult. They lack transport.”

For his part, Raga County commissioner Salah Mameji Mamiri confirmed the arrival of the returnees and appealed to the national government and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to help in facilitating the return of voluntary returnees.

“I am urging the national government and IOM in South Sudan and Sudan to help our people to return home from the refugee camps,” said Mamiri. “As you have heard from the returnees, the life there is bad. There is no water and firewood, there are staying in bad conditions and are willing to return home.”

He said the returnees scrounged to hire vehicles to bring them back home.

In August, over 1,000 refugees returned to Raga town from South Darfur in Sudan and the Central Africa Republic.