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July 17, 2024 (Juba) – South Sudan has launched an evacuation campaign to support its nationals in the war zone after the authorities issued an ultimatum to them to leave.
South Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohamed Abdullah Goh said the country’s top leadership was verifying reports accompanied by pictures showing Sudanese authorities cracking down and rounding up foreigners, mostly South Sudanese nationals, in South Sudan’s border states.
Those arrested were imprisoned and prepared for deportation.
The evacuation team, led by Akoc Akuei Manhiem and comprising current senior and former government officials, aims to mobilize the public, sympathizers, business people, members of the humanitarian community, civil society, religious groups, public institutions, opinion leaders and individuals to contribute in kind and with ideas to make the initiative a success.
Ateny Wek Ateny, a spokesman for the former president, said the move was a response to the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation for South Sudanese nationals in Sudan.
“This is actually an initiative that the South Sudanese government and people of good will should invest funds to help evacuate those who are trapped in the conflict zone in Sudan. This is for the evacuation of South Sudanese in Sudan. That is what the appeal is for. This is an emergency evacuation of South Sudanese citizens in Sudan,” he explained.
Atni called on the Sudanese government to give them time, mobilize resources and evacuate people from trapped areas.
“I call on the Government to engage with the Sudanese parties to extend the ultimatum so that we can mobilize resources to save lives. First, we need to understand where people are concentrated, access routes, their safety, and develop an evacuation plan. This takes time because it involves the identification of people, where they can be evacuated, and coordination with the Sudanese parties. Providing access and escorts cannot be rushed,” he explained.
Senior South Sudanese security and diplomatic sources told sudan tribune The Sudanese Armed Forces, which are fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, are unhappy with the presence of South Sudanese nationals in Sudan, some of whom have been spotted fighting alongside their rivals, the Rapid Support Forces.
The specific circumstances of the involvement of these individuals in the conflict have not yet been properly ascertained.
Analysts point out that some South Sudanese who were unable to flee when the conflict began bought weapons for self-defense. Others were conscripted and were unable to escape in time. Over time, they became members of the forces, either joining the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) or the army.
Some believe that South Sudanese who were serving in the Sudanese Armed Forces at the start of the conflict in 2023 responded to the call of the military and its leadership headed by General Abdel Fattah Burhan to return.
South Sudanese civilians in Sudan and individuals associated with South Sudanese political and military dissidents have infiltrated both sides with the goal of obtaining weapons, training, and hospitality.
“You can’t explain with evidence how these people, who we are now being asked to evacuate, entered Sudan. It’s difficult. How they entered is not clear,” a senior South Sudanese diplomat with direct knowledge of the situation in Sudan told sudan tribune July 17, 2024
He added: “I was in Khartoum when the conflict broke out and I was one of those officials who reminded our people to pack their bags and go back to their homes in the south, telling them that no matter what the situation, there is always love and care back home. That is where your ancestors came from. That is where you are going back to. Some accepted and they are here now, integrated safely and peacefully, despite the challenges we now share with them. I moved to Port Sudan and then came here. Later I went to Renk and became part of the transport team.”
South Sudan is one of the countries in the region that directly borders Sudan. Since April 2023, the conflict has continued, resulting in the interruption of Sudan’s oil transportation and the reception of a large number of Sudanese refugees and returnees. The spread of the conflict has led to a strain on local resources, plunging the country into serious economic difficulties, and high inflation has caused consumer prices to soar, making the situation worse.
(English stone)
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