Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudanese chiefs in Shendi, Sudan, have confirmed that local authorities have reversed a recent three-day expulsion order for their communities following a week of uncertainty.
Last week, Chiefs John Okori and Federico Emilio informed Eye Radio that Sudanese immigration officials in Shendi had issued an ultimatum for all South Sudanese residents to return home.
According to Chief Okori, this was the latest in a series of rising xenophobic pressures faced by South Sudanese nationals in Sudan since 2024, including a 15-day deadline in July 2024 for all foreign nationals to leave Khartoum State.
Speaking to Eye Radio this morning, Chief John Okori said Sudanese authorities have now promised that South Sudanese will not be forcibly expelled.
He stated that officials pledged to treat them like other refugees, granting them the right to either remain in Shendi or return voluntarily to South Sudan.
“After a meeting yesterday with the authorities in Shendi city, we came out with fruitful and good results. They promised us that there would be no harassment or forced deportation,” Chief Okori said.
“They said that if there is anything regarding their presence in the city, it will be done officially, and they will inform the sultans of the matter officially.”
“They asked us not to deal with anyone other than the official authorities, and you will be treated as refugees after the relevant organizations register you to facilitate your movements,” he added.
“If there is a sultan who has the desire, or the individuals with him, to return voluntarily, we will do so in a humane manner, not by forced deportation. The language that they do not have the right to remain in the city is wrong, and we must correct it.”
Following the initial expulsion order, Sudan’s Ambassador to South Sudan, Assam Karrar, had pledged to provide a full report on the status of South Sudanese nationals living in Sudan amid the ongoing conflict.
During a briefing on Wednesday, August 27, Karrar admitted there was a directive for South Sudanese to return home, but he denied it was a forced expulsion.
Sudan has been engulfed in a war since 2023, with fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In January of this year, dozens of South Sudanese nationals were allegedly killed in Wad Medani, according to gruesome videos shared on social media.
Source: Eye Radio
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