Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Two South Sudanese chiefs in Shendi, Sudan, claim that local authorities have issued a three-day ultimatum for all South Sudanese residents to evacuate the town and return to South Sudan. However, the Sudanese ambassador to South Sudan stated he is still investigating the report and pledged to provide a comprehensive update.
The order, which begins this coming Sunday, was confirmed by Chiefs John Okori and Federico Emilio in an exclusive interview with Eye Radio.
According to Chief Okori, South Sudanese nationals in Sudan have faced growing xenophobia, detentions, and localized ultimatums throughout 2024, including a 15-day order in July for foreign nationals to leave Khartoum State.
Okori also recalled the documented arrests and torture of seven South Sudanese Christians earlier this year by Sudanese Military Intelligence, which he says were related to religious persecution.
Speaking from Shendi, Chief Okori stated that authorities gave no clear reason for the ultimatum, saying only that the South Sudanese residents were “foreigners” and must leave.
He said they tried to reason with officials, explaining that many had lived in Shendi for decades and had demands for pensions and children in local schools.
“We did nothing against the Sudanese government,” Okori said, adding that the timing was not appropriate due to the rainy season.
Chief Federico Emilio told Eye Radio that meetings with Sudanese authorities to reconsider the decision have failed.
He recounted a meeting where officials dismissed their concerns about the ongoing rains, telling them they would be provided with plastic sheets to cover themselves on their return journey.
Emilio, who said he had lived in Shendi for more than 50 years and served in the army for 39 years, pleaded with authorities to be patient until after the rains, but they refused.
“We left this meeting in tears,” he said, describing the encounter as distressing.
When asked about the situation during a press conference, Sudan’s ambassador to South Sudan, Assam Karrar, pledged to provide a report on the status of South Sudanese nationals.
He stated that what is known is a “voluntary return, but not a forced expulsion return.” His comments followed numerous complaints from South Sudanese community leaders in Shendi.
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