Southerners Register For Voluntary Repatriation In Cairo Egypt

16 February 2011 – (Cairo) – More than 1000 southern Sudanese living in Egypt will be assisted by the Ministry of Humanitarian affairs in GOSS in a voluntary repatriation process to their respective states in southern Sudan.

The process which has been organized by GOSS and the ministry of Humanitarian affairs is expected to begin soon.

Sudan Radio Service spoke to one of the officials in charge of registering the returnees in Egypt, AbdelAziz Musa Kaffi on Tuesday.

[AbdelAziz Musa Kaffi]: “We started the registration process 2 months ago. And after the problems that occurred in Egypt many people are calling the center to register and others come up to the centre. Till now we have registered about 1500 people. Among the registered numbers about 500 say they are ready to go at any time as long as there is assistance for them to fly out. And this program is being sponsored by the Ministry of Humanitarian affairs of GOSS.”

Some registered returnees also spoke to Sudan Radio Service from Cairo on Tuesday.

[Nyabie Bol]: “My name is Nyabie Bol. I came to Egypt six years ago. We have been faced with a lot of problems. Now we have gone through a lot of difficulties and we are thanking the voluntary repatriation process because we can go back. People are suffering they don’t have money to go back but with this we will be able to go back to our country, I am going to Upper Nile state.”

[Aluel chol]: “My name is Aluel Chol. I am from Tonj in Warrap state. I came to Egypt in 1997 and I have really suffered here. I can’t manage my job and my children. I am unable to take that responsibility because of the distance from my job. You can not know what your children are up to because am never home. There is no one to check on their progress.”

There are four registration centers for southerners in Egypt who would like to be repatriated. They include, SPLM office center, Hai Al-Nasser center, Southern Sudan Student’s Association office and the Alexandria center.