A group of more than 500 returnees from Sudan arrived to Aweil after spending a year in transit. Their journey had brought them from Khartoum to Juba via Renk, and thence to Aweil.

Upon arrival in Aweil, the head of the returnees, Deng Arop, told Radio Tamazuj that the returnees faced numerous challenges on the way.

“We came to Renk county last year before South Sudan had separated from Sudan government. We were coming by buses, no one has paid for the transport from Khartoum to Renk County last year, neither government nor NGO. Then the government of South Sudan especially in Renk County stood with us very well through giving us the three months food ration in collaboration with the IOM organization. We spent almost seven months in Renk.”

He added that the returnees travelled by barge along the Nile from Renk to Juba. During that part of the journey militia along the banks of the Nile shot at the boat causing ‘some of our friends to fall into the water.’

The boat journey took 28 days from Renk to Juba. From their they went by road to Aweil in transport facilitated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

He added that the returnees suffered from poor access to health services, pointing out that there is a high rate of malaria and no malaria medicines.

But he added: “Now it is good that we are in our state.”

According to one of the IOM officers who declined to be named, IOM is collaborating with the national government of South Sudan to transport returnees to their final destinations as well as giving them services on the way such as food, water, and vaccinations for young children.

Photo by IOM: A convoy for returnees heads to Torit, Eastern Equatoria (June 2012).