Citizens who fled Pageri County in Eastern Equatoria State and registered in refugee camps in Uganda said the continued occupation of their houses by soldiers could delay their return.
This came during a peace forum funded by the British government.
The three-day event, under the peace building opportunity fund program, took place in Nimule town from Wednesday to Friday last week.
Michael Taban, a returnee from Pagirinya refugee camp, told Radio Tamazuj that he fears he would be arrested for lacking proper documents.
“Some of us don’t have it [ID]. Secondly, we don’t see any evidence showing that peace has returned to the country,” he explained.
Taban urged the transitional unity government to ensure homes are vacated by all the armed forces. “We have our homes, but are occupied by soldiers. It becomes difficult to return home unless government takes the initiative of returning these people back from where they came,” he stressed.
Awizia Night Orrick, the peace committee chairperson in Pageri area, confirmed that most civilian houses are occupied by soldiers.
“Our people are not coming because their places are occupied by displaced people. Also, all Madi areas like Moli Tokuro, Kerepi, Nyongwa, Pageri, Arapi, Lowa, Jelle, Nimule near Gordon, Matara and Abilla are all barracks, making people fear to return,” she said.
Major Akol Amet, the head of the Tiger force in Nimule, acknowledged the presence of soldiers in civilians’ homes, but downplayed its effect on the return of refugees to their respective homes.
“All civilians in camps should return to their homes. No one will deny them their places if they come and even now, the soldiers who are occupying their spaces would be ordered to leave,” he assured.
Meanwhile, Hakim Paride Mamur, a peace building advisor, urged the locals and the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to cooperate with authorities in the implementation of the peace agreement.
“We resolved that the government should see ways of ensuring that the returnees are given their spaces and the occupants are allocated new places. Also, people with cows should always report to the chiefs when they come to the area,” he explained.
More than 70 participants, who included local government officials, organized forces, religious and traditional leaders, representatives of refugees, civil society actors, women groups as well as youth organizations, attended the forum.