The Ambassador of Sudan to South Sudan on Sunday said the embassy is ready to register and facilitate the voluntary return of Sudanese citizens back home.
Last week, gruesome videos circulating on social media of South Sudanese being killed in Wad Madani, the capital of Sudan’s Al Jazirah State, raised concern about the safety of thousands of South Sudanese who have been stranded in Sudan.
The killings, captured on camera after the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) took control of Wad Medani from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on 11 January, sparked violent protests in Juba and other towns in South Sudan on Thursday night and Friday morning.
The protests were met with heavy security response, leading to arrests, though those detained were later released. Some Sudanese-owned shops were vandalized and looted, prompting the government to impose a nationwide curfew on Friday.
Speaking on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Cooperation (SSBC), Ambassador Isam Mohamed Hassan, the Sudanese envoy to South Sudan, said they received assurance from President Salva Kiir that Sudanese living in the country will be protected.
“We have received instructions from President Salva Kiir to protect the Sudanese citizens in South Sudan until these problems end and peace and stability return. We want to see and register the families, and the individuals, who want to return to Sudan. If there are any families, we want the people who are responsible for you to register them for us,” he said. “However, there are urgent measures that we will take to take the people back to Sudan. The other people who want to stay in South Sudan are left to their own devices. As soon as there is peace, security, and stability in their homes, our brothers and sisters will allow you to return to your homes and continue your work.”