Sudan to relocate South Sudanese refugees from Khartoum in major policy shift amid conflict

Sudan to relocate South Sudanese refugees from Khartoum in major policy shift amid conflict

For years, many South Sudanese have lived in Sudan's capital alongside Sudanese citizens since South Sudan's separation in 2011.

Sudan’s Minister of Interior on Monday announced plans to relocate South Sudanese refugees from Khartoum State to a camp outside the capital, marking a significant shift in the treatment of South Sudanese citizens.

For years, many South Sudanese have lived in Sudan's capital alongside Sudanese citizens since South Sudan's separation in 2011.

However, the ongoing conflict and the military government’s change in policy are now forcing these individuals to be officially recognised as refugees.

During a press briefing, Interior Minister Khalil Pasha Sayreen stated that coordination was already in progress with Sudan's Refugee Commission to gather South Sudanese refugees into a designated camp outside Khartoum.

He also disclosed plans to deport Ethiopian and Eritrean refugees to camps in Kassala and Al-Gadarif, continuing the government's focus on addressing the refugee situation amid the ongoing civil conflict.

The war between Sudan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has caused widespread devastation since it erupted in Khartoum on April 15, 2023.

The conflict, driven by a power struggle between military leaders Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of RSF, has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation.

The United Nations has warned that Sudan is now facing the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.

Sudan has long hosted a large number of South Sudanese refugees who fled from the devastating civil wars before South Sudan gained independence.

However, many of these refugees have returned home, especially after conflict broke out in Sudan.

According to data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), over one million people have fled to South Sudan, including both refugees and returnees escaping the violence in Sudan.

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