20 - 40 S. Sudanese seek refuge at Kiryandongo daily

By Nicholas Wassajja

It’s close to two years since Mabior Deng Chol 27, left his home in Torit Eastern Equatorial to seek asylum at Kiryandongo refugee settlement in northern Uganda. 

Mabior, a native of south Sudan has resorted to positioning roots there, months after fleeing home when the world’s youngest nation plunged into violence. 

The third deputy Prime Minister, Moses Ali(C) in Adjuman district to celebrate the UN World Refugee Day on June 20, 2015. Photo/Andrew Masinde

“On January 15, 2014, I became displaced after losing all my relatives. Going back to South Sudan will not be soon, that’s why I decided to build a house here. My dependents and I can stay here until maybe things turn to normal,” Mabior explained to New Vision.

Mabior’s story is one of the over 40,000 thousand stories of people who have fled to Kiryandongo in northern Uganda since the political insurgency broke out in South Sudan.


Sudanese refugee dancing during the UN World Refugee Day celebrations in Adjuman district on June 20, 2015. Photo/Andrew Masinde

According to the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Major David Matovu, every day, between 20-4 0 refugees are looking for settlement in the Kiryandongo camps.

The remarks were made  on Tuesday in Kiryandongo district at the sidelines of a ceremony to mark the international day of the African Child.

The ceremony, graced by the minister for gender, labour and social development, Rukia Nakadama and the bank secretary of the Bank of Uganda, George Nyeko also included commissioning of three early childhood development centers on Siriba, Okwece and Diika primary schools. 

Matovu says that the influx has been largely caused by the government’s policy to allocate land for housing and farming in settlement areas to refugees that have remained here for long.

The third deputy Prime Minister, Moses Ali in Adjuman district to celebrate the UN World Refugee Day on June 20, 2015. Photo/Andrew Masinde

“Apart from the settlement policy, they are also allowed freedom of movement to those who don’t wish to live in the camps for as long as they can make ends meet on their own,” he explained.

The RDC, Major Matovu said that the increasing number of refugees has also resulted into high crime rates.

“Only this year, we have sized over 20 guns from the refugee camps. What happens is these people (south Sudanese) transfer their resentment of the conflict based on tribes. We need a quick intervention,” he raged.

The Siriba sub-county chairperson, Edward Mapapali said that, "working with central government and non-government organizations, we provide greater livelihood opportunities for refugees to achieve socio-economic security, reducing their dependency on food and other assistance."



The third deputy Prime Minister, Moses Ali inspecting the guard of honour during the UN World Refugee Day celebrations in Adjuman district on June 20, 2015. Photo/Andrew Masinde

Kiryandongo also gives the South Sudanese refugees a safe place to live, basic food and water, and access to schools for their children.

Few, if any of the refugees at the settlement have plans to return to South Sudan anytime soon.

He however decries the levels of violence and crime in the camps seated on over 27 square miles and harboring 70 over different ethnicities.
 
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