South Kordofan displaced ‘want to go home’

The displaced people living in the Al Muraib area of South Kordofan have demanded that the authorities return them to their home areas. The omda of the Al Muraib area, Adam Taher Almuck Abkar, told Radio Dabanga on Wednesday that between 10,000 and 15,000 were originally displaced by fighting between rebels and government forces in the area last year. “No humanitarian aid has reached the people in Umm Merrahi, Khor Al Sabbagh, Eyal Agib and Teiba, since they became displaced,” Abkar said. “They therefore face extremely complex conditions with shortages of food and drink, and challenges in the spheres of health and the environment. “We were only ever visited by the Commissioner of El Abassiya locality, Fathi Arabiare, who promised to return us to Al Muraib, but so far we are still waiting.” The omda said that some citizens have tried to return to the region, “but government forces stand in the way as they have moved into their homes”. Omda Abkar says that the Al Muraib displaced perceive the government and national organisations’ disregard for them as “discrimination that demonstrates that there are first-class and second-class citizens”. Abkar: “The government and national organisations were concerned with the displaced of Abu Karshola, gave them the support, and helped them return to their areas after the situation cooled down. We have been waiting with only promises for a year, even though we have handed a memorandum to the state governor, Ahmed Haroun.” The omda suggests the memorandum “found its way into the trash”, asking: “As it is the state’s duty to its citizens is to protect them, why this discrimination?” File photo by Albert González Farran/UNAMID