What role did the GOSS Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management play in IDPs Repatriation?
By: Lok Franco Kok, SOUTH SUDAN APR. 22/2011, SSN; Despite the return of almost two million Southern Sudanese IDPs from the north since the beginning of repatriation, thousands still remained unrepatriated. What are their prospects of return? The official data said the government facilitated the return of thousands of IDPs from the north to their various places in the South. As the government began a voluntary repatriation program for people displaced to different towns in the north during the civil war, I was shocked once I traveled to Khartoum and found that many IDPs are still staying in open football fields in the suburb of Khartoum waiting for repatriation. The government made arrangements for their safe and dignified repatriation since the military operation has been ended and peace restored in the troubled region in 2005,but delay on the process was one of the challenges. After more than two decades of civil war between the north and South, there was an enormous amount of internal and external human displacement, which caused millions to live in neighboring countries and many more to the north of the country. But there was only little structures, currently from the government, existing to address the problems of repatriation, as the Government failed to make their repatriation more comprehensive. Hundreds of families who were uprooted from their residences during the announcement of repatriations to the South are seared up in the summer heat of Khartoum facing supplies limitation of water, food and shelter at Haj-Yousef, Soba and others residential areas, silently waiting the day of their repatriation. Last year, Donors in collaboration with GOSS allocated 30 million Sudanese pounds to Humanitarian and Disaster Management ministry for the repatriations of IDPs from the north. The ministry repatriated some IDPs, and as the number was high many more remained. The repatriation is indefinitely halted for a reason best known to the Ministry, whether they are lacking funds or other reasons. The South Sudan government specifically lacks the local capacity to delegate a proper person to organize a comprehensive repatriation and solve out the problems facing those abandoned IDPs. The repatriation exercised few months ago for repatriation of internally displaced persons from different areas in northern Sudan to their various Towns in the South has been indefinitely halted over findings that it had been marred by irregularities. As we look back over time we find ourselves wondering why the people who fought for the freedom of south Sudan should eventually work to enrich themselves from the public money that's supposed to be spent for development, but instead used to purchase expensive estates abroad and sending their children to the best schools in Europe, America and Australia. What about the children whose fathers died in the liberation of South Sudan? Good men must die, but death cannot kill their good names, reputations and what they have done for the benefit of the future generations. Some narrow-minded people are not always happy with the peace lovers' position on issues of corruption and segregation they're practicing, they want them to remain dormant not to speak out against their malpractices. A person who has no sympathy and compassionate heart to the poor and vulnerable people may be regarded as unhealthy and un-sound minded or a person who lost his humanity and he is living in stage of wild beast in human form. What happened in our home land needs our consolation and comfort to grievance even if they are your enemies. The misuse of entrusted Money for private gain is considered an issue that the government need to instantly address. The government is responsible to follow-up any sum of money given to a person or organization to carry out a certain project. Throughout the history of the government in the south, corruption was a huge consideration among the government officials, but I wonder how come the corruption emerged inside the Humanitarian affairs ministry. Last year, Humanitarian and Disaster Management ministry was accused for corruption. However, corruption is a particularly sensitive issue within the government as daily reports on corruption could undermine public trust in the work of humanitarians and disaster ministry, that could lead to a decrease in the already-scarce resources available to support civilians' repatriation after conflicts and/or natural disasters. Widespread loss of lives and suffering caused by natural or man-made disasters or conflicts produces the need for humanitarian responses. And how can it works while the humanitarian ministry is corrupted? The Issue of corruption is surely sensitive as it can diminish the value of 'ROSS', our New Republic to be. The humanitarian imperative expressed in the principle of humanity is sometimes interpreted as justifying the ‘lesser evil’ of corruption, if this is required in order to save lives and alleviate suffering. As a civil Society activist, I honestly believe that the word `HUMANITY,' is really misunderstood by GOSS to appoint wrong people in a highly respected ministry. Obviously, the humanitarian ministry failed to achieve its objectives, but exacerbated the conditions of IDPs living in shanty towns or squatter settlements in the suburbs of Khartoum. This itself is potentially damaging the reputation of both the ministry of Humanitarian and disaster management as well as GOSS itself. I could hardly believe that the motive behind being officially elected and/or legally appointed meant to indulge in corruption, instead of serving the public. I surely believe that is what caused the political mess-up throughout South Sudan. Explicitly, the Current IDPs situation in Khartoum is like hell, and it needs a prompt action from the Government as the delegated ministry retired into privacy of seclusion. It's the government that could take prompt measures to make a quick repatriation plan to help them (IDPs) from that gloomy situations. The solution needed is to acknowledge the complexity of the situation at hand. A first step must be to accept the obvious, that full repatriation is desirable and repatriation so far necessary to help IDPs from deteriorating situation they are facing. It should be good if the government realizes that there are currently more families waiting for repatriation. Whatever the particular set of circumstances that drive an expatriate to consider repatriation there are just as many things to consider and plans to formulate to adjust to the repatriation and to return home successfully as there are to expatriate in the first place! Moreover, a body formed to look after the issue of the IDPs, could keep devising a comprehensive strategy for providing maximum facilities to the IDPs upon their arrival, in their homes as the return process of the in-camp IDPs had entered the last phase. We could be mindful of the deficiencies in the relief operation and could try our best to remove them with the initiation of a plan for settlement of IDPs in their respective areas in the near future. I called on the South Sudan government to shoulder up its responsibility for repatriation of the IDPs to their home areas, before rainfall. The delay in conducting the repatriation process is unacceptable and unjustifiable as South Sudan will celebrate its independent in three months time. The author reside in South Sudan and reachable: [email protected] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
