Over 10,000 refugees back home from Uganda in a year: UNHCR

The number of Sudanese refugees to return home from Uganda in the last year has passed the 10,000 mark, after 204 refugees headed home on Friday, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said.

UNHCR said in statement on Friday that a convoy of Sudanese refugees left Moyo in northwestern Uganda for Kajo Keji in southern Sudan carrying 64 families.

"This latest convoy brings to 10,005 the total number of Sudanese refugees who have voluntarily returned home from Uganda since the Government of Uganda and UNHCR began facilitating returns in May 2006," UNHCR said.

The agency added that the exercise had gained a new momentum after operations began again on 6 March following an interruption in service due to a meningitis outbreak in the region.

"The present pace of 3,742 returns from Uganda since March 2007 means that in five weeks of operations, we have already achieved some 30 percent of our 2007 target," the agency said.

The returnees are mainly being repatriated to Central Equatoria State, namely Greater Yei, Kajo Keji and Juba.

The convoys carry the refugees, as well as their personal belongings, food, and small farm animals.

Uganda hosts the largest population of registered Sudanese refugees in the world, with around 170,000 living in refugee camps.

The Sudanese refugees have been slow to return home despite a peace agreement signed in 2005. The repatriation has suffered many setbacks, including the killing of southern Sudanese leader John Garang in a helicopter clash, which sparked fears that hostilities could resume.

While some refugees have adopted a wait-and-see attitude, others have complained that facilities in southern Sudan are not prepared for their return, and others still fear attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels.

vm/jm