Written by: Badr Ahmed

The Embassy of the Republic of South Sudan in the Arab Republic of Egypt announced the imminent launch of a voluntary return program for South Sudanese citizens residing in Egypt, in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in a step aimed at facilitating the safe and organized return of those wishing to go back to their country, according to the priority of registration.

The announcement was made by the Ambassador of the Republic of South Sudan to Egypt, Ambassador Kuol Nyok, during his participation in the closing prayers ceremony for the soul of the deceased, Luji Youssef Ajak, which was held at the Evangelical Church in the Ain Shams area of Cairo, where he began his speech by offering sincere condolences and sympathy to the family of the deceased, praying to God to have mercy on him and inspire his family with patience and solace.

Launch of the voluntary return program for South Sudanese citizens residing in Egypt

The ambassador confirmed that the voluntary return program is being prepared for launch in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration, noting that beneficiaries will be selected according to the priority of registration, calling on citizens wishing to return permanently to South Sudan to expedite the submission of their applications so that they can be included in the trips scheduled to be organized during the next phase.

Regarding the situation of the community members in Egypt, the ambassador called on all South Sudanese citizens to complete the legal residency procedures, whether they are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or studying at Egyptian universities, stressing that settling legal status guarantees the protection of their rights and facilitates their access to services and programs provided by the competent authorities.

Kual Nyok explained that he recently returned from an official visit to South Sudan, during which he held talks with officials on a number of issues concerning the Sudanese community in Egypt. He emphasized that after returning to Cairo, he continued his meetings with representatives of civil society to follow up on these issues and work to find practical solutions to them in coordination with the relevant authorities.

The ambassador noted that the voluntary return flights will depart directly from Cairo International Airport to the capital, Juba, pointing out that citizens who still hold Sudanese passports are advised to head first to Juba to complete the procedures for settling their legal status and obtaining official documents for the Republic of South Sudan.

The ambassador concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the embassy will continue to work with the International Organization for Migration and the relevant authorities to address the various issues of concern to the community in Egypt, calling on citizens to cooperate with the embassy and adhere to official procedures to ensure they benefit from the voluntary return program and the services provided to them, which will contribute to organizing the return process and providing the necessary support for those wishing to settle again in South Sudan.