UGANDA: More refugees return from Sudan

KAMPALA, 15 October (IRIN) - Thirty three refugees who fled Uganda to Sudan during the years of turmoil that followed the end of Idi Amin Dada's reign in 1979 were repatriated on Monday, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

UNHCR Senior Protection Officer Stephan Gonah told IRIN that this brings the total number repatriated from Sudan to 226. He said the ages ranged from toddlers to 60-year-olds.

Gonah said most had been living in Juba, southern Sudan. Most of those who had stayed on were students who had decided to complete their studies in Sudan before returning home.

"Whoever completed his or her commitments to study still gets help with repatriation by UNHCR," Gonah said.

Most of the 33 returnees are from Uganda's West Nile region which borders southern Sudan. Many had fled fearing reprisals from one of a number of armed factions following the fall of Amin's military dictatorship.

Amin's army and much-feared secret police force consisted largely of Ugandans drawn from the West Nile region.

[ENDS]

[This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or
to change your keywords, contact e-mail: [email protected] or Web:
http://www.irinnews.org . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post
this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial
sites requires written IRIN permission.]

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2003