Hundreds of Sudanese Refugees Arrive in Aweil, South Sudan, After Fleeing Abyei
Hundreds of Sudanese refugees have been relocated from the contested Abyei region to Aweil in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan, after months of living outdoors with minimal food and shelter, a refugee representative said.
The refugees, displaced by Sudan’s ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fled Abyei—an oil-rich area claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan—due to worsening conditions and the approaching rainy season.
Mohamed Ahmed Abdallah, a refugee representative, told Sudan Tribune: “We have finally reached Aweil town, and we were well received. In Abyei, we spent more than six months in the open, with no food… no shelter. It was a situation of hunger.”
Authorities in Aweil facilitated the relocation. Dominic Kang, Northern Bahr el Ghazal’s minister of land, housing, and infrastructure, confirmed that 192 Sudanese refugees arrived in Wanyjok, the administrative headquarters of Aweil East County, on Sunday, welcomed by Governor Tong Akeen Ngor.
The refugees were transported on 15 trucks, prioritizing vulnerable groups, including children, women, the elderly, and those with medical needs. Some were taken to hospitals in Aweil, including one operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Relief items, such as rice, beans, maize flour, and cooking oil, were distributed to support their immediate needs.
Governor Ngor encouraged South Sudanese returnees to reintegrate and participate in farming during the ongoing agricultural season while plans continue to bring more stranded individuals from Abyei before the rainy season worsens.
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