Rising Wave of South Sudanese Voluntary Returns
Dozens of families are leaving Kenya’s Kakuma camp every week, trekking 400 kilometres toward the Nadapal gate that marks South Sudan’s frontier. Local authorities in Greater Kapoeta estimate more than 2,000 people have crossed since July, a figure climbing steadily.
Returnees cite shrinking food rations, classroom overcrowding, and uncertainty over future resettlement prospects inside the sprawling Kenyan settlement, according to testimonies gathered by Eye Radio reporters and humanitarian monitors.
Envoy Adut Salva Kiir’s Dignity-First Blueprint
Sworn in this week as Senior Presidential Envoy on Special Programs, Adut Salva Kiir used her maiden briefing to promise a ‘dignity-first’ reintegration package comprising emergency cash, psychosocial support and fast-tracked civil documentation for the returning citizens.
“Our doors remain open. No South Sudanese should feel abandoned after years of exile,” she told national media, adding that coordination hubs will open in Kapoeta, Torit and Juba within the month.
Lawmakers Call for Rapid Border Logistics
In the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, MP Deng Dau Deng warned that exhausted walkers risk dehydration on the arid road south of Lokichogio. He urged the Interior Ministry to deploy trucks and medical teams at Nadapal without delay.
Committee chair James Wani said parliament expects a joint operational plan from the ministries of Humanitarian Affairs, Defence and Transport before the next session, stressing that ‘safe and orderly movement is a constitutional obligation’.
Humanitarian Agencies Balance Scarce Funding
UNHCR figures show that 232,000 South Sudanese still reside in Kakuma and Kalobeyei, but donor contributions for the Kenyan camps now cover barely half of 2024 needs. Aid groups fear onward returns could accelerate during the October dry spell.
The International Organization for Migration says it will reopen its Torit way-station, while the World Food Programme plans high-energy biscuit drops along the Nadapal-Kapoeta corridor if convoy security permits.
Communities Prepare for Homecoming Challenges
Village chiefs near Kapoeta report pressure on scarce water boreholes and classrooms already operating double shifts. Yet many locals, themselves once displaced, have organized welcoming committees to pool sorghum, mats and temporary shelter.
Telecom operator MTN South Sudan announced free SIM cards for returnees this week, aiming to keep families connected with relatives still across the border.
Outlook for Sustainable Reintegration
Analysts argue that successful repatriation depends on quick delivery of basic services, but also on long-term investments in agriculture and youth employment so that returnees are not compelled to migrate again.
For now, the combined promises from Juba, parliament and aid partners offer a cautious optimism. Whether those pledges translate into water, seeds and textbooks in Eastern Equatoria will shape the next chapter of South Sudan’s recovery journey.