Deputy Speaker Orders Joint Investigation
Deputy Speaker Parmena Awerial Aluong directed four parliamentary committees to verify claims that more than 100 South Sudanese women were expelled from Sudan without their infants, an issue raised during an extraordinary sitting in Juba on Thursday.
He instructed the panels on Foreign Affairs, Humanitarian Affairs, Human Rights, and Defense and Security to work with the Foreign Ministry and present urgent findings.
Accounts from the Border Town of Renk
Renk Commissioner Diing Deng Lueth reported that Sudanese security forces detained women in Khartoum, placed them on buses southward, and isolated them from children during transit, describing the measure as a clear breach of basic human rights.
Local authorities halted the vehicles at Joda crossing, trying to prevent further separations while awaiting guidance from Juba and Khartoum.
Sudanese Delegation Explains Mandate
Lieutenant Ali Saleh Bilal, leading the convoy, stated he executed orders from the Sudanese Department of Foreigners as part of a ‘joint campaign against foreigners’ and delivered a manifest listing mothers, some with children and others alone.
Bilal acknowledged an obligation to return affected women to Sudan so they could collect their children before any further transfer south.
Legal and Humanitarian Implications
South Sudanese lawmaker Stephen Bol Lay labeled the practice ‘inhuman’ and urged Sudan to observe international norms safeguarding family unity, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Human rights advocates warn that forced separation may constitute cruel treatment under African Union human rights instruments, potentially opening avenues for regional legal redress.
Prospects for Regional Diplomacy
Analysts note that Juba and Khartoum maintain fragile ties shaped by economic interdependence and unresolved border questions; how both capitals handle the deportation issue could influence broader security cooperation.
Parliament’s swift probe aims to present verified facts that can underpin dialogue, reduce tension, and secure the immediate reunion of families affected by the campaign.