The union is urgently appealing to international partners and the state government for support to expedite the repatriation process.
Tong Kuot Tong, the union’s spokesperson, told this publication over the weekend that the returnees are living in dire conditions, camping under trees in Amieet without access to food, water, or basic necessities.
“The situation is catastrophic,” Kuot said. “These 1,500 individuals, including elderly people, fled conflict in Sudan, coming from areas like Omdurman and other regions. They are in critical condition and cannot endure these hardships much longer.”
Kuot emphasized the overwhelming scale of the crisis, noting that the union lacks the resources to address it alone.
“The number of returnees is too high, and we are doing our best to lobby for support. We are sympathetic but incapacitated,” he said.
The spokesperson called on Northern Bahr El Ghazal Governor Simon Ober Mawut and the South Sudan government to intervene swiftly to assist the stranded returnees.
Kuot expressed frustration that while authorities from other regions are evacuating their communities, Aweil’s returnees remain neglected.
“If this situation is not addressed urgently, it could have severe consequences,” Kuot warned, urging immediate action to prevent further suffering.
The refugee crisis in Abyei stems from Sudan’s ongoing civil war, which erupted on April 15, 2023, when violent clashes broke out in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.
The conflict, rooted in a power struggle following a 2021 military coup, has spread across Sudan, particularly devastating Khartoum, Darfur, and other regions.
By April 2025, the war has displaced over 12 million people, including 8.9 million internally and 3.4 million as refugees, with an estimated 150,000 lives lost.
South Sudanese living in Sudan, many of whom had sought refuge there during South Sudan’s own conflicts, have been severely affected.
Over 700,000 South Sudanese returnees, primarily from Khartoum and Omdurman, have fled back to South Sudan since 2023, escaping violence, ethnic targeting, and economic collapse.
Without resources or infrastructure to reintegrate, many, including those stranded in Abyei, face dire humanitarian conditions.
