South Sudanese returnees climb down an airplane at Juba airport upon their repatriation from Eritrea. Oct 18, 2024. (Photo: MoFA&IC/Facebook).

About 21 South Sudanese nationals who fled the country’s pre-independence civil war to Eritrea in the 1980s, have been voluntarily repatriated from the Horn of Africa nation, the foreign ministry said.

The male-majority returnees were warmly received at Juba International Airport by senior government officials including ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Youth and Sports, and other dignitaries, on Friday.

The repatriation process was coordinated by the South Sudan Embassy in Asmara, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and several United Nations agencies.

Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohammed Abdallah Goc encouraged the returnees to actively participate in nation-building and called on all South Sudanese living abroad to voluntarily return and contribute to the country’s development.

“Our citizens have decided to come back home, and we are calling upon our people in neighboring countries such as Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda to do the same,” he said in a statement to the media.

“We would be happy to see all sons and daughters of South Sudan come together to build our country. We need the contribution of all South Sudanese.”

Meanwhile, Joseph Geng, the Minister of Youth and Sports, also acting as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, thanked the Eritrean government for hosting the South Sudanese nationals.

He also acknowledged the role of development partners in making the repatriation possible.

“This ministry will take care of you and provide the services you need. Thank you for voluntarily coming back. With the rainy season upon us, we will coordinate with state authorities to arrange visits for those who wish to reconnect with their families,” said Minister Geng.

The return of the refugees marks another step in South Sudan’s efforts to rebuild and strengthen its communities after years of conflict and displacement.

The conflict in South Sudan has left over 2.2 million refugees and 2.2 million IDPs displaced for over a decade, with climate change and food insecurity compounding the crisis.