President Salva Kiir has again appealed to the Madi Community who fled during the 2016 conflict to return to their homes.
The Madi community, indigenous to defunct Pageri County, fled the area to neighboring Uganda following the political crisis.
More than 5 and half years since the conflict began, they are yet to return home, despite repeated calls by the government for them to do so.
They often say insecurity persists along the Juba-Nimule highway where most of them lived.
The now-refugees also say their homes have been destroyed, while armed men, including cattle keepers, are still present in the areas.
President Kiir reassured the indigenous of the government’s commitment to protect and provide services to the returnees.
He was speaking over the weekend during the celebration of 100 years of Our Lady of Assumption Parish, Catholic Church in Loa.”
“I would like to appeal to the residents of this region who are still in refuge to come back home and this appeal also goes to others across the country,” President Kiir said.
“I will repeat, come home and join hands with us to develop the country. We are aware of the challenges that face the returnees but I still urge you to come home, home is better than foreign land.”
“With the three arms of the government now established will work with the newly sworn-in RTNLA to propose all the programs that will support the return and resettlement of displaced persons.”
But less than 24 hours after his speech, four people were killed in Kubi along the Juba-Nimule highway.
Armed men attacked a passenger vehicle, killing two catholic nuns and two other passengers on the same road used by the President a day earlier.
During the celebrations in Loa, a prominent Madi academician called on the government to set up institutions that will provide security and encourage the refugees to return home.
Mairi J. Blackings, a Professor of Literary Linguistics at the University of Juba called on the government to come with a plan to encourage people to return home.
“People have been here for the last one week and so far it has been relatively peaceful,” said Prof. Blackings.
“We need the government to come with a plan to encourage people to remain, especially institutions like schools, hospitals, a lot of our houses here are in a sorry state, the roof has been removed.”
The natives of Magwi who fled to Uganda during the 2016 violence have often criticized the government for failing to establish institutions like schools and health centers that were demolished during the violence.
They want the soldiers relocated from civilian areas and cattle keepers removed from farming lands.