The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, has welcomed the ratification of the 1969 Refugee Convention by the National Assembly. 

The Convention — which governs the specific aspects of refugee problems in the continent — was signed by 38 heads of state and governments of Africa in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa in 1969.

The Convention recognizes the need for a humanitarian approach towards solving the problems of the refugees in Africa.

Forty five of the 54 Member-states of the African Union have now ratified the Convention.

“It is a very positive step in the right direction,” Tim Irwin, the UNCHR’s Public Information Officer told Eye Radio.

“It is an example of the government’s commitment to international obligation to try to protect the refugees.”

There are about 220,000 refugees in South Sudan.  Most are from the Sudanese states of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan.