By Bida Elly David
The first vice president Dr Riak Machar Teny has appealed to internally displaced persons to return back home and rebuild their livelihoods to enjoy peace privileges promising them that there will be no more war again.
He made the statement during a peace prayer held at the IDP camp in Juba on Sunday attended by numerous high-level government officials, and drew thousands of IDPs from the UNMISS-run PoC camp
Addressing the IDPs on Sunday, Dr Machar acknowledged that citizens have truly suffered bloodshed and displacement to various camps which were not out of their will.
He conveyed sympathy and apologies to the displaced population amid the challenges that have been impeding them for more than ten years in the camps saying that there will be no hunger, sickness peace has prevailed.
Riek also told the displaced that life in the camp won’t contribute to further development since there will be over-dependence on aid and urged the displaced to return and build better lives in their homes.
Machar told the afflicted to put their grumbles aside and build the tendency of embracing peace among themselves through forgiveness and dialogue.
“We are very much determined to implement this peace and you play a very important role in peace-building,” Riek said. “There are also IDPs in Bentiu, in Bor, In Malakal and Wau. I will repeat the same message, peace has come, and we must forgive ourselves and unite so that we start a better life tomorrow,” he added.
The first vice president said that the government is concerned about the dilemma faced by the citizens in the camp since two third of their population could not access government services and the chance to do business.
“When we see you in this situation, we feel bad because you deserve to rebuild your lives and enjoy the privileges of peace like anyone else. If you are a trader, go and make business, if you are a farmer, go and cultivate. We don’t want you to continue living in this difficult situation.” He told the IDPs.
However, the internally displaced persons (IDPs) at Juba’s protection of civilians (PoC) camp have urged the interim unity government to first accomplish the implementation of the transitional security arrangements especially the redeployment of the necessary unified forces on duty stations to guarantee their (IDPs) safety before embarking on voluntary return home.
According to the International Organization for Immigration, there are approximately 203,000 people still living in five United Nations camps across the country, following the violence in December 2013 and in July 2016.
The IOM report, also states that the majority of the displaced persons are in a desperate situation since most of them exist without their relatives who went missing during the 2013 and 2016 civil war.