JUBA—More than 20 South Sudanese nationals face deportation from Sudan after a court in Al-Dabbah, Northern State, ordered the expulsion of 23 individuals on Wednesday.
This ruling has triggered fears among hundreds of South Sudanese residents that they could be next, following a government directive for foreign nationals to leave the area.
John Julius, a leader for South Sudanese in Al-Dabbah, stated that the charges underpinning the court’s decision remain unclear, as Sudanese authorities have yet to issue a statement explaining the circumstances behind the deportation order.
“I am now before the court in Al-Dabbah town where 23 South Sudanese nationals were seized from their homes, detained, and arraigned in court. They are now being expelled from the country without being allowed to take any personal belongings,” Julius said by phone from Al-Dabbah.
Last week, the Committee for the Registration and Control of Foreign Presence announced an eight-day deadline for foreigners to leave the town, intensifying anxiety among South Sudanese families residing in Al-Dabbah.
Preliminary information indicates that the court ordered the deportation of the 23 South Sudanese nationals who were arrested from their homes and are not permitted to retrieve any personal belongings or household property.
Julius reported that residents in Al-Dabbah and other parts of Northern State fear losing their homes, businesses, and investments if the order is enforced without legal guarantees or adequate time to regularise their status.
Many South Sudanese own homes, businesses, and other property, and their children attend local schools, making it extremely difficult to implement the order without considering their humanitarian circumstances.
Al-Dabbah, an agricultural and trading hub, is a strategically vital town in Sudan’s Northern State, situated about 300 km north-west of Khartoum. It also serves as a transit point for displaced families fleeing violence in Darfur.
Attempts to reach South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Sudanese Embassy in Juba for comment were unsuccessful.
