Deadline looms for southern citizens in Sudan

The Government of South Sudan (GoSS), independent since July, has said northerners living in the south would be granted dual citizenship. But up to a million southerners living in the north are now considered foreigners, and under new regulations, they must decide by 9 March whether to apply for Sudanese citizenship or leave their homes and communities behind to begin new lives in South Sudan.

To southerners who have spent most of their lives in the north, the notion of repatriation” has an odd ring to it, because they feel their home—and their nation -- is in the north.

But Fakhr Eldin Faiz Deng Achouth, born to a mother from the north and a father from the south, can enjoy the best of both worlds: he is one of very few southerners allowed to hold dual citizenship.  

In Sudanese custom, a child’s religion and tribe are inherited paternally. So even though Achouth has dual lineage, he is by law South Sudanese, because his father hails from a town in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal, which lies south of the border.  

He looks back fondly on his earliest memories of playing with neighbourhood children in the forest from morning till dusk.
 
As a child I never noticed a difference between people from the north or south because I am a mix of the two,” Fakhr said between sips of local coffee known as jabana.

Because Achouth is the son of a medical assistant who was regularly dispatched around the country, he grew up accustomed to constant travel. He was raised in Malakal, Upper Nile State, then moved to Northern Kordofan. He later settled in Juba, where his parents had met while attending university.

Open doors, daunting transitions

The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, which formally ended two decades of civil war, created new job opportunities for southern Sudanese like Achouth, a geologist. He was offered a position at the Ministry of Petroleum in 2010; today he works at a major oil-producing company that operates in both Juba and Khartoum.

A voter after casting his ballot during the independence referendum held in January 2011.When 99% of Southern Sudanese voted in favour of independence in the referendum held in January 2011, Khartoum stated that southerners residing in the north would lose their Sudanese nationality. Achouth’s case represents a rare exception.

I’m from South Sudan,” he said, laughing. Juba is the place I want to be. It is where I will get my identity and my passport.”  

But other southerners divided between two nations face tremendous challenges.

Nyibol, a resident in Mayo Camp, south of Khartoum, found repatriation a difficult undertaking. Her family, having fled the war many years ago, returned home with few prospects to rebuild their lives.

In Haj Yusif, a Khartoum suburb home to many southerners living near construction sites, a local pastor was offering counsel to those facing an uncertain future.

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These South Sudanese face a dilemma to leave the capital or wait in hopes of receiving assistance, said Jarves Mading Bur.

The majority of them speak very little English, the official language of South Sudan, so relocating would be fraught with additional difficulties of readjustment.

Even though many are born here and used to the environment, we voted for self-determination and want to start a new life outside Khartoum,” he said.

But given recent, deadly clashes along the north-south border, safety is a grave concern for those thinking of traveling south by road. Many would have to find housing once they arrived.

Waiting game

Prior to the independence referendum, many southerners urged their compatriots in the north to go south for the vote, then settle there and help develop the region. Those who had the capital, or received financial assistance, did leave. But for those who stayed in Khartoum, life has taken on a state of limbo.

A South Sudanese woman awaiting her repatriation in Kosti.They’ve been waiting for a train that is supposed to repatriate them to the south, but it has yet to arrive.  

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently repatriated more than 3,000 South Sudanese from Kosti, on the western bank of the White Nile river, to Juba, a journey that can take up to two weeks.

Students enrolled in Khartoum universities will be allowed to continue their studies,” said Benoni Charles, a third year IT student. They will just have to get South Sudanese passports and pay visa fees.”

In his view, southerners should be allowed to stay in the north if they want. I’m sure they have their reasons to do so and I have nothing against it,” he said.

His own plans include immigrating to Australia once he completes his studies. He has no intention of going to South Sudan in the near future, he said.

But Fakhr Eldin Faiz Deng Achouth, the petroleum geologist, thinks all southerners should leave Sudan and help boost the new nation’s infrastructure.

It is of no use for you to say you want to contribute to the development of your country when you develop another,” he said.

However, he readily acknowledges that people in dire circumstances, such as those suffering from serious illness, should be allowed to remain in Khartoum. South Sudan’s healthcare sector is far less developed, with fewer hospitals.  

Digital ID, legal Sharia

Several months ago, Sudanese authorities introduced an eleven-digit identity number that enables them to register citizens electronically.  

In a press statement, Major General Mohammed Ahmed Al-Sayed, Administrative Director of the Civil Registry in Sudan, said the national identity number eliminates the need for personal documents and other ID cards for transactions carried out by the police.

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Because the new registration forms require details such as ethnicity and the signature of a witness, it is now impossible for any southerner or non-Sudanese to bypass the law and apply for citizenship.

The enforcement of Sharia law in Sudan, which President Omar al-Bashir announced would take effect in December, could present another obstacle to southerners living in the north, even those in the process of repatriating.

As long as Sharia does not coincide or interfere with my safety or trespass my identity and religious freedom, I can accept it,” said a medical student at Afhad University who did not want to give his name.

But Jarves Mading Bur, the pastor, said non-Muslim southerners he has counseled in Khartoum fear they will be judged accordingly. Many people would like to leave,” he said, but they are still waiting for their social service benefits.”