As the world marked the Refugees Day, South Sudanese refugees in Kakuma are demanding the speedy implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace deal to facilitate their return home.
They said life in the camp is getting hard as UN agencies have cut down on food ration and Kenyan authorities have curtailed some of their freedoms.
“Our life here as South Sudanese is so bad…life is hard; no food and other things. Most people here are staying because of education. Let the government do something,” Lilian Samia Ogwaro, 43 appealed.
Those who spoke to Singaita FM from Kakuma Refugee camp in Kenya mentioned that they don’t feel free while in the camp.
Most say they are not able to travel freely or establish businesses unlike when in their own country.
“…the limitation that we have as refugees are that we can not travel or move, we have limited services that any citizen can enjoy. So that is why we like going back home to enjoy the services of our own country. We really miss it,” said Austin Boboya, who has lived in the camp for the last 27 years.
Others also complained about the lack of enough food and water in the camp. They appealed to the Transitional Government of National Unity to restore total peace through the full implementation of the remaining peace provisions.
“South Sudanese are traumatized…nothing is being done in the country, we don’t see economy being improved, the infrastructure and job opportunities being put in place…people just signed document but on the ground, they are not doing it,” said Najat Said, 48.
The RTGoNU is yet to graduate the unified forces, promulgate a new constitution, initiate sector-wide reforms, and implement repatriation and reparation for families and victims of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts.
“All of us are waiting for this peace agreement to be implemented and things will improve in the country,” Lilian Samia concluded.