March 16, 2006 – (Juba) – Nearly 3,000 internally displaced persons left Khartoum on Monday for their original homes in Warap state.

A member of the High Organizing Committee for Voluntary Repatriation, Akonon Ajuong Deng, told Sudan Radio Service in Juba on Tuesday that of those IDP’s, most are returning to Abyei from the Jebel Aulia camp.  The returnees are traveling in 30 buses while 12 trucks are carrying their belongings.

The convoy is being escorted by the United Nations special police force commanded by a Lieutenant Gabriel Karshoum.  The UN says the escort is a precautionary measure to protect the IDP’s against attacks by hostile armed groups along the way.  Recently an armed group killed 39 SPLA soldiers and wounded 27 others near Abyei.

The Assisted Voluntary Return campaign was initiated by the leadership of Warap state who asked for support from the National Unity and Southern Sudan governments to facilitate the repatriation of more IDP’s in the coming days.