Foreword
Getting around in South Sudan could not have been more difficult. Politically and ethnically motivated conflicts underline sustained violence in the world’s newest country. The state in South Sudan is barely existent and can hardly provide basic public goods and services, including security. Climate change has hindered food production resulting in famine on a large scale.
As new rebel factions continue to emerge and ethnic tensions deepen, neither the African leaders under the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) nor the international community has managed to successfully press for an end to the violence in South Sudan. Consequently, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that more that 4.7 million South Sudanese have fled their homes. That makes 38 percent of the country’s population estimated at around 12.2 million.
The level of human suffering resulting from the South Sudan conflict demands immediate action towards achieving an end to the war. Most urgently however is the need to support those fleeing from the violence to find a safe place to settle and live in dignity as they wait to return home when peace is finally achieved.
Uganda has been forthright in welcoming and accommodating those fleeing violence and other forms of suffering, such as famine. It is home to more than 1.2 million refugees, about 900,000 of whom are from South Sudan. Uganda has also won international praise for guaranteeing the rights of refugees by providing land for settlement and agriculture, ensuring freedom of movement, and providing an environment where the refugees can run businesses and take up job placements just like Ugandan citizens would.
In line with our commitment to solidarity and social justice, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), joins the world in recognising Uganda’s exemplary commitment to refugee protection and management, and in calling upon the rest of the world to emulate and support the country in fulfilling this obligation.
Mathias Kamp
Country Representative Uganda and South Sudan, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
