South Sudan: 236,764 refugees returned home since 2017, says UNHCR

South Sudan received over 357,450 refugees back home from regional countries since 2017 November, said UN refugee agency, according to a report by CGTN Africa.

Reportedly saying on Thursday, the UNHCR Relief stated that over 236,764 refugees have returned to South Sudan as updated by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission's (RRC) monthly (December 2020) data. The numbers had shown a significant rise after 2018's revitalized peace agreement, it added.

A majority of 61 percent of spontaneously returned refugees belong to Sudan while the rest 23 percent were from Ethiopia, it reported.

The report suggested that the cross-border movements and return is a cause-effect of improved security inflows and family visits in Sudan in the time of festivity. While adding the refugees also mentioned several incidents of arrests, harassment, and extortion by authorities at Nimule border, Nadapal points with Uganda and Kenya, stating another reason for return to the country.

It further revealed that the refugees have also expressed fear, observing unrest in Ethiopia and have assumed political unrest in Uganda, stating one of the reasons for their return.

The country is implementing 2018's revitalized peace deal in the current time that was signed by the former parties in Ethiopia to cease the six years conflict, after the outbreak in 2013 December.