3000 Sudanese Returning from Egypt Daily

Cairo – Sudanhorizon
by Sabah Musa
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) successive victories in recent months, and its success in liberating numerous cities and states across the country from the grip of the Rapid Support Forces militia which forced citizens to flee, either to safe states or to seek refuge outside Sudan, including to Egypt, the country that hosted the largest number of Sudanese over the two years since the outbreak of the war in the country. the rate of voluntary return of Sudanese from Egypt has increased significantly.
The number of returnees increased from 300 people at the beginning of the return to 3,000 per day at the end of Ramadan and during the Eid holidays.
This confirms to those following, observing, and interested in the situation in Sudan as to who has initially displaced the Sudanese, and who they hope would fulfill their dreams of returning to their country after months of loss and instability.

A Big Return

After the Eid holiday, the pace of voluntary return from all Egyptian governorates to Abu Simbel, heading to Sudan, has increased, to the point that the Sudanese Consul General in Aswan, Ambassador Abdel Qader Abdullah, has requested those working on voluntary return initiatives to the country not to rush to move families until the congestion in Abu Simbel subsides. This is because the ferries transporting passengers to Sudan have a limited capacity per day, which could result in over-congestion of buses and people waiting.

Return Procedures

The Sudanese Consul General in Aswan, Ambassador Abdel Qader Abdullah, explained this request by saying that the Qastal-Ashlee crossing point does not operate on Fridays. Abdullah told Sudanhorizon news website that the flow of traffic is dependent on the ferries, which cannot accommodate the large number of buses coming from Cairo carrying returnees. He explained that the number of return buses reached 60 per day, with each bus carrying no less than 50 people. He added that the crossing being closed on Fridays was the cause of this congestion. He noted that the returnees come from all Egyptian governorates, and that most of them return to the states of Gezira, Sinner, and the White Nile where services have reportedly been restored.
He said that the number of those heading for Khartoum is still small until things are sorted out in the capital and services such as electricity, water, and other services are restored. He explained that there are significant facilitations in the return procedures, and that it is sufficient to record the names of those who want to return. He said that we are facilitating the return procedures to ease the burden on people and do not require any identification documents. He called on the youth who are leading voluntary return initiatives to coordinate to avoid overcrowding and congestion at the crossing and to prevent people from waiting too long on the return journey.

Return Initiatives

Recently, with the increased desire for Sudanese to depart Egypt, initiatives have increased to help people return, alleviating their burdens and ensuring their safe arrival. One such initiative is the Madani Association in Egypt, which has greatly facilitated the return of the Gezira’s residents after its liberation from the Rapid Support Forces militia.

The Cost of Return

The Secretary-General of the Madani Association in Egypt, Mohamed El-Gili Saadabi, told Sudanhorizon that the association covered the full cost of returning seven buses carrying residents hailing from Gezira state before end of the month of Ramadan. He explained that the cost of transporting one person from Cairo to Madani stands at 5,000 Egyptian pounds.
He added, “We covered the entire cost of transportation before Ramadan. To increase the number of passengers at the end of Ramadan, we prepared six buses, where we covered 60% of the cost, at 3,000 Egyptian pounds per person, with the remaining cost being borne by the citizen.”
He continued, “Madani businessmen and philanthropists cover this cost to ease the burden on their residents.” He noted that the rate of return from Egypt has increased significantly in recent times, and stated that there are other initiatives for voluntary return from Egypt to Wadi Halfa.

Facilitations and Relief

For his part, Sudanese human rights activist Raad Ahmed Younis noted the large number of returnees. Younis told Sudanhorizon that a great assistance was provided by the Egyptian side in this return, explaining that an Egyptian army battalion in Abu Simbel had exempted returnees from paying any fines through exemptions, and that they are assisted even prior to arriving at the crossing point, noting that this exemption may have required a presidential decree, but the Egyptian authorities wanted to facilitate things without further complications for the Sudanese.
He said that buses returning from Egypt are also being facilitated, and there have been no checkpoint on the road from Cairo to Abu Simbel, extending his thanks to the Egyptian authorities for this generous treatment. He added that was not unexpected from Egypt, which hosted millions of Sudanese for two years, and as it honored us in hosting us, it honored us by facilitating the return procedures.
He continued, “Even in the entry of Sudanese to Egypt, there were no major complications, and we noticed that women, adults, and children are exempted for those entering Egypt through unofficial means, and some young people may be stopped on the road from Aswan to Cairo.” He pointed out that the number of returnees is much greater than those entering Egypt, and that those entering Egypt now may be for interests. Or for treatment, not to escape the war.
He explained that the number of returnees from Aswan to Sudan is small. He said that this is due to the fact that most of those in Aswan are from the city of Halfa, and that they regularly come to Aswan before the war to visit relatives, in addition to seeking medical treatment and shopping, due to the proximity of Khartoum.

Nostalgia for Sudan

When asked about her feelings, one of the returnees from Egypt has confirmed her longing for Sudan. Amani told Sudanhorizon that, “I am from Wad Madani and came to Cairo after the Rapid Support Forces entered Gezira.” She added that the liberation of the city, and then Khartoum, was a day of great joy and serious consideration for returning. She continued, “Even my young children have repeatedly asked me to return.” She emphasized that the longing for home is one of the important reasons for returning to the country. She said that “no matter the difficulties, our country will remain a refuge, stability, and safety.” She thanked SAF for liberating Madani, Khartoum, and Sinner, and hoped to liberate all the states of Sudan under the control of the RSF militia.
M. Al-Sare’a said, “We hope that God will deliver us from this terrible nightmare that displaced us, killed our children, and raped women.” Amani added, crying, “We lived in Faisal City in Cairo, and although we could have lived longer in Egypt, Sudan remains our country, to which we dreamed of returning, and now that dream has come true.”

Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=4971