DOCSLIB.ORG

East and Horn of Africa

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
East and Horn of Africa EAST AND HORN OF AFRICA Somali refugees at Dollo Ado Transit Centre (Ethiopia) 2012 GLOBAL REPORT Chad Ethiopia Sudan Djibouti Kenya South Sudan Eritrea Somalia Uganda UNHCR / J.OSE | Overview | Highlights As the political and security landscape in Somalia began to stabilize, UNHCR brought together representatives of asylum countries, including Yemen, at a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss a durable solutions strategy for the Somali refugees in the subregion. Participants at the meeting recognized the continuing need for asylum, protection and livelihood support both inside and outside Somalia. They also discussed the mapping of possible return areas and plans to profi le populations of Somali refugees in asylum countries and internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside Somalia. UNHCR responded to several new emergencies in the subregion and consolidated its response to existing ones. More than 57,000 refugees arrived in south-western Uganda as a result of the confl ict in the eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Some 193,000 Sudanese refugees fl eeing confl ict in South Kordofan, Blue Nile State and other areas of Sudan sought protection and assistance in Ethiopia and South Sudan, often in remote and underdeveloped parts of these countries, where sparse resources were already strained. Towards the end of 2012, a declaration by Kenyan authorities Over 110,000 IDPs chose to return to their areas of origin in that all refugees in urban areas had to move to camps presented Darfur and were assisted by UNHCR under the inter-agency challenges for UNHCR, especially in implementing its urban- cluster arrangements. refugee policy. | UNHCR Global Report 2012 • East and Horn of Africa • 2 | | Report on 2012 results | Somali refugees in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia, the condition of many Working environment refugees who had arrived in a malnourished state owing to crop The 6.1 million people of concern to UNHCR in the East and failure in their areas of origin improved markedly due to the Horn of Africa subregion make up two-thirds of UNHCR’s provision of better nutrition during the year. total caseload in Africa. They include some 1.8 million refugees, mostly in Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan, and more Community empowerment and self-reliance than 3.9 million IDPs, notably in Somalia, South Sudan and UNHCR reached an agreement with the Ugandan authorities Sudan. whereby the latter would continue to provide enough land to In 2012, encouraging developments inside Somalia allowed arriving DRC refugees to help improve their livelihoods and UNHCR and the international community to begin reviewing reduce their dependence on humanitarian aid. the possibilities for durable solutions in aid of the more than 1 million Somali refugees in the region, as well as a similar number Logistics and operations support of IDPs. The durable solutions strategy for Somali refugees took Expenditures on logistics grew significantly as UNHCR note of the recent positive developments in Somalia but stressed responded to multiple emergencies. In South Sudan, in the continuing need for asylum, given that areas in the southern particular, the engagement of a private company to open up and central parts of the country are not yet safe enough for large- roads and improve camp access, although costly, proved essential scale voluntary returns. in enabling UNHCR and its partners to deliver protection and assistance to more than 180,000 Sudanese refugees arriving in In Ethiopia, the continuous inflow of Somali and Sudanese infrastructure-poor Unity and Upper Nile States. refugees required UNHCR to engage with the Government and host communities to encourage them to provide enough land for the new arrivals to settle in. An innovative three-year project was initiated focusing on multi-year investments in Constraints livelihood and agriculture in Dollo Ado camps, with the goal of Following clashes between the Sudanese armed forces and the reducing refugee dependence on humanitarian assistance and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, many refugees equipping refugees with the skills for self-reliance upon return sought protection in Unity and Upper Nile States, two of the to Somalia. most underdeveloped states in South Sudan. Due to heavy rainfall, which can limit access to many areas for half the In Chad, the UN-trained “humanitarian police force,” Détachement year, humanitarian agencies were forced to use aircraft or Intégré de Sécurité, played an essential part in providing a unreliable river barges. This made the provision of protection secure environment for humanitarian operations, as well as and assistance to arriving refugees an expensive and difficult in addressing some core protection issues, such as sexual and logistical operation. These constraints, combined with other gender-based violence (SGBV) and domestic violence. In eastern problems such as the lack of sufficient administrative structures Sudan, the trafficking of people continued to be a serious and potable water as well as outbreaks of cholera and hepatitis, protection problem, and the authorities have requested UNHCR presented formidable challenges to UNHCR and partners. to help with more resources and expertise in this area. Another major difficulty for UNHCR was the refusal of refugees in Yida to move away from the dangerous border areas, where Achievements and impact they were at risk of bombardment and recruitment, and where the humanitarian character of the camp could more easily be Favourable protection environment compromised. In Somalia, while the improvements in the political and military As in previous years, the key priority for UNHCR in the region landscape allowed a few refugees and IDPs to return, particularly was to provide protection and assistance for those in need, by ensuring compliance with the 1951 Refugee Convention and other to urban areas such as Mogadishu, the rural areas remained legal instruments. In Dadaab, Kenya, UNHCR strengthened its largely inaccessible due to security constraints. IDPs continued protection capacity to deal with the volatile security situation in to fall prey to various militias and security forces operating the area. As a result of these interventions and the deployment within or near camps and settlements. Frequently these militias of extra security personnel by the Kenyan authorities, UNHCR are linked to or controlled by the so-called “gatekeepers,” in IDP and its partners were able to continue to work in Dadaab in spite sites. This presented enormous protection concerns, especially of the security threats. in the case of vulnerable groups such as women and single- In 2012, UNHCR worked closely with the Africa Union as it headed households. shepherded the entry into force of the AU Convention for the In Kenya, the lack of security in the Dadaab refugee camps Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in reduced the capacity of aid agencies to provide seamless Africa (Kampala Convention), following its ratification by 15 protection and assistance to refugees. Following the killing of member States. several Kenyan security personnel, refugee leaders and the kidnapping of humanitarian workers, as well as the general Basic needs and services deterioration in security in the Dadaab complex, stricter security In many emergencies, UNHCR was able to stabilize key procedures were put in place to allow all life-saving activities to indicators related to populations of concern, especially in the life- continue. saving sectors of water, sanitation and health. In the camps for | UNHCR Global Report 2012 • East and Horn of Africa • 3 | standards, as well as provide training to UNHCR staff in security Operations management, communications and public information. It also Operations in Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, played a key role in supporting the South Sudan emergency Sudan and Uganda are described in separate chapters. operation, especially in the critical sectors of health, water, Djibouti is host to more than 21,000 refugees, the majority of sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and nutrition. In Dollo Ado, whom are from Somalia and live in two camps, Ali Addeh and Ethiopia, the RSH’s contribution in shaping and developing Holl Holl. There are also more than 3,000 asylum-seekers, capacity in the livelihood, shelter and WASH sectors was critical mainly living in Djibouti City. With the gradual improvement to the success of programmes. of the political and security situation in Somalia, the repatriation UNHCR’s Regional Liaison Office to the African Union and the of Somali refugees seems to be an achievable objective. UN Economic Commission for Africa (RAUECA) based in Addis In 2012, UNHCR was able to address some of the critical needs Ababa, Ethiopia, helped to further strengthen the partnership in the sectors of water, health and nutrition. However, other with the African Union. In anticipation of the entry into force priorities such as education, self-reliance and livelihoods could of the Kampala Convention, RAUECA supported the African not be fully addressed. Furthermore, the semi-arid climate and Union with the organization of a Legal Experts Meeting on high unemployment rate among nationals made it difficult for the implementation of the Convention, including a review of people of concern to find jobs and integrate locally. the Draft Model Law. UNHCR also supported and participated in the first African Union symposium to raise awareness of In Eritrea, the number of refugees in 2012 remained relatively statelessness
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Update – East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region
    Update – East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region Executive Committee of the 18 February 2020 High Commissioner’s Programme English Original: English and French Standing Committee 77th meeting Update on UNHCR’s operations in the East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region A. Situational analysis including new developments Throughout 2019, countries of the East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region of Africa continued to face large scale forced displacement. While most refugees and asylum-seekers in the region were from South Sudan, there were also significant numbers from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan. Some 220,000 people were granted international protection in the region during the year, bringing the total number of refugees and asylum-seekers to some 4.6 million. The region hosts some 67 per cent of the refugees on the continent and 20 per cent of the global refugee population. Governments have generally maintained an open-door asylum policy and embraced the Global Compact on Refugees by adopting progressive national frameworks and promoting the inclusion of refugees into national health, education and social protection systems. In 2020, UNHCR will continue to seek to broaden international support and partnerships to ease pressure on refugee- hosting countries, enhance the inclusion of refugees and their self-reliance, and redouble efforts to pursue comprehensive solutions for all forcibly displaced populations in the region. Responses to internal displacement will also be strengthened, with three of the nine countries included in the High Commissioner’s new Initiative on Internal Displacement being located in the East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region (Ethiopia, South Sudan and Sudan).
    [Show full text]
  • Internal Displacement and the Kampala Convention: an Opportunity for Development Actors
    Internal displacement and the Kampala Convention: an opportunity for development actors Analytical Paper on the Relevance of Human Rights Approaches for Development Activities Targeting Conflict- and Disaster-Induced Displacement in Africa Acknowledgements This report was produced by IDMC under an initiative by the Global Program on Forced Displacement of the World Bank. The report is researched and written by Walter Kälin and Nina Schrepfer. The report was financed by the Nordic Trust Fund (NTF). The NTF is a knowledge and learning initiative to help the World Bank develop a more informed view on human rights. Financial and staff support for the NTF is provided by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Authors Walter Kälin, Dr. iur., professor of constitutional and international law at the University of Bern; Non-resident Senior Fellow Brookings Institution; former Representative of the UN Secretary General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons. Nina Schrepfer, MLaw (European and International Law), former legal advisor to the Representative of the UN Sec- retary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons; Advisor in Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs at the University of Bern, MPI Fellow. Disclaimer The content of this report does not necessarily represent the views of the World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. Cover photo: Madwani is one of the two transit sites in Aweil town, South Sudan. Although it is supposed to shelter people for only a few days before they are moved to their permanent homes, some of the returnees stay in Madwani for months because of slow plot allocation and because they want to stay in the proximity of town, where some services are available.
    [Show full text]
  • South Sudan Building Consensus on the Drafting of a National Law on Internal Displacement
    Working Together Better to Prevent, Address and Find Durable Solutions to Internal Displacement South Sudan. Consultations with IDPs for drafting law on internal displacement. © UNHCR | 2018 South Sudan Building Consensus on the Drafting of a National Law on Internal Displacement In 2018, the Government of South Sudan Sudan was collecting and including IDPs’ undertook a process to domesticate the views given conflicting political interests African Union Convention for the Protection surrounding the ultimate formation of the and Assistance of Internally Displaced Transitional National Unity Government in Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention), which February 2020, and the lack of tools to culminated in “The Protection and Assistance effectively consult IDPs countrywide. to Internally Displaced Persons Act 2019.” Consultation sessions with IDPs included The draft IDP law was pending review by the presentations on existing normative Ministry of Justice at the time of writing. frameworks on internal displacement, which One of the most difficult challenges in also helped inform their contributions during developing the draft IDP law in South the process. Consequently, the process to develop the draft law also enabled support by the Return and Rehabilitation IDP participants to share new information Commission and two parliamentary with their respective communities. IDPs committees. participating in the process to develop South As in Niger, the South Sudan process showed Sudan’s IDP law focused on the need to the importance of establishing a foundation prevent and respond to sexual and gender- for the process, with an exhaustive legal based violence, and to protect IDPs’ housing, review being performed early in the process land and property rights, particularly for and creating an inter-ministerial coordination women.
    [Show full text]
  • New Hopes and Challenges for the Protection of Idps in Africa: the Kampala Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa
    Denver Journal of International Law & Policy Volume 39 Number 2 Spring Article 5 April 2020 New Hopes and Challenges for the Protection of IDPs in Africa: The Kampala Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa Flavia Zorzi Guistiniani Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/djilp Recommended Citation Flavia Zorzi Guistiniani, New Hopes and Challenges for the Protection of IDPs in Africa: The Kampala Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, 39 Denv. J. Int'l L. & Pol'y 347 (2011). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Denver Journal of International Law & Policy by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. NEW HOPES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE PROTECTION OF IDPs IN AFRICA: THE KAMPALA CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN AFRICA FLAVIA ZORZI GIUSTINIANI* I witnessed the historic moment of the adoption of the Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa. The importance of this Convention cannot be underestimated. Building on the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement it is the first legally binding IDP- specific treaty covering an entire continent. The Convention is a tremendous achievement and a beacon of hope for the almost 12 million people in Africa internally displacedby conflict and the many more internally displacedby natural disasters, and hopefully serves as a model for other regions, too.
    [Show full text]
  • Norms and Practice for Addressing Cross-Border Displacement in Disaster Contexts
    PROTECTION AND DISASTERS IN THE HORN OF AFRICA: NORMS AND PRACTICE FOR ADDRESSING CROSS-BORDER DISPLACEMENT IN DISASTER CONTEXTS TECHNICAL PAPER Tamara Wood, University of New South Wales DISASTERS CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISPLACEMENT EVIDENCE FOR ACTION NORWEGIAN NRC REFUGEE COUNCIL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was prepared for the Nansen Initiative. The author may be contacted at: [email protected] January 2013 The project is funded by the European Union with the support of Norway and Switzerland Federal Department of Foreign Aairs FDFA TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................................................7 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................................8 ACRONYMS ...............................................................................................................................................................9 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................10 1. PREVENTING CROSS-BORDER DISPLACEMENT ....................................................................................................12 1.1 MIGRATION AND FREE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS .....................................................................................................13 1.1.1 Legal Frameworks..........................................................................................................................................................14
    [Show full text]
  • Prevention of Displacement in Africa
    African Journal of Legal Studies 6 (2013) 265–285 brill.com/ajls From Durable Solutions to Holistic Solutions: Prevention of Displacement in Africa Dan Kuwali* Centre for Conflict Studies, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa Abstract The problem of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is prevalent in Africa due to conflicts, development projects, man-made as well as natural disasters that are commonplace on the continent. The Kampala Convention, which is an innovative tool, seeks to provide African States with a roadmap towards long- term solutions to prevent and eradicate the causes of displacement. As such, African States, humanitarian agencies, the African Union and other stakeholders should go beyond durable solutions, which are reac- tive, and pay more attention to proactive strategies to eradicate the factors that lead to displacement. To do this, there is need to adopt a holistic approach to address the question of IDPs on the continent through a three-tiered strategy that includes; firstly, short-term strategy to protect the IDPs by provid- ing safety and security, freedom of movement as well as basic livelihood to the IDPs; secondly, medium- term strategy to restore IDPs’ dignity and ensure adequate living conditions through return, resettlement, (re)integration, reparation, restitution and rehabilitation; and thirdly, long-term strategy to eradicate root causes of displacement and fostering an environment conducive to respect of human rights, rule of law and good governance. Keywords Africa; African Union; conflict
    [Show full text]
  • Moving Forward on Translating the Kampala Convention Into Practice
    TRANSLATING THE KAMPALA CONVENTION INTO PRACTICE A STOCKTAKING EXERCISE Front cover: View of the displaced people’s camp near M’poko Airport in Bangui, Central African Republic (2015). International Committee of the Red Cross 19, avenue de la Paix 1202 Geneva, Switzerland T +41 22 734 60 01 F +41 22 733 20 57 E-mail: [email protected] www.icrc.org © ICRC, October 2016 Front cover: R. Kradjeyo TRANSLATING THE KAMPALA CONVENTION INTO PRACTICE A STOCKTAKING EXERCISE TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements 4 Foreword by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons 5 Foreword by the Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union Commission 6 Executive summary 7 Abbreviations 12 Introduction 15 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 21 1. Prevention 23 2. Planning, management and monitoring of protection and assistance activities 37 3. Providing adequate humanitarian assistance to IDPs 45 4. Protection of IDPs 53 5. Durable solutions for IDPs 59 Conclusion 65 Looking ahead 69 REFERENCES 71 ANNEX 77 3 KAMPALA CONVENTION INTO PRACTICE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) commissioned Robert Young as a consultant to draft this report. Robert is an international lawyer and humanitarian protection specialist. He is a former ICRC delegate, whose postings included working as a protection delegate in Ethiopia, regional legal adviser in Côte D’Ivoire and deputy head of delegation and legal adviser at the ICRC’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York. For the ICRC, Angela Cotroneo, the adviser on internal displacement in the Protection of the Civilian Population Unit, conceived and oversaw the stocktaking exercise and the drafting of this report, together with Maria Ximena Londoño, legal adviser in the Advisory Service on International Humanitarian Law.
    [Show full text]
  • Kampala Convention
    Making the Kampala Convention work for IDPs Guide for civil society on supporting the ratification and implementation of the Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) This ECOSOCC publication is published with the support of IDMC. The two organisations can be contacted at: The Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) of the African Union ECOSOCC Secretariat Citizens and Diaspora Organisations Directorate (CIDO) African Union Commission PO Box 3243 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: 251 115 51 38 22 Fax: 251 115 51 93 21 [email protected]; [email protected] www.ecosocc-au.org; www.africa-union.org/CIDO.htm The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre / Norwegian Refugee Council International Environment House 2 Chemin de Balexert 7-9 1219 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 799 0700 Fax: +41 22 799 0701 [email protected] www.internal-displacement.org Cover photo: Internally displaced people in Kenya in November 2009. Photo: Reuters/Noor Khamis (Kenya Environment Society) Design: Laris(s)a, laris-s-a.com Making the Kampala Convention work for IDPs Guide for civil society on supporting the ratification and implementation of the Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa July 2010 The Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) of the African Union ECOSOCC is one of the principal mechanisms for African civil society organisations to interact with the AU Commis- sion and AU member states. It was established under the Constitutive Act of the African Union as an advisory organ of the AU.
    [Show full text]
  • Press Release
    PRESS RELEASE Mogadishu, Somalia 6 March 2020 UNHCR Welcomes Somalia deposit of the Instruments of Ratification of the Kampala Convention UNHCR, The UN Refugee Agency, welcomes Somalia’s official deposit of the Instruments of Ratification of the African Union Convention for the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons “the Kampala Convention” to the African Union Commission in Addis-Ababa (Ethiopia), according to the African Union standard procedures. There are 2.6 million Somali women, girls, boys and men internally displaced from armed conflict and natural disaster. Today’s action is another signal of the strong commitment of the Government of Somalia to work towards the establishment of a conducive protection environment for the fourth largest IDP population in the world. “IDPs are among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in Somalia. They face significant inequality leading to exclusion and lost opportunities. Poverty and rates of unemployment among IDPs are among the highest in the country,” said UNHCR Somalia Representative, Johann Siffointe. “This deposit of the instruments of ratification shows even more progress by the Somalia government to realize pledges made in December’s Global Refugee Forum focused on finding durable solutions for displaced citizens in the country.” UNHCR stands ready to support the government of Somalia in the implementation of the Kampala Convention, including incorporating their obligations under this treaty into domestic law by enacting or amending relevant legislation on the protection of, and assistance to, internally displaced persons in line with international law obligations. On 26 November 2019, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, “Farmaajo” signed the Kampala Convention, after being passed with a near-unanimous vote by parliament.
    [Show full text]
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
    17 ON THE GRID suB-saharaN aFrIca 5 COUNTRIES WITH MOST NEW DISPLACEMENT (conflict and disasters) DRC 2,193,000 Somalia 1,287,000 Ethiopia 1,159,000 CONFLICT 46.4% DISASTERS 13.6% South Sudan 932,000 OF THE GloBAL CAR 542,000 total Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for only 14 per cent of resources led to 279,000 new displacements in Nige- the world’s population, but almost half of new conflict ria’s North-Eastern states, 99,000 in Cameroon’s Far displacement took place in the region 62 There were 5 5 North region, 40,000 in Niger’s Diffa region and 5,800 million new displacements associated with conflict and in Chad’s Lac region The Basin as a whole accounted violence in 2017, double the figure for the previous year for eight per cent of new displacements associated with conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa (see spotlight, p 21) The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was hardest hit, with almost 2 2 million new displacements, The Horn of Africa accounted for a fifth of the region’s more than twice the number in 2016 and more than new displacements, the result not only of conflict but the next three worst-affected countries in the region also sudden and slow-onset disasters and the complex, combined Together, South Sudan, Ethiopia and the overlapping dynamics between them 65 In Ethiopia, Central African Republic (CAR) accounted for a total border disputes and revenge attacks, and competi- of more than 2 1 million new displacements tion over increasingly scarce resources such as land and water in the Oromia and Somali regions triggered The international
    [Show full text]
  • Kampala Convention)
    Forum on the African Union Convention on Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) 17 June 2011 Kampala, Uganda Organized by: The Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement and The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 3 1.1. BACKGROUND ..............................................................................................................................3 1.2. OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................................3 2. PROCEEDINGS OF THE AU FORUM ........................................................................................... 4 2.1. OPENING .....................................................................................................................................4 2.2. OVERVIEW OF IDP CONVENTION .....................................................................................................5 2.3. THE AU ROADMAP FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OUTCOMES OF THE AU SPECIAL SUMMIT ON REFUGEES, RETURNEES AND IDPS IN AFRICA ......................................................................................................8 2.4. PANEL DISCUSSION: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THE IDP CONVENTION ..............................................10 2.5. WRAP UP AND NEXT STEPS ...........................................................................................................11
    [Show full text]
  • The Republic of South Sudan's Accession to the 2009 African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa
    BACKGROUND NOTE The Republic of South Sudan’s Accession to the 2009 African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa Four months after gaining independence in October 2011, UNHCR began advocating for the Republic of South Sudan to accede to i) the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, ii) the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, iii) the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and the 2009 Kampala Convention on Internally Displaced Persons. For the newest country, UNHCR realized the need to prioritize its advocacy efforts. The 2009 African Union Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Africa (hereinafter referred to as the Kampala Convention),1 is the world’s first continental instrument that legally binds governments to protect the rights and ensure the well-being of people forced to flee their homes by conflict, violence, disasters and human rights abuses. The Kampala Convention incorporates the 1998 Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and develops measures aimed at protecting, assisting and finding solutions to internal displacement, creating obligations to prevent and address the root causes of displacement. In 2011, at the Ministerial Intergovernmental Event on ‘Refugees and Statelessness Persons’ in Geneva, Switzerland, the Government of South Sudan pledged to accede to both the 2009 Kampala Convention and the Statelessness Conventions and to develop related domestic legal frameworks2 with a view to prevent renewed forced displacement. In 2013, the Government of South Sudan signed the 2009 Kampala Convention on 25th January.
    [Show full text]