17 day rail journey to Wau
Posted: 05 Dec 2011, 21:20
From SUDAN-SOUTH SUDAN: Returnees left in limbo (the UN's IRIN news service), in an article about the plight of South Sudanese returning from Sudan to South Sudan since Independence of South Sudan in July 2011.
But the conflict in the border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile has led to the closure of all land routes between the two countries. In any case, seasonal rains also make it almost impossible to travel by road.
Since April, the journey south can only be made by river barge or train.
While six train services have been funded, departures are not easy to programme.
"The train is protected by soldiers from Sudanese army until [the railway junction at] Babanusa. Then, SPLA [South Sudanese army] soldiers take over. The train goes through areas vulnerable to attacks. The journey to [the southern railhead town of] Wau takes 17 days," said Paul Urayo, who works in the Khartoum office handling the registration of South Sudanese from the Bahr al-Ghazal region.
"It is impossible to say how long the return trip will take in such difficult conditions," Urayo said.