South Sudan partners with regional bloc to harmonize refugee policy

JUBA, FEB 26 — South Sudan on Tuesday announced a partnership with the East African Community (EAC) to harmonize policies and legislation aimed at strengthening management of the refugee crisis.
John Dabi, deputy commissioner of South Sudan Commission for Refugee Affairs (CRA) said vibrant policies are required to ensure refugees and other internally displaced persons have access to critical services like health and education.
Dabi spoke at an EAC secretariat consultative meeting in Juba on how the region can develop harmonized policies, laws, and practice management of the refugees within its six member states.
Leonard Onyonyi, EAC secretariat, said the bloc has developed solid measures to strengthen response to the refugee crisis triggered by civil strife in South Sudan.
“To this end, it then becomes necessary to collect views from the stakeholders across the region on issues of commonality which can go into supporting the harmonization of refugees management mechanisms within a policy construct,” Onyonyi said. – XINHUA