Refugee and refugee issues in Sudan have remained, for three decades, a chronic problem that resisted all local and international attempts of settlement. Until this day, the problem is still whirling between Sudan diligent efforts to put an end to this heartbreaking human tragedy and the international community's procrastination to help Sudan overcome the crisis peacefully and in the shortest possible period.
It is needless to say that the load of refugees has overburdened both Sudanese people and government, particularly within conditions of any imposed war, economic crises and undeclared blockade by the new world order.

Today, Sudan bears the responsibility of hosting more than a million refugees from five neighbouring countries: Ethiopia, Uganda, Eritrea, Zaire and Chad.
Most recent studies on world refugee problems estimate the number of refugees in the continent at more that 5 million with Sudan's share reaching 20% of the total number making 7% of the whole refugees on the globe.
Sudan, as the biggest African refugee-hosting state, never ceased efforts to locally settle the problem and, rather sought to activate the OAU role in mobilizing regional and international potentialities towards eradicating reasons of refuge through dialogue and active participation besides putting an end to war and racial conflicts sweeping the continent since independence in the 1960s.

Sudan's commitment to all regional and international charters had a great impact on enhancing the international image of the country as seeking the well-being of refugees and their protection against perils.

Sudan has known refuge since the 19th century with African tribes of West Africa then arriving in the country en route to holy Mecca for pilgrimage. They, at their return, then settled in Sudan until the Sudan of today became a melting pot where all African tribes intermingled, yielding a blend of cultures, complexions and racial origins.
At the beginning of this country, the British colonial authorities encouraged migration of a number of Western African tribes to Sudan as cheap labour to work in agricultural schemes and fill in the shortage in Sudanese manpower which could no more meet requirements of construction and setting up infrastructures of the colonizers' plans.

However, the modern refugee phenomenon started to loom in the early sixties by Congolese influxes into south Sudan between 1963-65 due to armed and political conflicts in the area.
In 1967 the government felt the need to mobilize international aid to cover consequences of refuge. An agreement was then signed with the UN stipulating that the UNHCR be assigned, in cooperation with Sudan, with refugee affairs.
That was the start of cooperation with the international community through the UNHCR.
Since then and throughout the 1980s, refugee influxes have never come to a halt until their existence in Sudan in these huge numbers became a security, social and economic burden and the country still suffers.

In the following years events continued their uphill trend and more influxes of Ethiopian, Eritrean and Chadian refugees, due to factional fighting, flooded Sudan.
The 1970s also saw flow of the third migration of Ugandan refugees following Idi Amin's coming to power.
In 1974, Emperor Hila Selasi was deposed and nationalist conflicts began their build-up with the then communist rule causing more flow of refugees from Ethiopia and Eritrea into the country.
By the advent of the 1980s, influxes of Tchadian refugees were successive due to civil war. The problem worsened by the drought and deserting wave that this sub-Saharan Africa and Sahil area increasing refugees to nearly 1.25 million as shown in the table below:

Nationality	Number		Percentage
Ethiopians	259,057		25.1%
Eritreans 	580,173		56.2%
Ugandans  	 43,173		4.2%
Zaireans  	  4,000		 .04%
Chadians  	145,835		14.1%

When refugees flooded into Sudan in great numbers with different backgrounds concerning their means of earning a living and former vocations, they were to be categorized accordingly. Thus agricultural camps for farmers and semi-urban camps on the outskirts of big cities were built to help refugees earn their living through their daily wages as workers. Urban camps were also allocated for those with vocations and crafts to enable them to live on his trade rather than on foreign aid. Sudan policy in this regard was that refugees, on the long run, would be self-relied.

At the beginning, Sudan had no clear policy towards refugees. It continued to receive them in a hospitable way arising from Sudanese hospitality traditions and Islamic principles that urge helping the needy and securing those who seek peace, even those of a different religion. Sudan policy towards refugees was, therefore, an open-door policy based on non-denial of entry to refugees at the borders unlike many countries of great resources.

Sudan continued to bear, as a result of that policy, much harm and ungratefulness. The NSR government realized the need for mapping out clear policies towards receiving and hosting refugees and facing the world community on legal basis to bear its principal role in assisting Sudan to come out with final solutions for problems of refugees not only in the country, but also in the whole continent. By the end of December 1989, the National Salvation Revolution Command Council and the Council of Ministers sanctioned in a joint session recommendations of the technical committee assigned with drawing the Sudan policy towards refugees. The UNHCR and other concerned bodies were informed of the essence of this policy to serve as the basis for Sudan's dealing with the world community and international organizations.

1. Religious and social heritage.
2. Social situation in Sudan with its cross-border tribal interaction.
3. The geographical location of Sudan as the biggest country bordered by eight states.
4. Commitment to regional and international charters on settlement of refugee problems represented in:
   • Voluntary repatriation as the best solution.
   • Resettlement in a third country.
   • Absorption and integration into the local community.
5. These basic principles were translated in an open-door policy considering supreme interests of the country represented in:
   • un harming of Sudan security, safety of its lands and the legal interests of its citizens.
   • Assisting refugees is principally a responsibility of the world community after recognition of Sudan sacrifices and avoiding adding more burden to it.
   • Non-interference in the domestic affairs of the country of origin of refugees and considering refuge as a humanitarian issue completely remote from political considerations

When Sudan adopted voluntary repatriation as the best and basic solution for refugee problems since the 1970s, it channeled all its efforts towards convincing the world community of providing assistance to complete the process in the shortest possible period. It explained in all international forums that it has done its best and the world community is, thus expected to accelerate necessary funds for repatriation operations and rehabilitation of refugee-affected areas.
Voluntary repatriation, in principle, is based on four axes:
First : Free will of the refugee to return in peace and dignity.
Second : Respect by the host state of the refugee desire.
Third : Readiness of the country of origin to receive the returnees and provide them with all means of living besides securing their lives.
Fourth : Contribution of the world community to provide guarantees and bearing the financial cost of their repatriation besides rehabilitation of infrastructures in the country of origin and the host.
The period January - June 1996 witnessed diligent efforts towards revamping voluntary repatriation operations. In line with a trilateral agreement concluded by Sudan, Ethiopia and the UNHCR, more than 26,000 Ethiopian refugees were repatriated.

Meanwhile, progress with repatriation of Eritrean refugees was hampered by refusal of the Eritrean government to sign binding agreements with Sudan as Ethiopia has done.
The Eritrean government further expressed non-readiness to receive its refugee nationals, let alone fears of Eritrean refugees to return within the unstable political situation of their country which they reported to the Deputy High Commissioner during a recent visit to Sudan.
The same period also saw the repatriation of around 140 Zairean refugees by air to their country.
As for repatriation of the 223,000 Sudanese refugees from neighbouring states, 519 of them were repatriated by air from Central Africa to Khartoum then to secure areas in the south. Of these all, only 100 remained in Khartoum.

In this regard, efforts for peace from within should be commended for their positive impact and the great push to the process of repatriating Sudanese refugees in considerable numbers.
Until recently, these refugees were reluctant to return home for counter media allegations of the risk and unknown fate awaiting them if they happen to return to Sudan.