Sudan/South Sudan: ICRC helps repatriate released prisoners of war to South Sudan

"In its capacity as neutral intermediary, the ICRC helped the prisoners of war to return home after obtaining their consent," said Jean-Christophe Sandoz, head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan. "We are glad that they will soon be able to rejoin their families." The prisoners of war were transported aboard an ICRC aircraft from Sudan to South Sudan, where they were placed in the care of the authorities.

In accordance with its mandate under the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC visited the prisoners of war in August to check on their condition. The organization visits detainees to ensure that they are treated with dignity and humanity, in accordance with international humanitarian law, a set of rules which seek to limit the effect of armed conflict for humanitarian reasons.

As an impartial, neutral and independent humanitarian organization, the ICRC stands ready to provide any further humanitarian services that may be requested by the parties concerned. In April, the ICRC assisted in the repatriation of 13 Sudanese prisoners of war after they were released by the South Sudanese authorities.

The ICRC has been working in Sudan since 1978, where it provides assistance for victims of the armed conflict and other situations of violence. It opened a delegation in South Sudan in 2011 after the country became independent.

For further information, please contact:
Adil Sharif, ICRC Khartoum (for Arabic), tel: +249 1 83 476 464 or +249 91 213 77 64
Umar Phiri, ICRC Khartoum (for English), tel: +249 1 83 476 464 or +249 912 170 567
Melker Mabeck, ICRC Juba, tel: +211 912 170 966
Jean-Yves Clémenzo, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 22 71 or +41 79 217 32 17