South Sudanese en route to Kakuma, Kenya. MSF photo.

The United Nations is urging countries hosting South Sudanese who have fled the violence in South Sudan not to force them to go home as, it says, the situation in the country is still unstable.

The United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees, the UNHCR, also urges the government to not hasten the repatriation of South Sudanese into the country until, it says, peace has been restored.

In an advisory issued last week, the UN warns against the return of 130,000 South Sudanese who have fled to neighboring countries due to the continued violence in the country.

It also recommends that host countries refrain from deporting South Sudanese apart from those accused of human rights violations in South Sudan.

The UNHCR Regional Communications Officer in Charge of Africa, Kitty Mckinsey, told Eye Radio from Nairobi that the situation needs to improve before the refugees can be repatriated.

“Even though there are peace talks going on in South Sudan, the conditions are not right for refugees to go back right now,” advised Ms McKinsey.

“In fact, refugees are still leaving South Sudan so we simply wanted to advise countries in the region to continue to accept refugees from South Sudan, and not to force anybody to go back against their will to South Sudan.”

She added that people should only be encouraged to return when basic public services have been restored in their countries of origin.

“This includes many conditions that people have to be able to have: functioning police system, functioning courts, functioning water points, functioning schools, functioning health centers.”

The countries to which South Sudanese have fled to are Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda.