Refugee Mobility and Uncertain Lives

Challenges and Agency of South Sudanese Refugees in Uganda

Abstract

Mobility is essential for improving the standard of living and enhancing food security, particularly for displaced people. For those living in the conflict-ridden areas of Africa, border crossings and onwards movement are commonplace, which complicates simplistic ideas about displacement and return. This paper examines the mobility of the South Sudanese people who crossed the South Sudan-Uganda border. It highlights historical cross-border mobility and the current situation for refugees in Uganda. Since the mid-1950s, when the first South Sudanese took refuge in Uganda, both the Ugandans and South Sudanese repeatedly crossed the shared border to escape civil wars. Currently, most of the South Sudanese, who fled the recent conflict in South Sudan, remain in Uganda despite the peace agreement of 2018. They seek an opportunity to return. South Sudanese in exile have continually been exposed to uncertain futures. Uganda, which has the largest number of refugees in Africa, prioritises the repatriation of refugees. Here, we present a case study of mid-western Uganda. I present the experiences of multiple refugee displacements. I discuss the agency of refugees, discuss how they employ mobility for a secure life, and whether they decide to settle among the local population in Uganda or return home.