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Partner organizations, security and Arua city authorities in a group photo during the launch of this year's world refugee day activities in Arua city on Tuesday June 17, 2025. By Morish DramadriArua city Refugee partner organizations in the two urban councils
Partner organizations, security and Arua city authorities in a group photo during the launch of this year's world refugee day activities in Arua city on Tuesday June 17, 2025.
By Morish Dramadri
Arua city
Refugee partner organizations in the two urban councils of Koboko municipality and Arua city have vowed to continuously advocacy to cater for the urban refugees in the region sighting their impact on the delivery of social service ahead of this year’s world refugee day.
This commitment was made during the flag off of the world refugee day pre-activities in Arua city on Tuesday June 17, 2025.
West Nile region is currently a home to over 87,000 refugees mainly from the neighboring South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo of which many have quitted the settlements to live in urban centers due to Uganda’s progressive urban refugee policy.
The huge refugee population in other urban centers in Uganda are not gratified except in Kampala.
This has prompted the two urban councils of Koboko and Arua city to reschedule a joint belated world refugee day commemoration on June 26, 2025 at Koboko.
Fred Bada the specialist in local governance at VNG international whispered that this year’s refugee day aims to advocate for urban refugees.
“it was portrayed that there are no refugee in the urban, we should use this as an advocacy platform to demonstrate to the world that refugees are not only in the settlements but their also here in the urban, we now have a report that can demonstrate the number of refugees that are settled in these two urban centers,” Bada voiced.
Ayume Francis Simon the chief executive officer at Refugee Empowerment and Development Network (REDNET) a local non-governmental organization in Arua city sounded for co-existence among the refugees and the host community.
“It is not easy to accommodate extra thousands of people who share same services, they are not brought out to the world to know that there’s another extra burden, refugees are an opportunity, and can we enjoy this together!” Ayume appealed.
Meanwhile Arua city mayor Wadri Sam Nyakua urged the urban refugee to exercise the right to access to social services warning them to disassociate themselves from politics.
“No one natural wants to be are refugee, it’s not a palatable thing to be refugee, refugees who re here be able to feel free to benefit from our social services, feel free to be represented in the courts of law in case there are issues but the electioneering period is a bit hectic, stay out of the path,” Nyakua warned.
This year’s world refugee day will be commemorated on June 20, under the theme “Solidarity with Refugees.”