SUDAN / SOUTHERN RETURNEE

Not all southern Sudanese living in the North are looking forward to returning home to begin a new life. The week-long voting referendum for the self-determination of Southern Sudan which ended on 15 January, was part of the process to implement the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended two decades of civil war between the north and the south. UNMIS

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:05:45
• Production Date: 22 January 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANCE MISSION IN SUDAN - UNMIS
• Subject Topical: REFERENDUM
• Geographic Subject: SUDAN
• MAMS Id: U110122a

Description

STORY: SUDAN / SOUTHERN RETURNEE
TRT: 5:45
SOURCE: UNMIS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 12 JANUARY 2011, AL-GADAREF, SUDAN

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, sun rising at Al-Gadaref city
2. Wide shot, Building, silos behind seen
3. Wide shot, city buildings a mosque minaret seen
4. Wide shot, Rebecca getting out from door
5. Wide, Rebecca in side home holding pictures
6. Close up shot, of Rebecca’s son portrait
7. Medium shot, Rebecca looking at portraits
8. Medium low angel shot, Rebecca sitting
9. Close up shot, family portrait
10. Close up of Rebecca
11. Close up shot, family portrait
12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rebecca Kwan saying:
“We have not stopped visits to the South. Each year we pay a visit to relatives during our vacation. My sons are ready to go to if secession takes place. We hope that secession will not happened.”
13. Med shot, Rebecca at home
14. Wide shot, Rebecca leaving her homestead
15. Med shot, Rebecca inside car
16. Wide shot, Rebecca entering school
17. Med shot, Rebecca shakes hands with headmistress of school
18. Med shot, Rebecca with headmistress
19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fathia Abdagfar Abalraheem, school mistress:
“In terms of relation with Rebecca our relations have started since we were neighbors. Our friendship was more than brotherhood. We exchanged visits during all occasions. The relation was very nice regardless religion or gender. There were no differences between us.”
20. Med shot, Rebecca standing with her daughter and other students
21. Med shot, students in class room
22. Med shot, students in class with teacher
23. Med shot, students, Rebecca’s daughter reading
24. Close up, girls students in classroom
25. Close up, Rebecca’s daughter and classmate
26. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Igbal Dafaalaha Yasin, School teacher:
“The relation and coexistence should remain as we hope nothing will happen
because we love Sudan. These people are a part of us.”
27. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ashjanwali Tajalden, Mary’s friend:
“It is one Sudan that includes Mohammad from the north and Malwal from the south. Mary dances while Nwal signing. We don’t want any secession because Sudan is unified and it is impossible for it to have two names.”
28. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mary Kwan, Student and Daughter of Rebecca:
“I have studied for my nursery in northern Sudan. So for that reason I have no friend in the south. But I have some friends here and they are very dear to me such as Ashjan, Islam and Mulhema.”
29. Wide shot, outside government office, Rebecca seen walking
30. Med shot, sign in Arabic reading: ‘The taxation office – Algadaref’
31. Med shot, Rebecca shakes hand with colleague in office
32. Close up, hand writing
33. Med shot, Rebecca writing
34. Med shot, a woman entering office, Rebecca seen from within
35. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ibtisam Harron, Rebecca’s colleague at work:
“If it depends on us we don’t want her to go but we have nothing. The decision is not for us but we hope she will be with us not only her but also all of them”.
36. Wide shot, Rebecca and her colleagues
37. Med shot, Rebecca and husband in polling centre
38. Med shot, Rebecca’s husband polling
39. Med shot, Rebecca in polling centre
40. Med shot, Rebecca putting a ballot paper in box
41. Med shot, Rebecca with polling staff
42. SOUDBITE (Arabic) Kwan Akol, Rebecca’s husband:
“I have come to vote to exercise my democratic rights. Our relations with the people that we live and work with is good. The people are still calling me via phone asking me whether I should go to south or not. I say to them if the southern people decided so – I will go to the south. But before I go I should come and say good bye”.
43. Wide shot, huts, people sun set seen behind

Storyline

Rebecca Kwan’s family is a southern Sudanese family that wants to continue living in the North regardless of the results of the historic referendum.

Earlier this year southern Sudanese voted for either unity or secession. For the Kwan family saying goodbye to their northern friends will be very difficult if they have to decide to move away.

Rebecca and her husband Akol Kwan, belong to southern Sudan’s Shilluk tribe and have lived in the northern Sudan for eleven years. Her husband who has been working in the police sector for a long time, has through his work, been moving and living in different regions of Sudan from time to time.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Rebecca Kwan:
“We have not stopped visits to the South. Each year we pay a visit to relatives during our vacation. My sons are ready to go to if secession takes place. We hope that secession will not happened.”

The family has lived in many cities in the north establishing many friendships and memories along the way.

The eldest son Justin Kwan was born in the city of Renk in Upper Nile State of southern Sudan where he went to primary school. Justine then completed his secondary school and university education in northern Sudan and so did his sister Nanee who is still student in a university in Khartoum.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Fathia Abdagfar Abalraheem, School mistress:
“In terms of relation with Rebecca our relations have started since we were neighbors. Our friendship was more than brotherhood. We exchanged visits during all occasions. The relation was very nice regardless religion or gender. There were no differences between us.”

The youngest daughter Mary who was born and grew up in the northern cities, cultivated strong friendship everywhere she travelled. Right now she has many friends here in the 7th class primary school like Ashgan, Molhema and Islam.

Mary speaks out and declares clearly her desire for the unity of her country and does not like the idea of secession if that happens after a historic January 9-15th referendum.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mary Kwan, Student and Daughter of Rebecca:
“I have studied for my nursery in northern Sudan. So for that reason I have no friend in the south. But I have some friends here and they are very dear to me such as Ashjan, Islam and Mulhema.”

Rebecca works in the government taxation department and though she has been moving around Sudan with her husband, being here for 11 years has grown on her.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ibtisam Harron, Rebecca’s colleague at work:
“If it depends on us we don’t want her to go but we have nothing. The decision is not for us but we hope she will be with us not only her but also all of them.”

From 9-15 January, thousands of southern Sudanese including Rebecca and her husband voted in the historic referendum.

SOUDBITE (Arabic) Kwan Akol, Rebecca’s husband:
“I have come to vote to exercise my democratic rights. Our relations with the people that we live and work with is good. The people are still calling me via phone asking me whether I should go to south or not. I say to them if the southern people decided so – I will go to the south. But before I go I should come and say good bye”.

Though some farewells may be emotional and tearful, it is hoped that many of the friendships cultivated over the years between northern and southern Sudanese may continue irrespective of the expected referendum result.