Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) Vice-President Riek Machar announced in Malakal on 21 January that the GoSS would provide $24 million to assist with voluntary returns of internally displaced persons.

Speaking at the opening of a Southern Sudan Peace Commission-sponsored conference, Vice-President Machar stressed the importance of citizens returning to their homes and taking part in the upcoming census.

Participants at the four-day conference included the governors of Upper Nile, Jonglei and Unity states as well as representatives of the UN and other organizations in the area. Noting that the Upper Nile area represented a strategic region for Sudan, Vice-President Machar urged the governors to focus on peace and development.

"Security in the Upper Nile is the most important topic that you can discuss here," Vice-President Machar said, noting that the area had suffered major insecurity during the war. He added that security incidents were currently mild, compared to the end of 2006 and beginning of 2007.