The International Organisation for Migration and civil society organisations have started the latest programme to assist thousands of South Sudanese returnees from Khartoum to Wau and Juba.

The group included elderly citizens and other vulnerable groups along with family members and medical staff as part of the process of voluntary return, agreed between Juba and Khartoum.

We were able to send five planes and will continue to do so later this month, said Salah Osman IOM liaison officer.

In Khartoum yesterday, social welfare minister Amira al-Fadel met with the South Sudanese minister of humanitarian affairs to discuss the current conditions relating to voluntary return for returnees.

They have managed to transport 486 vulnerable people in 10 planes and on Saturday Juba will assist 7,000 by land to travel to the South, said a press statement after the meeting.

They also discussed the situation of 57,000 Sudanese hoping to be transported to White Nile from the South.

South Sudan says it has assured all Sudanese citizens in the country that it will afford them the same freedoms as all South Sudanese nationals.