GENEVA, March 28 (Reuters) - More than 100,000 people who fled civil war in southern Sudan have now returned home from neighbouring countries under United Nations auspices, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday.

The Sudanese refugees have travelled from Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia, using 18 land and air routes, under the voluntary repatriation programme since December 2005, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said.

"The 100,000 milestone was passed this week as the pace of return convoys picked up from countries neighbouring south Sudan to get refugees home ahead of the rainy season in May and for those who want to return for the national census in April," UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond told a news briefing.

In all, 250,000 refugees have returned to Sudan since a peace deal was signed in January 2005 to end 21 years of civil war between the north and south of the country, according to the UNHCR.

Another 260,000 Sudanese refugees remain outside the country, it said. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)

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