Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
N’Djamena (Agenzia Fides)- International observers are hopeful after the UN Security Council passed a resolution to send a multidimensional UN mission to Chad and the Central African Republic MINURCAT, to help increase security in the region.
Rebel movements hostile to President Idriss Deby operate in east Chad. The area also serves as a rear-base for guerrillas active in Darfur, the bordering Sudanese region devastated by a terrible civil war since 2003. According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, since 2004 Chad has sheltered in 12 refugee camps about 240,000 Sudanese who fled violence in Darfur. Chad also has to deal with a growing number of internally displaced persons, now as many as 170,000. The north eastern region of Central African Republic offers shelter to about 2,660 Darfur refugees.
Various armed groups in the area are a threat to refugees and to the humanitarian organisations assisting them.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, welcomed the UN resolution but stressed the need for urgent deployment of the troops due to the 'difficult and grave' humanitarian situation in east Chad and fear that growing violence could push more people to move way as soon as the rain seasons ends.
The MINURCAT Mission will have three components: a multidimensional UN presence, composed of a UN police force, experts in human rights and law and other civil officials; a special unit supplied by Chad of about 850 policemen to keep order in refugee camps, in large settlements of internally displaced persons and in strategic villages in the region, and help to provide security for humanitarian activity in eastern Chad; a military contingent supplied by the EU and operative under Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter. If deployed the military contingent will operate under a mandate to help protect civilians in danger, especially refugees and displaced persons; facilitate humanitarian assistance and freedom of movement for humanitarian personnel by rendering the area more secure; help protect UN personnel, infrastructures, logistic bases and equipment, and collaborators, and enable them to move unhampered and in security. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 27/9/2007 righe 34 parole 366)
