Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Khartoum (Fides Service)- Despite a cease fire signed in April by the Sudanese government and two rebel groups fighting in the western Sudan region of Darfur continues to cause thousands of civilians to flee their homes, according to the latest report issued by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR a copy of which was sent to Fides.
UNHCR said that over the past few days more than 100 in desperate conditions, woman and children and a few men arrived at Kalma, near Nyala, main town in the south of Darfur, after making a dangerous trek across war zones on foot or freight trucks.
The people come from an area south east of Nyala where last week the Sudanese government and pro-government militia “Janjaweed” reportedly launched an attack on the territory mainly controlled by the rebels of the Sudan Liberation Army SLA. The refugees said that in the last 16 months of fighting their villages were bombed by Antonov aircraft and helicopters and that men riding jeeps, horses and camels killed men, women and children, raped women, stole animals and set fire to homes.
Kalma camp 17 km south east of Nyala, has at present about 40,000 refugees, among whom there are many children in serious conditions of malnutrition. International aid agencies are supplying assistance, food, water and medical care.
UNHCR said that “At the end of last week another group of about 1,500 people came to Kalma camp after being forced to leave a makeshift camp by police and soldiers who accused them of occupying private land along the road leading to Nyala airport. UNHCR was concerned to hear that some of the women were beaten before being told to leave their campsite which was torn down and reduced to a heap of strips of plastic sheeting”.
In west Darfur UNHCR is working with the government to ensure that movement of people is exclusively voluntary. The government asked UNHCR and other agencies to find sites for official refugee camps for the displaced persons who are mostly in disorganised spontaneous camps which the government intends to dismantle. UNHCR emergency team operating in El Geneina main town of west Darfur met representatives of about 3,500 Chad citizens who fled to Darfur in the early 1980s. They said they too had suffered violence like the other people in Darfur and they said they wanted to return to Chad with the help of UNHCR, which plans to do so as soon as possible. These people want to return to Abeché in east Chad where 8 UNHCR camps host 118,000 refugees from Darfur. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 7/7/2004 righe 42 parole 511)
