AFRICA/CHAD - Agreement signed by UN High Commission for Refugees and the government of Chad to guarantee safety of Darfur refugees

Rome (Fides)- In Chad the United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR has signed an agreement with the government to guarantee the maintaining of a level of security and the civil nature of refugee camps and surrounding area in the eastern border zone of Chad where some 188,000 refugees from Darfur are said to have settled.
In a report sent to Fides UNHCR said “the agreement is in keeping with our standards it recognises the general responsibilities of the Chad government for security in the camps and the obligation of Sudanese refugees to respect the law of the hosting country. According to the agreement the government will supply 180 persons specialised in policing the existing camps where there are about 160,000 refugees, and 80 % are women and children”.
Among other things the surveillance personnel will guarantee that no one bearing arms is allowed to enter the camps and that the refugees are not involved in any activity which could affect the civil nature of the camps. The personnel will make periodical inspections and guarantee protection of camp infrastructures including food aid and other supplies. In the west Sudanese region of Darfur, in less than two years, civil war has killed at least 30,000 people, left one million displaced persons and more than 100,000 refugees in neighbouring Chad. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 1/9/2004 righe 22 parole 254)