AFRICA/CHAD - Violence in refugee camps in Chad: UN High Commission for Refugees seriously concerned

Tuesday, 17 May 2005

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N’Djamena (Fides Service) - UN High Commission for Refugees UNHCR is seriously concerned about violence in recent weeks in refugee camps in eastern Chad in which four people were killed. The situation in the camps at the moment is calm.
Disorder, in which three refugees and a security officer were killed happened in Goz Amer camp. Several more - two refugees, two humanitarian workers of a NGO partner and a member Chad security forces were injured.
The clashes started after refugees who appeared to be selling plastic sheeting distributed by UNHCR at a market inside the camp were arrested. Chad security forces charged with guaranteeing security in the 12 UNHCR camps in eastern Chad tried to stop the sale of these goods by arresting three refugees. To protest against the arrests, a group of camp refugees set fire to a social service centre in the nearby village of Koukou Angarana, causing further clashes with the local police in which four people were killed.
Operators of UNHCR and NGOs managed to leave the camp to reach Koukou Samgarana or Goz Beida waiting for the situation to improve.
Goz Amer 217 km from the town of Abeche opened in April 2004 has about 20,000 inmates.
UNHCR is responsible for protecting and assisting more than 210,000 from the Darfur region of Sudan living in twelve camps in eastern Chad. The refugees fled to Chad from Darfur in 2003 and 2004, to escape the violence of Janjaweed Arab militia. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 17/5/2005 righe 29 parole 317)