Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
N’Djamena (Fides Service)- Since the end of December 2005 about 1,000 refugees from the Central African Republic CAR, mostly women and children reached southern Chad fleeing what they described as rebel attacks in the north of their country.
These people arrived in the village of Bekininga about 35 km from Goré, the main city in southern Chad. They had abandoned villages in the north of Chad and crossed the border at Kaba.
The refugees told staff of the UN High Commission for Refugees UNHCR in Chad that they were fleeing a situation of growing insecurity and repeated attacks by , armed groups, summary executions, homes torched and violent home search operations by Central African. The villagers said they were attacked from all sides in the increasingly lawless country. Some said children had been kidnapped and a ransom demanded.
The health conditions of the refugees are not concerning, but UNHCR and Doctors without Frontiers (MSF) Holland found some of the children in a state of malnutrition. Refugees continue to cross the border in small groups from Central African Republic to Chad. Attacks by armed groups and looting in northern Chad continue. Since June 2005 persistent insecurity in Central African Republic forced over 11,000 refugees to take refuge in southern Chad. Since 2003, over 43,000 refugees from CAR have lived in three refugee camps in southern. UNHCR is also assisting over 200,000 refugees from the western Sudan region of Darfur in twelve refugee camps in eastern Chad. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 30/1/2006 righe 29 parole 331)
