Sudanese refugees in Chad deny reports about voluntary return to Darfur
April 1, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese refugees have dismissed reports alleging that thousands have returned voluntarily from camps in eastern Chad camps to Sudan’s western Darfur region since the signing of the Doha Peace Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) in July 2011.
The director of Sudan’s High Commission for Refugees, Mohamed Abdallah stated last week stated that at least 100,000 Sudanese refugees returned to West Darfur state as result of the joint efforts exerted by Sudan and Chad.
The two countries and the UNHCR on 27 July 2011 signed an agreement to organise the voluntary return of over 250,000 Sudanese refugees from the eastern part of Chad. Refugees that fled fighting that began in 2003 have been residing in 12 camps run by United Nations.
However, local leaders in the camps denied the return of refugees describing such statements as “misleading propaganda and lies”. In a series of interviews conducted by Radio Dabanga the camp leaders stressed that the figure of “100,000 returnees” indicates the inaccuracy of the statements.
A UN official who recently visited the camps of eastern Chad told Sudan Tribune, that the Sudanese refugees do not believe they will return soon to their homeland adding that young people there dream of studying in West African countries and learning French.
The refugees who were interviewed by Radio Dabanga, which is based in the Netherlands, said they are not ready to return home unless the necessary security conditions are fulfilled. They demanded that the government’s militias are disarmed, settlers on their lands are removed, and that those responsible for war crimes in Darfur be hand over to the International Criminal Court.
They further asked for a comprehensive peace agreement with the rebels, the rebuilding of their villages and provision of more services.
An official from the UN agency for refugees (UNHCR), Jean Bosco, told Radio Dabanga they heard about the return of refugees but their colleagues in the UNHCR Sudan told them there is no substantial evidence indicating that these people were living in eastern Chad camps.
The UNHCR said last March they plan to contact Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad to arrange their voluntary repatriation to Darfur.
During a meeting with a Qatari delegation to assess the implementation of the DDPD last week, the head of Darfur Regional Authority Tijani El-Sissi stated that the return of refugees and displaced people is top the agenda of his new administration.
(ST)