Rebels recruit Darfur refugees in Chad as Soldiers – UN

May 16, 2006 (NAIROBI) — Sudanese rebels are recruiting thousands of men and boys from refugee camps in neighboring Chad, where more than 200,000 Sudanese have fled to escape the Darfur conflict, the U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday.

Some 4,700 men and boys were recruited or forced to join the rebels from the Breidjing and Treguine camps in March, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said citing reports from refugees. Recruitment has also been reported at the Goz Amir camp in April, the agency said.

“Refugee camps are meant to be safe havens where refugees can at least find protection and safety. Militarization of camps can make them a target of one side or another, endangering all of the refugees,” the U.N. agency said in a statement.

Unrest has spilled over into Chad from Darfur, where Sudan’s Arab-dominated government is accused of unleashing Arab tribal militia known as the janjaweed in a campaign of murder, rape and arson aimed at civilians in farming villages as part of a three-year-old rebellion.

Sudan denies it backs the janjaweed, who have been accused of cross-border raids on refugee camps and villages in Chad.

Sudan accuses Chad of supporting the Darfur rebels. Chad, in return, accuses Sudan of backing Chadian rebels in eastern Chad.

(ST/AP)