U.S. welcomes tripartite agreement on refugees return to Darfur

June 18, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The United States has welcomed a tripartite agreement on the voluntary return of Sudanese refugees in Chad.

On 31 May, Sudan, Chad and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) signed two separate tripartite agreements on the voluntary return of Sudanese refugees from Chad and Chadian refugees from Sudan.

The agreements provide that any repatriation should be voluntary and on the basis of well-informed consent.

“The United States Embassies in N’Djamena and Khartoum congratulate the governments of Chad and Sudan, as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), on the signing of the Tripartite Agreements,” said a statement extended to Sudan Tribune by the U.S. embassy in Khartoum.

“This is the first step in ensuring that refugees can safely return home and in resolving two protracted refugee situations, which is especially welcomed now as the world is seeing historical levels of population displacements,” it further reads.

The UNHCR estimates there are 317,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad, while Sudan hosts 8,500 Chadian refugees.

On the other hand, IOM says last year 113,790 people have returned to Darfur, of whom 90 percent were refugee returnees from Chad.

(ST)