Refugees can stay - Chad
2006-04-17 17:12
Geneva - Chad has told the United Nations that the 200 000 Sudanese refugees in the country will not be expelled, despite an earlier warning that they might have to go in June.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement on Monday that Chad's President Idriss Deby had promised nobody would be forced to leave.
Deby has accused Sudan of backing rebels that attacked the Chadian capital N'Djamena last week
UN high commissioner Antonio Guterres said: "I am pleased to report he (Deby) has reaffirmed that refugees will not be 'refouled' (forcibly returned) and Chad will abide by international principles."
But Guterres said the Chad leader had repeated his concerns on the difficulty of providing security for the refugees and the humanitarian organisations helping them.
Guterres said: "UNHCR strongly appeals to the international community and its various organisations to do everything possible to urgently establish peace and security in Darfur."
Thursday's attack on the Chadian capital was the boldest yet by rebels, who have vowed to end Deby's 16 year rule and block a May 3 presidential poll in which he is standing for re-election.
Deby says the international community has been slow to react to the border crisis with Sudan, a spillover from the Darfur conflict.
He warned that if the international community did not solve the long-running Darfur crisis by June, and guarantee security on the border, his country would no longer be able to shelter Sudanese refugees living in UNHCR-run camps.