from RAJI BASHIR in Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan Bureau
KHARTOUM, (CAJ News) – UP to 20 000 refugees from Sudan are believed to have crossed to neighbouring Chad, to the west, following ongoing clashes.
This is contrary to an earlier statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) indicating its ignorance of refugee movements to neighboring countries since fighting broke out.
Laura Lo Castro, representative of the UNHCR in Chad, provided an update, stating that an “estimate of 10 000 to 20 000” new refugees, who have arrived in eastern Chad in the past two days (as of Wednesday).
According to the UN, a joint mission of UNHCR, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) observed the influx of the new Sudanese refugees.
On Tuesday, Castro visited the first three sites housing the new refugees.
Sudan plunged further into conflict last weekend following clashes between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Mohammed Hamdane Daglo and the national army, commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane.
The two generals were involved in a power struggle while an internationally-brokered plan for a transition to civilian rule in the Northeast African country of over 46 million people was discussed.
Civilian rule has remained elusive since Omar al-Bashir was forced out of power in 2019.
Around 300 people have been reported to be killed during the ongoing conflict.
The North-central African country, Chad, is already home to more than 600 000 refugees, including nearly 400 000 from Sudan.
Other significant numbers of refugees are from the Central African Republic (CAR) and Nigeria.
– CAJ News