CHAD: $1 MILLION IN FRESH FUNDS KEEPS UN AIR SERVICE ALIVE FOR ANOTHER MONTH

Humanitarian workers assisting over 430,000 vulnerable people in Chad will be able to get to where they need to go thanks to $1 million in new funding from the United States for United Nations-run aid flights operating in the West African nation.

The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) plays a vital role in accessing remote locations and in cases where insecurity prevents travel by road.

Run by the World Food Programme (WFP), the service flies aid workers from the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as journalists and others, to some of the hardest-to-reach emergency operations around the world.

In Chad alone, some 5,000 aid workers per month use UNHAS to help 250,000 refugees from the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur, as well as 180,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs).

WFP's Emilia Casella told reporters in Geneva that despite the new funds, the service would shut down half of its operations by 15 September, and be grounded altogether by 30 September, without more resources.

The Chad flights need another $5.7 million to stay in the air until the end of the year, she noted.

With a 2009 budget of $160 million, the air service operates in Chad, Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, the Central African Republic (CAR), West Africa and Afghanistan.
________________

FIRST GROUP OF REFUGEES LEAVE CHAD FOR NEW LIVES IN US – UN

As part of a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees programme, the first group of refugees has left Chad to begin new lives in the United States.

The 11 refugees are the first of a total of 1,800 resettlement cases – mostly Sudanese refugees from the war-torn Darfur region living in camps in eastern Chad – the agency plans to identify this year.

The group – who are heading for Kentucky, Texas, Iowa and Utah – which departed for the US by air from the Chadian capital N'Djamena on 21 June comprise refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR).

Currently, 250,000 refugees from Darfur are sheltering in 12 UNHCR-run camps in Chad's east. Additionally, 70,000 CAR refugees are living in five camps in southern Chad.

The US is the first country to promote resettlement for refugees in Chad, the agency said.

"Resettlement requires a very meticulous process and usually takes seven to nine months per individual case," said UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler.

The process includes interviews, medical screenings, counseling and cultural orientation sessions, and agency staff are trained to detect fraud to ensure they do not select refugees who are not eligible for resettlement.

"Resettlement is considered one of UNHCR's durable solutions for protracted refugee solutions, along with voluntary repatriation and local integration," Mr. Spindler said.

The next group of refugees, made up of mostly people who fled fighting in Darfur, is slated to leave for the US in July.
________________

DARFUR REFUGEES IN CHAD TO RECEIVE IDENTITY CARDS UNDER UN-BACKED SCHEME

DARFUR REFUGEES IN CHAD TO RECEIVE IDENTITY CARDS UNDER UN-BACKED SCHEME
New York, Jun 2 2009 2:00PM
Some 110,000 Sudanese refugees over the age of 18 in eastern Chad will receive identity cards under a new programme launched with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

"The ID cards are the equivalent of a 'refugee passport' allowing free movement within the host country and providing access to some basic services in line with the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention," agency spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters in Geneva.

The agency distributed the first 10 ID cards, which are printed by <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4a25473a4.html">UNHCR and issued by the Chadian Government, in a symbolic ceremony on Monday in Gaga refugee camp, near Abéché.

UNHCR noted that the joint initiative had been in the works since late 2006. Identity and age verification exercises in all 12 camps in eastern Chad hosting some 250,000 refugees from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region were initially scheduled to start in 2008.

However, ongoing insecurity in eastern Chad pushed back those exercises until this April. Some 37,000 refugees in Gaga and Farchana camps have been processed so far.

"We plan to distribute all 110,000 ID cards by the end of this year, provided that the verification process is not interrupted again," Mr. Redmond said. "Since the latest Chadian rebel incursion on 4 May, our regular daily access to refugee camps is still problematic due to security restrictions."

Meanwhile, UNCHR said that refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) continue to arrive in small groups in the village of Daha, in south-eastern Chad's Salamat region, as well as in the vicinity of Danamadji in southern Chad.

Some 17,000 CAR refugees – who fled fearing fresh clashes between the Government and rebels – found shelter in six spontaneous sites which sprung up in Daha and Massambagne villages since mid-January, Mr. Redmond reported.

"In southern Chad, we now care for 73,000 refugees hosted in five refugee camps and six spontaneous sites," he said, adding that UNHCR teams in this part of Chad are providing protection and emergency assistance. It is also distributing shelter material and household items to all newly arrived families – mostly women and small children.

"Together with our partner agencies we secured refugee access to education and clean water and built latrines, and we are pre-positioning food-rations sufficient for six months. As of mid-June when the rainy season will start, the CAR refugees in south-eastern Chad will be basically cut off from assistance as it will be physically impossible to reach them," said Mr. Redmond.
________________

FORMER CHADIAN LEADER TO REMAIN IN SENEGAL PENDING FINAL RULING BY UN COURT

FORMER CHADIAN LEADER TO REMAIN IN SENEGAL PENDING FINAL RULING BY UN COURT
New York, May 28 2009 2:00PM
The United Nations International Court of Justice (<"http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=2&case=144&PHPSESSID=66df0eb20403f92383dc3ea447d6af5c">ICJ) today issued an <"http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/144/15149.pdf">order leaving former Chadian president Hissène Habré in the custody of Senegal, where he is under house arrest for alleged war crimes.

Belgium lodged a request to the ICJ in February to bar Mr. Habré, who has been accused in a Senegalese court of massive human rights abuses committed by his regime during the 1990s, from leaving Senegal while his trial is pending.

It had also sought to have him extradited to face charges in Belgium, citing among other things procedural delays in Senegal's handling of the case. For its part, Senegal had asked the Court to dismiss the Belgian filing, saying its judiciary is competent to carry out the prosecution.

In its order, the ICJ found that "there does not exist, in the circumstances of the present case, any urgency to justify" Belgium's bid.

However, the Court also stressed that today's order leaves unaffected Belgium's right to pursue the case should new facts emerge.

In addition, Senegal has given assurances it would not allow Mr. Habré, who has been living in house arrest for nearly 20 years, to leave the country pending a final ICJ ruling on the matter, noted the Court, which is based in The Hague, Netherlands.

Mr. Habré ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, when he was overthrown and went into exile in Senegal, and it is alleged that during his rule thousands of Chadians were tortured and unlawful killings and other serious human rights violations took place.

Although he was charged in February 2000 by a lower court in Senegal's capital, Dakar, an appeals court later ruled that Senegalese courts did not have the legal competence to try such cases if they were perpetrated in another country.

But then in April 2008, Senegal's National Assembly adopted an amendment to the constitution that together with previous changes allowed the country's legal system to deal with such cases.
________________

AFRICAN UNION-UN ENVOY CALLS FOR END TO CLASHES ALONG CHAD-SUDAN BORDER

AFRICAN UNION-UN ENVOY CALLS FOR END TO CLASHES ALONG CHAD-SUDAN BORDER
New York, May 20 2009 12:00PM
The joint African Union-United Nations envoy to the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur today called for an end to fighting near the Chad-Sudan border and for the two nations to rein in mounting tensions.

In a press release issued in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, AU-UN Joint Special Representative Rodolphe Adada urged the Governments of the neighbouring nations to "refrain from any act that may lead to a further escalation of tensions, which could exacerbate the suffering of Darfur's civilians, particularly the many internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in the region."

He urged Chad and Sudan to adhere to pacts they have signed, especially the 3 May Doha Agreement, facilitated by Qatar and Libya.

Reiterating what he told the Security Council last month, Mr. Adada stressed that "the poor state of relations between Chad and Sudan constitutes one of the biggest threats to efforts to secure lasting peace for the people of Darfur."

He also echoed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3863">statement from earlier this week that there is no military solution to the conflict in Darfur and the problems between Chad, Sudan and opposition groups in both countries.

"Dialogue is the only way forward," the Representative emphasized.
________________

AFRICAN UNION-UN ENVOY AND SUDANESE OFFICIAL DISCUSS RECENT FIGHTING IN DARFUR

AFRICAN UNION-UN ENVOY AND SUDANESE OFFICIAL DISCUSS RECENT FIGHTING IN DARFUR
New York, May 19 2009 5:00PM
The joint African Union-United Nations envoy to Darfur met with a senior Sudanese official today to discuss recent fighting in the strife-torn region and rising tensions between Sudan and Chad, a spokesperson for the world body said.

Marie Okabe told reporters in New York that the AU-UN Joint Special Representative, Rodolphe Adada, met with Minni Minawi, a former rebel who is now the Senior Assistant to the Sudanese President.

"They discussed the latest developments in Darfur, particularly the recent fighting between the Minawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA/MM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). They also discussed rising tensions between Chad and Sudan," Ms. Okabe said.

Fighting between the two groups flared up some ten days ago in the north Darfur town of Umm Baru. Mr. Adada said the AU-UN peacekeeping mission, known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/">UNAMID, had taken 26 people injured in the fighting to the North Darfur capital of El Fasher for treatment at a military hospital.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday voiced his concern at recent violence and tensions in the border area between Chad and Sudan and called on all parties to cease fighting.

"He underscores that there is no military solution to the situation in the sub-region and urges the Governments of Chad and Sudan to refrain from any act that may lead to a further escalation of tensions," his spokesperson said in a statement.

Last week Mr. Adada met with the Under-Secretary of the Sudanese Foreign Affairs Ministry, Mutrif Siddiq, and Presidential Adviser, Mustafa Osman Ismail, during separate meetings in Khartoum.

In a briefing to the Security Council in April, Mr. Adada estimated that around 2,000 civilians have been in killed in Darfur since UNAMID deployed last year.

Some 15 peacekeepers have also lost their lives since the Security Council established UNAMID to protect civilians in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and another 2.7 million forced from their homes in more than five years of fighting, pitting rebels against Government forces and allied Janjaweed militiamen.

Ms. Okabe said that in the past 24 hours, the military component of UNAMID conducted 72 confidence-building patrols, escorts, night patrols and investigative patrols in and around villages and camps for internally displaced persons.
________________

GHANAIAN TROOPS JOIN UN MISSION IN CHAD, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

GHANAIAN TROOPS JOIN UN MISSION IN CHAD, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
New York, May 14 2009 12:00PM
Over 100 Ghanaian soldiers have joined the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the war-ravaged nations of Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR), it was announced today.

In a move welcomed by the mission, known as MINURCAT, 131 Ghanaian troops are in transit and will replace departing forces in the Farchana area of eastern Chad.

They will join 71 Ghanaian blue helmets deployed to <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/minurcat/">MINURCAT last March, and at full strength, the mission will include 800 peacekeepers from Ghana.

In September 2007, the Security Council approved the establishment in Chad and CAR, in concert with the European Union (EU), of a UN-mandated, multidimensional presence, including European Union (EU) military forces, to help protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid to thousands of people uprooted due to insecurity in the two countries and neighbouring Sudan.

On 15 March, UN peacekeepers took over the military and security responsibilities of EUFOR after the Council approved the deployment of an additional 5,500 blue helmets to serve with MINURCAT. However, deployment currently stands at half that level.

Eastern Chad faces an acute humanitarian challenge, with over 290,000 Sudanese refugees from the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, more than 180,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and a further 700,000 individuals among host communities in need of food, water and health care.

Northern CAR has also been affected by a spill-over from Darfur as well as by displacement resulting from other armed conflicts.
________________

ICRC News Release - Chad: ICRC urges respect for international humanitarian law

ICRC News Release No. 09/96

12 May 2009

Chad: ICRC urges respect for international humanitarian law

N'Djamena/Geneva (ICRC) – International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff have been mobilized to bring aid to civilian and military victims of the violent clashes that over the past few days have pitted government troops against fighters of the Union of Resistance Forces (UFR) in eastern Chad.

Beginning on 9 May, ICRC delegates began to visit people captured in the fighting to assess their treatment and conditions of detention. Some 100 detainees have already been registered. ICRC medical staff have begun to deliver aid to the facilities caring for the wounded in Am Dam, Goz Beida, Abéché and N'Djamena. Three civilian casualties in serious condition were taken to Abéché where they will be operated on by ICRC surgeons. The needs of casualties transferred to N'Djamena are being assessed.

"Many people were captured as a result of the clashes. Those who were wounded, including some people captured in the fighting, require emergency aid," said Catherine Deman, who heads the ICRC delegation in Chad. "The ICRC would like to point out that, under international humanitarian law, all persons injured – whether civilian or military – must be treated humanely and without discrimination."

As soon as circumstances permit, everything possible must be done to search for, collect and evacuate the wounded, and to provide them with suitable medical care. The mortal remains of people killed in the clashes must be collected and buried with respect, and information concerning them must be recorded. The authorities in charge must ensure that those captured are treated humanely, that their dignity is respected and that their basic needs are met. In accordance with its mandate, the ICRC must be guaranteed access to all people captured in connection with the armed conflict.

The ICRC calls upon the authorities to take all feasible measures to protect against the effects of the hostilities the civilian population living in the areas affected by the bombardments and other fighting, and to see to it that they are not exposed to the danger of explosive remnants of war.

In accordance with its mandate, the ICRC will press ahead with its efforts to protect and assist all those affected by the recent fighting, whether they be wounded, detained or displaced. The ICRC has been working in Chad since 1978. Today it carries out its activities in behalf of conflict victims, in particular war-injured people, security detainees throughout the country and displaced people in the eastern part of the country. It has 315 employees working in Chad, including 57 expatriates.

CLASHES IN EASTERN CHAD HAMPERING AID EFFORTS, SAYS SENIOR UN OFFICIAL

CLASHES IN EASTERN CHAD HAMPERING AID EFFORTS, SAYS SENIOR UN OFFICIAL
New York, May 8 2009 3:00PM
The recent clashes in eastern Chad are hindering the efforts of the United Nations and its partners to assist the hundreds of thousands of civilians taking refuge there, a senior peacekeeping official said today, calling on all parties to respect the humanitarian operations taking place in the area.

Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Dmitry Titov told an open meeting of the Security Council that the UN Mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (MINURCAT) was able to confirm that the Chadian National Army was conducting air strikes against a rebel column in eastern Chad, in the area of Goz Beida.

While no significant population displacements have been reported as a result of the fighting so far, the clashes have "seriously compromised" the ability of UN agencies and their non-governmental organization (NGO) partners to deliver humanitarian assistance, he said.

Just two days ago, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced increasing concern at the fighting and called for the respect of the humanitarian character of the operations of the UN and NGOs in eastern Chad.

The region is home to over 290,000 Sudanese refugees from the conflict in Darfur, more than 180,000 IDPs and a further 700,000 individuals among host communities in need of food, water and health care.

Mr. Titov said that the deteriorating security situation has prompted humanitarian actors, including three UN agencies and 11 NGOs, to relocate their non-essential staff as a precautionary measure.

With the rainy season beginning, it is critically important that the humanitarian community is able to pre-position essential humanitarian supplies and materials, especially in areas which become essentially isolated due to flooded and impassable roads, he said. "Should the current situation worsen, it could potentially jeopardize this important work."

Mr. Titov recalled that on 3 May in Doha, the Governments of Chad and Sudan signed a new agreement to normalize relations and deny any support on their respective territories to rebel groups that are hostile to either of them. However, only two days later, a Chadian Government spokesperson accused Sudan of sending armed elements into eastern Chad, a charge which Khartoum denied.

"It is essential that both Governments act upon the Doha Agreement and past commitments to prevent further rebel incursions from either side of the border," said Mr. Titov. "It is also essential that armed opposition groups, on both sides of the border, realize that efforts to seize power through force are unacceptable."

He added that MINURCAT, which is tasked with protecting civilians in danger, facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid and personnel, as well as safeguarding UN personnel and facilities, still lacks some of the troops and 14 of the 18 helicopters it requires.

"As a result, the military force lacks the ability to observe and track incidents as they develop, as well as a force reserve with rapid mobility to reinforce sites or react to changing circumstances," he said, urging the Council to join Mr. Ban in his appeal to potential troop contributors to provide MINURCAT with the assets it needs.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported today that despite the ongoing clashes between armed groups in eastern Chad, aid operations are continuing for 250,000 Darfur refugees, 18,000 Central African Republic refugees, and 166,000 Chadian IDPs and their host families.

The UN in Chad has called on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and specifically to ensure protection of civilians, particularly women and children. It has also urged that humanitarian space be respected to allow aid to continue to reach those in greatest need.
________________

UN FORCE MOURNS PEACEKEEPERS MURDERED IN EASTERN CHAD

The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) today expressed its dismay over the killing yesterday of a peacekeeper and two soldiers of the European Union force (EUFOR) by a fellow soldier in a camp in Abeché in eastern Chad.

"A French soldier of the EUFOR military operation killed two of his cohorts as well as a Togolese UN peacekeeper for reasons yet to be determined," the Mission said in a news release issued in N'Djamena.

Chadian authorities, in collaboration with France and EUFOR, are investigating the incident and searching for the perpetrator.

MINURCAT reiterated its full confidence in EUFOR and conveyed its condolences to the families of the victims.

In September 2007, the Security Council approved the establishment of a UN-mandated, multidimensional presence, including EU military forces, in Chad and CAR to help protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid to thousands of people uprooted due to insecurity in the two countries and neighbouring Sudan.

On 15 March, UN peacekeepers took over the military and security responsibilities of EUFOR after the Council approved the deployment of an additional 5,500 blue helmets to serve with MINURCAT.
________________

ESCALATING VIOLENCE UPROOTS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CENTRAL AFRICANS, UN SAYS

Intensified clashes in the Central African Republic have driven tens of thousands of civilians from their homes, the United Nations reported today, noting that the unrest could prolong the humanitarian crisis that has wracked the country for more than a decade.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the violence could also jeopardize progress towards power-sharing between the Government and rebel groups.

The latest fighting in north-west of the CAR between Government troops and an emerging rebel forces, known as the Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP), have led some 6,400 people to escape into the bush, while over 9,000 others have fled across the border to Chad.

In the past ten years, over 300,000 people have been displaced by violence in the country.

In 2008, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) began returning to their villages after peace agreements were signed with rebel groups, culminating with the holding of successful inclusive political dialogue, bringing all groups together in the capital, Bangui.

But renewed clashes this January across the country's north have forced nearly 24,000 to flee. While efforts are under way to help the IDPs, Government forces have limited access to those in need several times this month.

"Those who have fled their homes and lost their livelihoods are now in desperate need of protection and humanitarian aid," said Mai Moussa Abari, interim Humanitarian Coordinator for CAR.

He called on the Government to ensure consistent access for aid workers to all of those uprooted by the recent violence.

According to OCHA, below one-quarter of the $116 million needed for this year's Coordinated Aid Programme (CAP) has been funded, with critical shortfalls in key areas such as health and protection.
________________

CENTRAL AFRICAN REFUGEES CONTINUE FLEEING INTO CHAD, UN REPORTS

More than 100 CAR refugees crossed the volatile border to south-eastern Chad over the weekend, joining over 6,800 others who began arriving earlier this year in two sites near the remote Daha village registered by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Another 2,500 new arrivals are sheltering just across the border in the Chadian village of Massambaye, 125 kilometres east of Daha.

According to UNHCR spokesperson, Ron Redmond, the arrivals – most of whom are women, children and elderly people – have told the agency that they escaped clashes between Government forces and rebels in northern CAR.

"Refugees said they walked for two days before reaching the border," he told reporters in Geneva. "They said more people were still hiding in the bush in CAR for fear of being attacked or killed, and were trying to reach safety in Chad."

They also told UNHCR that they do not want to return to their homes in CAR at this point because of the insecurity in the north of their country and have expressed their desire to remain close to the Chad-CAR border, Mr. Redmond said.

UNHCR and its partners are supplying plastic sheeting, mats, blankets and other items to the refugees, who have started building their own small huts.

"We will continue to provide ad hoc assistance to those in Daha and Massambaye, but the region will become inaccessible once the rainy season starts at the end of April," the UNCHR spokesperson said.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has provided food rations for one month, with other distributions in the pipeline, while the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has built communal latrines.

For its part, UNHCR is assisting Daha's health centre, and malnourished refugee children are receiving supplementary food while all newly-arrived children are receiving vaccinations for measles and polio.

In southern Chad, there are currently some 56,000 CAR refugees, while in the country's east, over 250,000 Sudanese refugees fleeing the conflict in the Darfur region are living in 12 UNHCR-run camps. Additionally, the agency is helping over 160,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Chad.
________________

CHAD: UN REGISTERS OVER 5,000 CENTRAL AFRICANS UPROOTED BY VIOLENCE

CHAD: UN REGISTERS OVER 5,000 CENTRAL AFRICANS UPROOTED BY VIOLENCE
New York, Mar 18 2009 6:00PM

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has registered more than 5,200 refugees in Chad who fled intensified fighting between Government forces and rebels in the north of their native Central African Republic (CAR) last December.

These refugees are sheltering in the village of Daha in south-eastern Chad, roughly one kilometre from the border with the CAR.

UNHCR and the World Food Programme (WFP) have distributed food to refugees this week, marking the second time they have received rations since their arrival in Chad.

Over 100 children have been enrolled at the local school and classes have started in two new facilities built by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), which has also trained teachers.

In addition, the agency has begun handing out high-protein biscuits to all children in the two camps in Daha, while it has begun constructing five wells for both refugees and the host population.

Due to wide-spread fighting and armed banditry in recent years in the CAR, some 200,000 Central Africans have been either internally displaced by the violence or forced to live as refugees in neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.
________________

CHAD: BLAZES RIP THROUGH SUDANESE REFUGEE CAMPS

CHAD: BLAZES RIP THROUGH SUDANESE REFUGEE CAMPS
New York, Mar 17 2009 11:00AM

The United Nations refugee agency said today it was hastening to replace supplies and put preventive measures in place after five accidental fires swept through two camps for Sudanese refugees in remote eastern Chad in the past four weeks.

A 9-year old boy died and some 1,455 people were left homeless in the Amer and Djabal camps, due to the fires, which were caused by poorly tended open fires fanned by heavy winds, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today.

"Despite repeated fires in the camps in 2007-08, refugees remain reluctant to construct their shelters with more fire-resistant mud bricks, preferring instead traditional sticks and straw which are tinder dry," UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond said in Geneva today.

After each fire, UNHCR staff in the two camps immediately distributed family tents and other household items, including plastic sheeting, mats, blankets, jerry cans and kitchen sets to those affected, he said.

"We continue to stress the need for caution with open cooking fires and are encouraging refugees to build their shelters with more durable materials like mud bricks," Mr. Redmond said.

He added that UNHCR is seeking an additional $350,000 to carry out a durable shelter strategy in 2009 that will entail fitting the houses of some 1,660 vulnerable families with durable roofing materials not as prone to fire.

A total of 250,000 Sudanese refugees from the strife-torn Darfur region are hosted in 12 UNHCR-administered refugee camps in eastern Chad, and other 60,000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) are in five UNHCR-assisted sites in the south of the country.
________________

BLUE HELMETS TAKE OVER FROM EUROPEAN FORCE IN CHAD, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

BLUE HELMETS TAKE OVER FROM EUROPEAN FORCE IN CHAD, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
New York, Mar 15 2009 1:00PM

United Nations peacekeepers in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) today took over the military and security responsibilities of European forces in the two strife-torn nations.

Today's transfer, which took place at midnight local time, was marked by a ceremony, attended by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy, held in the Chadian city of Abéché, where MINURCAT's headquarters are located.

In January, the Security Council approved the deployment of over 5,500 blue helmets, 300 police officers, 25 military liaison officers and 5,200 military personnel with the UN mission (MINURCAT) to replace the European troops (EUFOR), which has been in place since March 2008.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today commended EUFOR for the key role it has played in bolstering security for internally displaced pe
rsons (IDPs), refugees and other vulnerable groups in eastern Chad and north-eastern CAR.

"As MINURCAT assumes its new responsibilities, the Secretary-General is confident that the force will build upon and strengthen EUFOR's military achievements while continuing to execute the full range of its mandated tasks, including to contribute to the promotion of human rights and the rule of law and to support the development of the Chadian community police (Détachement Intégré de Sécurité) deployed in eastern Chad," the statement added.

Eastern Chad faces an acute humanitarian challenge with over 290,000 Sudanese refugees from the Darfur war, more than 180,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and a further 700,000 individuals among host communities in need of food, water and health care. Northern CAR has also been affected by a spill-over from the Darfur conflict as well as by other armed groups.

In its January resolution, the Security Council stressed that the multidimensional pres
ence in Chad and military presence in the CAR is intended to help create the security conditions conducive to a voluntary, secure and sustainable return of refugees and displaced persons, by boosting security protection, facilitating the provision of humanitarian aid, and promoting reconstruction and economic and social development.

The resolution empowers MINURCAT to "take all necessary measures, within its capabilities" to contribute to protecting civilians in danger, particularly refugees and IDPs, facilitate delivery of humanitarian aid and the free movement of humanitarian personnel, and protect UN personnel, facilities, installations and equipment.

Mr. Ban also said today that he is "grateful" for several EUFOR contributors' and new troop contributing countries' commitments to the UN force, and encouraged Member States to continue filling remaining gaps to ensure that MINURCAT is equipped to execute its mandate.

Currently, the Mission is composed of some 300 uniformed pers
onnel, mostly police, plus some 325 international civilians.

"In order to succeed, MINURCAT will need the active support of the Governments of Chad and the Central African Republic," the Secretary-General said, adding that he is grateful to both Governments for "their cooperation during the transition period and looks forward to working with them in the implementation of MINURCAT's mandate."

In September 2007, the Council approved the establishment in Chad and CAR, in concert with the European Union (EU), of a UN-mandated, multidimensional presence, including European Union (EU) military forces, in Chad and CAR to help protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid to thousands of people uprooted due to insecurity in the two countries and neighbouring Sudan.

________________