12 February 2008
Thousands of refugees on the border between Sudan and Chad are becoming the victims of conflict within Sudan and a dispute between the governments of Chad and Sudan.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has reported that as many as 12,000 Sudanese fled to Chad after Janjaweed militia, supported by Sudanese soldiers, attacked three towns in West Darfur last week.
Now Chad's government - which accuses Sudan of being behind a recent rebel assault on the capital, N'Djamena - says the country cannot absorb any more refugees from Darfur.
The BBC reported the Chadian prime minister, Nouradine Delwa Kassire Koumakoye, as saying of the latest influx of refugees: "We are simply demanding that they be moved, otherwise we will do it."
Responding to the crisis, three Western human rights lobby groups issued a statement yesterday calling on the United States, France and Britain to work with China and Russia in imposing targetted sanctions on Sudanese officials.
The ENOUGH Project, the Save Darfur Coalition, and the Genocide Intervention Network said Sudan's ruling party "not only threatens its own citizens... it is a menace to the entire region. It will remain a menace until the rest of the world makes the cost of doing so too steep."
The groups advocated that the United Nations Security Council authorize sanctions on "senior Sudanese officials responsible for supporting the overthrow of a neighboring sovereign government, for obstructing the deployment of international protection forces in Chad and Darfur, and for continuing to promote violence in Darfur."
Joint Statement on the Crisis in Chad
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One question, how did a contingency rebels make their way from Sudan across the border and not run into interference until they came to the capital???
I'm grateful for the constant updates to the Chad and Darfur situation. Thank you for the work you do to keep the world informed. It is so terribly frustrating that it seems like, once again, the UN is standing and watching, instead of acting, w/re to this situation that has been virulent for years. Why, oh why, does there have to be this seemingly required long period of self-loathing and verbalized helplessness before action is taken. If the full force of the equivalent of NATO were brought to bear on the murderers and raiders, it WOULD stop. Somebody somewhere still thinks it is "worthwhile" to let it continue. Drives me crazy and breaks my heart for the people.