Abeche — Sudanese refugees from west Chad refused to return voluntarily unless their eight demands are met Ahmed Ismail, a delegate of the Sudanese refugee camp Bredjing, told Radio Dabanga.

These demands include increased security, the prosecution of offenders, the disarmament of the Janjaweed, the expulsion of new settlers and the compensation of rape victims.

The conference, hosted by the UNHCR, was concluded in Abeché on Wednesday. The central topic was the voluntary return of Sudanese refugees to Sudan. The conference was attended by a delegation from the Sudanese government, a delegation from the government of Chad, the UNHCR and delegations from the 12 Sudanese refugee camps in west Chad.

Hamid Al Gazali, commissioner of the Sudanese Refugees described the Abeché meeting as a first step towards accomplishing the voluntary return program. He stated that during the meeting 52 of the refugees representing 12 camps in west Chad held long discussions on which procedures are necessary to reach this goal.