Chad: repatriation from Central African Republic completed

Briefing notes

Chad: repatriation from Central African Republic completed

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

1 February 2001

UNHCR has completed the repatriation of Chadians from the Central African Republic where many of them lived in exile for more then 15 years. Between January 14 and 23, the last 2,000 returnees were driven home to Goré, Chad, in three convoys from the Boubou refugee camp, in the Ouham region of the Central African Republic. They received food for three months, including rice, sugar, salt and oil. They will also be given kitchen utensils and other tools.

The repatriation began in 1995, following an agreement between UNHCR, Chad and CAR. A total of 14,000 Chadian refugees have been repatriated since then. A few hundred have chosen to remain in Central Africa and their cases will have to be resolved separately.

In the early 1990s, UNHCR repatriated some 20,000 Chadians from Sudan and there are still an estimated 40,000 Chadian refugees in Cameroon, whose repatriation is also planned. Chad itself hosts 23,000 Sudanese refugees who have settled in the east of the country.