Chad demands international action on refugees

CHAD’S prime minister demanded on Monday that the international community remove refugees who have fled to Chad from Sudan’s Darfur region.

Prime Minister Nouradin Koumakoye said Sudan’s government foments violence in Chad — including backing a failed coup attempt last week — because of the refugees’ presence. Sudan has denied involvement in the coup.

“We demand that the international community transfer the population [of Sudanese refugees] from Chad to Sudan to free us,” said Mr Koumakoye. “We want the international community to look for another country so that the Sudanese can leave. If they cannot do it, we are going to do it.”

Over the weekend, the UN said about 12,000 Darfur refugees had fled to Chad following Sudanese airstrikes. Chad has accused Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir of backing rebels in last week’s coup attempt in a bid to prevent deployment of a European peacekeeping force in the border region.

Chad has previously threatened to expel the Darfur refugees.

After attacks by Chadian rebels in April 2006, President Idriss Deby said he would force them back into Sudan if the international community did not prevent Sudan from destabilising Chad. However, Mr Deby later backed down under international pressure.