UNITED NATIONS PRESS RELEASE

The Representative of the Secretary General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Calls for the Chadian State to take Responsibility for the Displaced

Versions Available

  • French (official)
    •  

    Reuters/Margaret Aguirre - Refugees from Darfur wait for treatment outside an IMC health center at Mile refugee camp in eastern Chad.

    N’DJAMENA, 2 February 2009— “Protecting the rights of displaced persons is, before all else, the responsibility of the Government of Chad; it must engage energetically to protect the human rights of the thousands of Chadians who were forced to leave their homes in the east of the country, particularly their rights to security, to food and water, to health and to education,” the Representative of the Secretary General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Walter Kälin, said today at the end of his official visit to the Republic of Chad, which began on 3 February.

    More than 160,000 Chadians, having fled their homes and villages, are still displaced stemming from a variety of causes. These include cross-border attacks originating from Darfur; confrontations between the national armed forces and rebel groups; intercommunity tensions; and increased banditry. The displaced are primarily in the Dar Sila and Ouaddai regions, living in a vulnerable situation.

    Conscious of the challenges that the authorities face, the Representative strongly urges the government to redouble its efforts to assist displaced populations and create an environment which will permit them to enjoy their rights.

    “I am particularly concerned about the fact that human rights violations continue to be perpetrated against displaced persons, particularly the recruitment of children into different armed groups and gender-based violence suffered by displaced girls and women,” added the Representative. Furthermore, the proliferation of arms, militarization of IDP sites, criminality and the climate of impunity that prevails in the areas he visited were concerns. Such a situation creates a protection crisis and prevents durable solutions on a large scale for IDPs.

    Additionally, prolonged displacement places a heavy burden on the host populations who welcome displaced families in their villages. In many cases this can lead to conflicting tensions between IDPs and their host communities, particularly in regard to increased competition for natural resources.

    The Representative of the Secretary General noted the fact that some people spontaneously decided to return to their homes despite the precarious security conditions and the lack of access to basic services in their original localities. Mr. Kälin emphasized that IDPs must have complete freedom in deciding whether to return to their homes, integrate in their host area, or to move to another location or country. The responsibility for guaranteeing this freedom of choice falls on the national authorities who, with the assistance of the international community, need to work to put into place the preconditions needed to strengthen durable solutions.

    “It is urgent that a state presence is introduced in areas of return to assure not only physical protection and inter-community dialogue, but also access to basic services, particularly access to water, health, and education,” stressed the Representative. This also implies the establishment of an effective judicial system to pursue perpetrators of crimes against IDPs and combat the climate of violence and impunity.

    The Representative has also called for the Chadian authorities to develop a strategic framework with the support of the international community for early recovery and to increase the activities for economic reintegration, the creation of basic services, and intercommunity reconciliation. In this context, he stressed that the durable solutions for IDPs are an essential component for any real peace process in Chad.

    The Representative of the Secretary General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced People, Walter Kälin, went on an official visit to the Republic of Chad from 3 to 9 February 2009, at the invitation of the Chadian government. The representative visited N’Djamena and the regions of Dar Sila and Ouaddai in the east of the country. He met with the Prime Minister and the Ministers in charge of issues related to internal displacement, regional authorities, representatives of the United Nations system and civil society as well as displaced persons and members of host communities.

    *****
    Walter Kälin, professor of law at the University of Bern (Switzerland), has been the Representative of the Secretary General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced People since 2004.