Refugees told to move, Western Bahr-al Ghazal

Thousands of refugees who had earlier escaped fighting in Western Bahr al-Ghazal are being forced to flee once again as the Sudanese government troops attempt to recapture territory lost to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), UNOCHA reported. Over 5,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had been sheltering in the village of Timsah, 144 km north of Raga, were instructed to “move out” after the Sudanese government declared Timsah a military area, the UNOCHA Emergency Response Team for Western Bahr al-Ghazal said in its situation report on Monday. Many left on foot, and were said to be in “poor condition”, the report added.

It was not clear whether the refugees were going to be able to reach the main camp at Ed Daein (Al-Duwaym), where between 5,000 and 6,000 IDPs were being accommodated. The UN humanitarian coordinator had written to the Sudanese minister for international cooperation on 21 June, calling on the Khartoum government to provide the IDPs with relief transport and protection against banditry and armed robbery along the route, the report said.

More than 30,000 civilians fled their homes following an offensive by the SPLA in Western Bahr al-Ghazal, where the rebel group captured the towns of Raga and Daym Zubayr, UNOCHA reported on 10 June. UNOCHA said it could be at least six months before consideration could be given to the IDPs to return.