11,000 Cameroonians flee to Chad after violence

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) –Around 11,000 people fleeing clashes between herders and fishermen in northern Cameroon have arrived in neighboring Chad, an official said Monday.

Gayang Souare, the governor of Chari Baguirmi province in northwestern Chad, told reporters that the refugees, mostly women and children, arrived at Oundouma, south of the Chadian capital N’Djamena at the weekend.

“Our social services have received nearly 11,000 refugees who arrived almost empty handed. They don't have bedding, a change of clothes or food,” Souare said.

"Some are wounded among them and require immediate medical care, while some children are without their parents.”

Souare said the refugees were temporarily sheltered in schools and churches.

Iris Blom, the United Nations refugee agency’s deputy director in Chad, said the pressing needs are for health services, shelter and food.

She said 85% of the refugees are women and children.

Last week, around 20 people were killed after clashes broke out between a fishermen community and herders from different ethnic groups in the far north region of Cameroon.

The violence in Cameroon reportedly began when Muslims built dams to divert water to help them catch fish in a location where ethnic Arab Choa herders also take their cattle for watering.

Ethnic clashes are rare in Cameroon but common in Chad and Nigeria between farmers and semi-nomadic herders.

But in Chad, Souare said efforts would be made to prevent the conflict from spilling across the border from Cameroon. ​​​​​​​