UNHCR urges Cameroon not to expel Nigerian refugees
The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday urged Cameroon
and other nations not to expel Nigerians who have fled their homes amid
fighting between Boko Haram Islamist rebels and government troops.
"With the recent escalation of violence in northeast
Nigeria, United Nations High Commission for refugees, UNHCR is today advising
all states against forced returns of people to the region," spokesman Dan
McNorton told reporters.
"We are also urging that borders be kept open for
Nigerians fleeing the country and who may be in need of international
protection," he added.
UNHCR's concerns focus on Cameroon, the choice of refuge for
most of the 10,000 Nigerians who have fled during a sweeping government
offensive against the rebels that started in May.
McNorton said UNHCR was alarmed by reports earlier this
month that 111 people had been forced by Cameroon's security forces to return
to Nigeria from a border village in Cameroon.
Fifteen people were killed in the border zone during the
incident, although it was not clear who was responsible, he said.
The remaining individuals fled back to Cameroon and were
detained, and UNHCR was working with officials there to assess whether they
were refugees.
"In light of the security situation in northeastern
Nigeria, people fleeing are likely to meet the criteria for refugee
status," said McNorton.
Chad and Niger have also taken in Nigerians escaping the
fighting, but there have been no reports of forced returns from those
countries, he said.
Inside Nigeria, meanwhile, an estimated 5,000 people have
fled their homes.
"But as humanitarian access has been hampered by the
attacks, UNHCR believes the actual number of people affected could be
significantly higher," underlined McNorton.
Boko Haram, thought to be a fragmented group with a murky
leadership structure, rose up against the government four years ago.
Its fighters have attacked churches, mosques, the security
forces and schools across northern and central Nigeria, Africa's most populous
country and top oil producer.
Besides condemning the Islamists' bloody campaign, human
rights groups have also slammed government troops for killing civilians and for
other violations in the conflict zone.
The conflict has claimed thousands of lives since 2009.
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