Umm Dafuq, June 15(Darfur 24)
Two Sudanese refugees were killed in an armed robbery in the Birao region of the Central African Republic, amid fears of widespread looting and murder in the border region with Sudan.
Leader of the Sudanese refugees in Birao refugee camp, Ahmed Adam Al-Sheikh, told Darfur 24 on Saturday that the incident “occurred in the Birao and Tarfela areas.”
He explained that the refugees were killed while they were out to farm with other refugees working in agricultural activities.
The head of the camp complained of increasing looting and theft in the area.
He added, “When we informed the local authorities about the incident, they held the refugees responsible for leaving the camp to farm and asked them to remain in the camp and not go out to farm.”
The authorities in the Central African Republic are providing refugees with small plots of land for farming, while the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization provide Sudanese with seeds and farming tools.
Sudanese refugees in the Central African Republic face food security problems, in addition to violations and attacks by local residents.
Earlier this month, five Sudanese, including refugees, were killed and five others were injured inside the Central African Republic following an attack by loval armed gangs in the “Engliz” area within the border.
More than 38,000 Sudanese have fled to the Central African Republic, out of a total of 4.1 million people who have fled to neighboring countries since the outbreak of the war, according to the UNHCR.