Chad, Central African Republic Discuss Voluntary Repatriation of More Than 140,000 Refugees
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\nChad and the Central African Republic (CAR), in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), have discussed arrangements to resume the voluntary repatriation of more than 140,000 Central African refugees currently living in Chad, most of whom are Muslims who fled sectarian violence and attacks by armed anti-Balaka militias.<\/p>\n
The discussions took place during a trilateral committee meeting held on November 3\u20134, 2026, in N’Djamena, the Chadian capital, with representatives from both countries and UNHCR participating. The meeting focused on practical measures to restart the repatriation programme and ensure that returns take place safely, voluntarily and with dignity.<\/p>\n
Participants discussed security and logistical arrangements, the responsibilities of the parties involved, a timetable for the return of the first groups of refugees, and the financial and technical resources required to implement the programme.<\/p>\n
The Central African Republic experienced widespread sectarian violence, particularly in 2013 and 2014, when anti-Balaka armed groups carried out attacks, killings and forced displacement targeting Muslim communities. These events forced large numbers of people to flee to neighbouring countries, particularly Chad. International human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, documented serious abuses against Muslim civilians during the conflict.<\/p>\n
The current consultations follow a trilateral agreement signed on October 22, 2024, between Chad, the Central African Republic and UNHCR to organize voluntary returns and establish joint mechanisms to monitor their implementation.<\/p>\n
According to UNHCR data collected in September 2025, a total of 61,725 refugees had expressed their willingness to return to their homeland. Meanwhile, the Central African Republic’s 2024\u20132028 Sustainable Solutions Strategy aims to facilitate the return of 300,000 refugees by 2028.<\/p>\n
Chad’s Minister of Social Action, Solidarity and Humanitarian Affairs, Zahra Mohamed Issa, reaffirmed that her country would not force any refugee to return against their will, stressing that \u201creturn is a right, not an obligation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chad, Central African Republic Discuss Voluntary Repatriation of More Than 140,000 Refugees ————————————— Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR), in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), have discussed arrangements to resume the voluntary repatriation of more than 140,000 Central African refugees currently living in Chad, most of whom are Muslims …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":146984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[7975],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-146985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chad"],"yoast_head":"\n