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UNHCR West and Central Africa Update (12 September 2019)

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Key figures:

17 countries concerned

6.5 million people of concern

1.2 million refugees

26,000 asylum seekers

4 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

4 situations: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Mali and Nigeria

Mali situation:

138,985 Malian refugees in Mauritania (56,923), Niger (56,343) and Burkina Faso (25,719).

534,143 IDPs in Burkina Faso (288,994), Mali (168,515) and Niger (76,634)

Nigeria situation:

242,707 Nigerian refugees in Niger (118,868), Cameroon (107,840) and Chad (15,999)

2,480,493 IDPs in Nigeria (1,980,036), Cameroon (262,831), Chad (133,338) and Niger (104,288)

Cameroon situation:

42,887 Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria

530,806 IDPs

Central African Republic situation:

606,875 Central African refugees in Cameroon (287,467) in Chad (103,562) in the DRC (172,809) and in the Republic of Congo (31,688)

613,031 IDPs

Voluntary repatriation – Cote d’Ivoire: A total of 1,518 Ivorian refugees have repatriated between January-August 2019.

MAIN HIGHLIGHTS

Political and security developments

▪ In the Sahel region, since the beginning of the year, security incidents continue to be recorded on an almost daily basis, primarily against state institutions, security services, schools and health centers. Insecurity continues to thrive and spread beyond the Sahel region, targeting more and more civilians while exploiting underlying social tensions. Displacement patterns in the sub-region are becoming more and more complex.

▪ Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali have reported an increased number of security incidents during the first semester of 2019. This situation is impacting negatively on the protection environment for civilians and limiting activities of humanitarian actors as they have in recent months become significant targets. Despite the presence of Malian forces and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the central region of Mali continues to be the subject of a disturbing combination of inter-communal conflict, criminality and attacks by armed groups. The number of persons of concern has increased by 31% since the beginning of the year.

▪ In Mali, we saw the conclusion of the Regional Dialogue on Protection and Solutions in the context of forced-displacements in the Sahel region. The Dialogue, hosted by the Government of Mali and UNHCR, and including Government officials and partners from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger, reconfirmed the need to search for durable solutions for persons forced to flee while ensuring that protection of civilians remains at the core of our interventions.

▪ The Lake Chad Basin is facing a severe protection crisis due to armed violence that has affected large parts of the region. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have lived in displacement sites in Nigeria and refugee camps for years in Cameroon, Chad and Niger, grappling with extreme hardship and deprivation. Many civilians have suffered abuse and rights violations and are deeply traumatized by the violence. Armed attacks have also persisted and in some cases escalated in recent months across all neighbouring countries. Several localities in Chad’s western Lac region and in Niger’s south-eastern Diffa region have suffered a spate of attacks since the beginning of the year. Cameroon, the second most affected country by the Lake Chad crisis, continues to be affected by cross-border attacks on an almost weekly basis.

▪ The general security situation in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon has for several years now been characterized by high levels of violence, including kidnappings, killings and burning of houses as fighting continues between government forces and nonstate armed groups. Civilians and basic facilities have been repeatedly targeted. Humanitarian access remains a key challenge for the humanitarian community, primarily due to the unpredictable security situation, ongoing conflict, international humanitarian law violations, and administrative impediments. The beginning of the school year saw yet again all schools shut in the two regions.

▪ Following the Khartoum dialogue held earlier this year, a peace agreement was signed between the Government of the Central African Republic and 14 armed groups on 6 February 2019. Despite this agreement, and signs of a few refugees returning, thousands remain in need of humanitarian assistance and protection within CAR and in neighbouring countries of Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo.

▪ On 29 June, the Governments of Cameroon, the Central African Republic and UNHCR jointly signed a Tripartite Agreement for the voluntary repatriation of Central African refugees living in Cameroon. The document defines the legal framework and sets out the modalities for the voluntary return of the about 280,000 refugees from CAR currently in Cameroon. Conditions for comprehensive and sustainable returns are still precarious due to continued conflict and insecurity. The main impediments to a sustainable return of IDPs and refugees remain insecurity and protection, as well as access to basic services and legal support, including housing, land and property.