Madar (N'Djamena) - The tripartite commission bringing together Chad, the Central African Republic and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) adopted its rules of procedure and a timetable for the voluntary repatriation of Central African refugees living in Chad at the end of its first meeting, held on Tuesday and Wednesday, 3 and 4 November, in N'Djamena, according to the Chadian news site Tchadinfos.
According to a UNHCR statement cited by the site, the first returns are expected to be organised before the end of the year in close cooperation with the authorities of both countries, on a "strictly voluntary" basis and under conditions that guarantee the refugees' safety, dignity and protection.
The delegations were led by Chad's minister of social action, solidarity and humanitarian affairs, Zara Mahamat Issa, the Central African minister of humanitarian action, solidarity and national reconciliation, Josiane Lina Bemaka-Soui, and UNHCR's representative in Chad, Patrice Ahouansou, accompanied by the agency's representative in the Central African Republic, William Chemaly.
Ahouansou described the meeting as "an important step" in implementing the tripartite agreement signed on 22 October 2024. The parties defined their respective responsibilities, logistical and security arrangements, procedures for verifying those who wish to return, and mechanisms for sharing manifests and informing refugees.
Chad hosts about 147,000 Central African refugees, mainly in the south of the country, who arrived in several waves since the early 2000s, fleeing successive bouts of violence and conflict. Surveys carried out in 2025 and 2026 by UNHCR and Chad's national commission for refugees and returnees (CNARR) in the Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Moyen-Chari and Salamat provinces show that 61,000 of them want to return. Each registered candidate will have to confirm the decision individually before departure.
Returnees will be able to go back to their home areas or any other destination of their choice, notably in the Ouham and Lim-Pende prefectures, with destinations under consideration including Paoua, Kabo, Markounda, Sido, Batangafo and Bangui. The Central African Republic has committed to supporting their lasting reintegration, including access to essential services, civil documents, livelihoods, land and property, and "Go and See" visits to return areas will be organised for refugee representatives, particularly women and young people.
Refugees who decide to stay in Chad will continue to receive international protection with the support of the Chadian government. Opening the meeting, the Chadian minister said that "Chad will not force any refugee to return to their country against their will" and that "return is a right, not an obligation". Chad hosts more than 1.5 million refugees and asylum seekers in total, mainly from Sudan, the Central African Republic, Nigeria and Cameroon.
