The resurgence in December of  intercommunal conflict in Logone and Chari in Cameroon’s Far North spread to several surrounding towns and villages and led to the displacement of more than 6,000 inside the country and more than 100,000 refugees to Chad.

Most of the refugees continue to enjoy the hospitality of Chad and the Cameroonian government has made regular donations to them.

Now the authorities are considering the return of the refugees and displaced persons to their respective localities.

At the time, in the district of Zina, the prompt reaction of the authorities had made it possible to limit the damage, but at least two villages suffered fires. This prompted nearly 1,000 people to flee their villages for neighbouring localities.

But authorities, including the head of state, President Paul Biya, said peace had returned to the Far North and they wanted their people to return to the country.

The administrative authority had reassured the refugees of the efforts of the state for their return to their respective localities.

“We want to comfort them, reassure them about the presence of the state, the presence of the defence and security forces and tell them that they are going to return to their respective localities … we have delivered them messages of appeasement, living together and peace so that they return. They lost their homes and their property. Certainly there were problems between them but this is not the end. They can return to their homes and their villages because they are Cameroonians. We have this commitment to restore peace,” authorities said.

Last week, the prefect of Logone and Chari visited the towns of Kala Kafra and Zimado in the district of Logone-Birni with the same message, reassuring the displaced on the government’s concern for their return.

Midjiyawa Bakari, the governor of the Far North region, announced on Thursday, December 30, some of the measures that had been taken to restore serenity in the localities. Among them, the deployment of defence and security forces, who would patrol the areas affected by the violence; assurances from the authorities which bode hope for final peace for the communities. And, to support these messages and awareness campaigns, the Cameroonian government was continuing to send donations to the refugees and displaced persons.

An emergency update by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) issued on Friday, December 31, said it had observed some tension still in the Chad-Cameroon border.

However, it said, calm had been restored to the affected areas of the Far North and defence forces deployed by the government were still present.

Chad had been calm since the start of the crisis and the government had guaranteed access to territory and asylum.

The crossing point between N’Djamena in Chad and Kousseri in Far North Cameroon was active. Daily crossings along the river between villages of origin in Cameroon and areas of displacement in Chad were observed during the border monitoring on December 29, though the exact nature of the population movements was not yet known.

The situation at the border area remained tense due to security concerns, the UNHCR said.