Sudan forces 'attacking refugees'

Thousands of displaced people are in need of relief supplies

Refugees fleeing fighting in Sudan say government forces are attacking them to get information on rebels.

Some of the 25,000 refugees who fled the conflict two weeks ago told the BBC that militiamen and government forces drove them from their homes.

About 600,000 people have fled from Darfur, western Sudan into Chad during a year of intense fighting.

Rebels accuse the Arab-dominated government of ignoring the black African inhabitants of Darfur.

The BBC's Grant Ferrett in Chad's capital Ndjamena says the testimonies flatly contradict the Sudanese government announcement earlier this month that peace and security had been restored after a year of fighting.

'Refugees unsafe'

Refugees close to the town of Adre - some of whom arrived only at the weekend - say militia accompanied by uniformed government forces were involved in the latest attacks.

"I came yesterday from my village because the Arab militia attacked us, stole our cattle, money and everything else," Sherif Ahmed said.

"Some of them came by military helicopter, some came on horses. Some of them were in government uniforms."

The militiamen demanded information about the rebels who have been fighting the Sudanese government.

Our correspondent says the Sudanese refugees are not completely safe, even once they have crossed the dry river bed which marks the border with Chad.

Alphonse Malanda, who heads the Chad mission of UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, says it is simply not safe enough to follow the Sudanese government's advice to encourage the refugees to go back home.