Cameroon has sent a delegation to Chad to convince those who have fled home fighting for water resources to return home.

The number of Cameroonians fleeing communal violence in the north of the country to neighboring Chad has reached 82,000 according to U.N.’s refugee agency (UNHCR).

Two weeks ago, fighting broke out between Arab Chaua cattle herders and Moosegoum fishermen in Cameroon’s border village of Oulumsa, leaving thousands of people fleeing to Chad.

Cameroonian officials said conflicts over water resources burned villages and markets, destroyed plantations, and livestock were killed or stolen.

UNHCR’s representative in Chad, Papa Kisma Sayla, said that the need for citizens to flee is increasing day by day.

“We are on an emergency mode declared openly from our headquarters, so we have built a coordination with several NGOs and UN agencies (such as) WFP, UNICEF, Red Cross,” Silla said. “So we are providing all the support and raising funds and/or human resources.”

Mayor of N’djamena 9 district in Chad, Mahamat Kerrimo Sel, spoke to Granthshala via a messaging application.

Sail said the chairman of Chad’s Transitional Military Council, Mahamat Debbie, instructed the Chadians to peacefully welcome civilians fleeing conflict in Cameroon. He said they are providing necessities like food and water and aid groups and UN agencies like UNICEF are also helping with soap and blankets to ease the suffering of displaced people from Cameroon.

SAIL said members of the struggling communities who fled Cameroon were kept in isolation to avoid conflict in Chad.

This week, Cameroon’s government sent a delegation to Chad to help those fleeing the violence.

Regional Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji led the delegation of ministers, military officers, and parliamentarians. He thanked the government and the people of Chad for taking care of the displaced Cameroonians. He also asked the displaced to return to their homes in Cameroon and make peace with their neighbours.

“As much as we preach peace, unity, harmony, and living together, we are trying to make the population aware that they should not take the law into their own hands, and if there is any problem, they have to go to the nearest administrative authorities. Or law and order and complaint,” he said. “If because of land or grazing and farmers’ problems, you start killing and looting, I think that’s not a very good example. We are in a position of law.”

Nji said the 6,000 Cameroonians who fled Chad so far have agreed to return home.

Cameroonian officials said they had deployed troops to conflict zones to ensure that all civilians are safely secured.