Refugees flee to Chad from Central African Republic fighting

When the government of President Francois Bozize signed a peace accord with the former main rebel groups, the people of the Central African Republiclooked forward to a time of peace.

But on Monday, as the parliament in Bangui voted to extend the president's mandate until general elections can be held, there were reports that an ongoing offensive against other rebel groups had led to a fresh influx of refugees into neighbouring Chad.

Now the the UN refugee agency has started to relocate the more than 1000 refugees from the border area to a refugee camp in Southern Chad.

There are harrowing tales of violence and looting.

BBC Network Africa's Christophe Pons asked the UNHCR's Annette Rehrl on the line to Southern Chad about the refugees' state of health.