Kalma Camp in Sudan is on the brink of more violent activity.

The camp, located in southern Darfur outside the village of Nyala, is the home for some 90,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Conflict between IDPs in the camp and the government is longstanding, with one incident culminating in camp residents chasing out government officials after they made an attempted arrest; camp residents subsequently burned down government offices neighboring the camp.

On August 25, 2008, the Sudanese government attacked the camp, resulting in the death of 31 people, 17 of whom were women and children. In retaliation, many of the camp’s residents are organizing themselves in preparation for defensive action in the event that another such occurrence ensues. Though there is no evidence of arms stocking in the camp, residents have voiced they will retaliate violently if the government attacks again.

Kalma is one of few spaces of refuge for those who have fled their villages for mountainous hideaways, later to desert encampments, and finally to refugee camps. If the camps are prone to violence as well, what refuge can these IDPs take?

Refugee camps should be a safe haven for the displaced. They should not be politicized or militarized. The African Union, specifically UNAMID, needs to take steps to preserve the safety of the camps and prevent further government entry and attack on the camps. Furthermore, rationing and food shortages in the camps have led to unrest and will continue to do so if shortages are not addressed. Residents in the camps depend on food from the World Food Programme and have no other means of subsisting. Food scarcity will be a catalyst for militarization in the camps, which can only lead to more suffering for those who have been displaced by the violence in the region.