Three hundred and twenty Sudanese soldiers and other members of law enforcement agenciescrossed the border with the Chad on Sunday, trying to get away from the violent conflicts raging in their country between the regular army and the paramilitary organization Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

All of them surrendered to the Chadian army, the country’s defense minister announced today.

“They invaded our territory. All of them were disarmed,” said General Daoud Yaya Brahim at a press conference he gave in the presence of several other ministers. “These are 320 members of the Sudanese army, gendarmes, police and soldiers, who feared they would be killed by the RSF and surrendered to our forces,” he explained.

“We fear that this conflict between the Sudanese will spread to Darfur,” the minister continued, adding that in such a case it would be difficult to maintain security.

Chad’s government closed the country’s border with Sudan on Saturday and appealed for calm after clashes broke out in the neighboring country.

Brahim warned that this war could trigger new refugee waves, recalling that his country had previously hosted more than 400,000 Sudanese refugees. “Today, thousands of refugees cross our borders seeking protection. We have no choice but to welcome them and protect them,” he concluded.