In the last few weeks, nearly 10,000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) have fled to Chad, claiming their villages were attacked and destroyed by armed men. There was much rape and looting. The raiders have not been identified. There was a similar wave of refugees in June, for the same reason. Its thought that the armed men are mercenaries, brought in by the loser in recent presidential elections. The mercenaries, from Chad and CAR, have apparently not been paid, and are reverting to banditry. In the last two years, some 30,000 refugees have fled political unrest in the CAR.