AFRICA/GUINEA -UNHCR assisted repatriation of Liberian refugees from the Guinea region of Kissidougou has been completed

Wednesday, 6 September 2006

Conakry (Agenzia Fides)- The last convoy voluntary repatriation programme for Liberian refugees in the Kissidougou region of Guinea organised by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR has reached its destination. The closing at the end of the month of the UNHCR office in Kissidougou, will mark an important step in reaching UNHCR goals in Guinea and the end 18 years UNHCR presence to assist Liberian refugees in this region.
Organised by UNHCR in collaboration with local authorities of Kissidougou and Gueckedou districts, the last convoy departed last Friday from Kountaya and Télikoro camps carrying 119 families, a total 297 persons, back to Liberia.
This 61st convoy ended repatriation operation for refugees in the Guinea region of Kissidougou started on 10 May 2005. Since the repatriation programme from Guinea started in November 2004, more than 38,000 Liberians have returned to their home country with the help of UNHCR. Of these about 16,000 were families living in camps in the region of Kissidougou. Most of them returned to the counties of Lofa, Bong, Montsserado and Nimba. The transfer from Kissidougou was hampered by bad weather conditions and logistic complications.
Yesterday 5 September, UNHCR began operations for the transfer of 3,000 remaining Liberians still living in Kountaya camp, unable or unwilling to return to Liberia and mainly from Lofa and Nimba. By 15 September they will be transferred to the camps of Kouankan and Lainé.
There are still over 33,000 Liberian refugees in Guinea mostly living in camps near the Guinea-Liberia border. There are still a total of about 142,720 Liberian refugees in the whole region, mainly in Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Ghana . (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 6/9/2006 righe 31 parole 334)


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