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Liberia: A Road-Map to End Stand-Off Over Refugees
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UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
28 March 2008
Posted to the web 28 March 2008
Accra
The Ghanaian government said it will stop deporting Liberian refugees and made an agreement with the Liberian government to work with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) to draw up a roadmap to repatriate the 40,000 Liberian refugees currently living in Ghana.
"We hope [The repatriation] can be carried through without bitterness and embarrassment to either of the two countries," Ghana's President Kufuor John Kufuor told the press following three days of talks with a high-level Liberian delegation led by its foreign Minister Mrs Olubanke King-Akerele
Ghana intends to proceed "in a way that would not harm relations between the two West African nations," he added.
End of a stand-off
The talks follow a month-long stand-off between Liberian refugees and Ghanaian authorities over their repatriation. The stand-off led to the deportation of 16 of the refugees, despite 13 of them being legally registered, and the detention of 600 others, mostly women and children.
Troubles started in late February when 500 of the refugees delivered a petition to the UNHCR and the Ghana Refugee Board with three demands, one of which was that they did not want to be integrated into Ghanaian society.
Instead they demanded to be resettled in a third country, preferably in Europe. They said they would return to Liberia but only if they were provided with US$1,000 each - ten times the amount UNHCR was offering.
The refuges held a month-long demonstration and were eventually arrested because their protest had not been authorised by authorities.
Liberia's Foreign Minister apologised to Ghana's president and his team at the presidential palace saying her government "does not condone any such acts that contravene the country's laws."
Timing
The Ghanaian government wants the refugee returns to start within six months, Ghana's Deputy Information Minister Frank Agyekum told IRIN. But he said the Liberian delegation had impressed on the Ghanaian government not to rush the repatriation process.
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With Liberia's economy fragile following 14 years of civil war Agyekum said the Liberian delegation's "main concern was the negative impact the influx of 40,000 refugees will have on that country's recovering economy."
The delegation is set to return to Liberia and consult with its president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleef, before agreeing to a fixed start-date.
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]
My friends be real and judge this situation dispassionately not from heart feelings. You Liberians said you were against integration into the Ghanaian society so if the government has decided to repartriate you it is on your own request.
No one is driving you out as dogs and stop blowing this issue out of proportion. For those of you who think so narrowly as to believe that Ghana has done nothing for you fair enough, its up to you- i feel very sorry for such ingrates.
You can consider sending Ghanaians home if you so wish we shall not beg... [Read Full Text]
With the Refugees situation in Ghana, the Ghanaian govenment has violated the rights of the refugees and the law of (UNCHR).It shows that the Ghanaian government has no respect for international human rights law. Since the Liberian civil war the Ghanaians has enjoyed the benefit more than the Liberians has, and in fact there has been more Ghanaians coming in the US as a Liberian refugees and taking the advantage of the Liberians situation. If in any case that the refugees was demonstrating, did they destroyed any property, did they go out in the cities breaking any property, or did... [Read Full Text]
I WILL LIKE TO ENCOURGE THE LIBERIAN REFUGEE TO GET READY FOR OUR RETUN TO OUR MOTHERS' LAND AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT LET THE GHANAIAN GOVERNMENT ALSO PREPARD FOR HER CITIZENS THAT ARE LIVING IN LIBERIA BY OCTOBER AND NOVERMBER 2008. DON'T THINK BECAUSE OUR LEADERS ARE ASKING YOU FOR TIME MEANS THEY ARE UNABLE TO HOST US, BUT THEY ARE ALOS PUTTING IN PLACE HOW TO GET YOUR PEOPLE BACK WITHIN THE SAME TIME. HEY LIBERIAN, IF THIS WILL UNITE US, I WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL TO THE LORD, THE GHANAINA PEACE KEEPING MISSION CAN START GETTING READY... [Read Full Text]
iam really shocked about the behaviour of liberian refugees in ghana,what do they want,1000 us dollars or liberian dollars,or to be send to an european country,funny ,may be they are ignorance ,do they know that u.s.a,even want to send them home.`why dont they like to go home-,rawanda rfugees are going back home,like wise burundi.no one likes them, the best place is your home country,ghana has done a lot f0r them,they aRE ungrateful,please go back home,if you dont want to intergrate into the ganaian society,fine ,go to your country.liberia has a small population if they go back they can rebuild their... [Read Full Text]
Very well biko, I am not sure if you ever live in Ghana to face the intimedation that the rest of us went through the years. It is not the Ghanians fault, neither it was the Liberians refugee fault. We have always open up our arms to all West African and other nationals, esp. Ghana, this is while Liberians though Ghanians would have done likewise. It's ok, my people will go home, but hope Ghana remember Liberia stood there for her during her independence and at the time her people stood in queue for even sugar. After all the slaughters,... [Read Full Text]
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