Guinea
Refugees flee their Guinean camps

afrol.com, 22 September - According to UNHCR contacts on the ground in Guéckédou, Guinea, many civilians are keep fleeing the area in fear of another anticipated attack. People are reportedly moving north toward Kissidougou Prefecture, as well as other locations in Upper and Middle Guinea, and Conakry.

On 17 September, unidentified parties entering Guinea from Liberia attacked the town of Macenta, located approximately 30 kilometers from the Guinean border with Liberia, resulting in an unknown number of deaths, including United Nations personnel. The number of deaths among the refugees is still not accounted for. Several Guineans were also reported to have died in the Macenta attack. 

The Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralisation and Security in Conakry reports there could be as many as 17.000 internally displaced persons in Kindia and 21.000 in the Forécariah, both regions bordering northwestern Sierra Leone. 

Their displacement follows recent attacks in the Forécariah and Kindia regions and fears that further violence may occur. Across the border, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Freetown reports the insecurity has also prompted some Sierra Leonean refugees to return spontaneously from Guinea to Sierra Leone. Arrivals have been reported in and around Lungi, 30 kilometers north of Freetown.

There have been at least four attacks in Guinea's border regions in the last three weeks, leaving dozens dead.

UNHCR has been able to continue distributing food in three camps in the Forécariah region this week, UNHCR spokesman Delphine Marie today said. Although operations have been suspended in the Guéckédou region and staff recalled to Conakry, UNHCR has asked the National Coordination Bureau for Refugees in Guinea to send its representatives to Guéckédou to assess the needs there. 

Guinea hosts some 460,000 refugees, including 330,000 from Sierra Leone and 130,000 from Liberia. A majority of the refugees are in a string of camps in the Guéckédou region.

A female UNHCR staff member remains missing, one week after she was abducted by unidentified armed men. Witnesses said the Ivorian staff member Sapeu Laurence Djeya was last seen Sunday morning being taken away by armed men who had shot and killed her colleague Mensah Kpognon. 

The UNHCR today sent its assistant High Commissioner for Refugees Søren Jessen-Petersen, which is scheduled to arrive in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, this afternoon to begin a five-day mission to West Africa. Mr. Jessen-Petersen is scheduled to meet with authorities throughout the region to enlist their support in locating and obtaining the release of Sapeu Laurence Djeya. He will also meet with Ms. Djeya's family and convey the High Commissioner's concern and commitment to do everything we can to find Ms. Djeya.

Source: Based on UNHCR

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