Liberian Refugees In Ghana To Return Home April 14

The Liberian and Ghanaian Governments signed an Accord recently that would have allowed for repatriation of Liberian refugees to begin in June 2008. But as Joy FM- Accra reports Tuesday, April 1, 2008, the accord is in danger as Ghana announces the repatriation of Liberians to start on April 14, 2008 contrary to the form and spirit of the Accra agreement, citing "national security threats" and concerns.

 

27,000 Liberian Refugees leaves Ghana

 

The Ghanaian Government has taken a firm decision that all 26,967 Liberian refugees in Ghana should return home, Mr. Kwamena Bartels, Minister of the Interior said on Tuesday. He said the Ghanaian government had since requested for the invocation of the Cessation Clause under Articles 1(4) of the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention because the ground on which they remained in Ghana was no longer valid.

The Minister said this had become necessary as the refugees themselves had stated that, “they do not want to be integrated into the Ghanaian society and that they would resist local integration with all their might”.

Mr. Bartels, who was addressing journalists at the meet-the-press series in Accra, said government would no longer tolerate the situation where people who had been given hospitality continued to undermine the security of the state.

“Our national security is supreme and shall not be compromised on any account,” he said, adding that, refugees had the responsibility to respect the laws as well as refrain from subversive activities against the state, which had given them a home for the past 18 years.

On February 19, a group of Liberian refugees embarked on an illegal demonstration at the Buduburam Refugee Settlement demanding that they did not wish to be integrated into the Ghanaian society and that they wished to be resettled in a western country. They also said they wanted each Liberian refugee opting to voluntarily repatriate to be paid 1,000 US dollars.

Many attempts by government officials and the United Nations Humanitarian Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to convince the leadership of the refugees to take off the demonstrators from the highways was not adhered to.

The demonstrators also prevented charitable organizations from distributing food to the elderly, sick and children most of whom rely heavily on the food distribution. These developments led to the arrest and deportation of some of the ring leaders.

Mr. Bartels said no Liberian refugee in Ghana was here on account of fear of persecution and it was the belief of Government that the vast majority of them could return to Liberia in safety and dignity.

“All Liberian refugees in Ghana are refugees under the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa and not under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.

“Today, there is absolute peace in Liberia and its citizens continue to return home without fear. Liberia has established herself as a respected and accepted member of the International Community where democratic governance structures are in place,” he said.

He said, at a meeting with a high-powered delegation of the Liberian Government, it was agreed that a Tripartite Committee made up of Ghana, Liberia and UNHCR be established to work out the practical modalities for repatriation of the Liberian refugees starting with those who opted to voluntarily repatriate on the UNHCR sponsored program.

According to the Minister, the meeting also agreed that the refugees be dispersed and settled in smaller communities for better management and monitoring.

Mr. Bartels gave the assurance that Ghana would continue to honor her obligations under the various refugee conventions she is party to and continue to champion the cause of Africa to ensure that peace and security prevailed over the entire continent.

 

Refugees Return to Buduburam without Compatriots

 

At the same time, Star Radio Reports that the Ghanaian authorities on Monday returned hundreds of Liberian female refugees to the Buduburam Refugee Camp.

Ghanaian security forces rounded up the Liberian women three weeks ago and have been keeping them in isolation in the Eastern Region of the country. The Liberian women were accused of breaking Ghana’s public order law for protesting against the UN refugee agency office in the country. 

Meanwhile, some of the women who were freed from captivity said before their freedom, Ghanaian immigration authorities took away nearly twenty of their colleagues. 

According to the Liberian refugee women, the Ghanaian immigration said the women were living in Ghana without refugee status. The women said they are not sure whether the Ghanaian authorities are keeping the other Liberian refugee women in custody to deport them.

 

It has been reported that Ghana is posed to deport some forty Liberian refugees this week and it is not clear whether the women referred to in the Star Radio Report are among those slated for deportation. Our investigation continues.