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afrol News, 19 February - While the ongoing fighting is uprooting both Liberian civilians and refugees from neighbouring Sierra Leone, the UN refugees agency, UNHCR, has managed to escort over 300 refugees back to Sierra Leone. Thousands of ex-refugees and Liberians are however crossing the border into Sierra Leone by own means, without UN protection. UHNCR yesterday published it had managed to organise a third convoy, leaving the troubled Sinje camp near Monrovia Monday with 311 Sierra Leoneans returning home amid renewed conflict in Liberia. - The 11-truck convoy departed for the town of Zimmi, near the southern border with Liberia, where the returnees are scheduled to spend the night before being taken to their final destinations, the UN agency informed. Some 6,500 Sierra Leoneans have returned spontaneously from Liberia during the past week as fighting intensified in the West African country between government troops loyal to President Charles Taylor and rebels belonging to Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). In addition, Sierra Leonean immigration officials estimate that some 7,853 Liberians have crossed into the country's southern region during the past week. The exodus of the refugees and thousands of Liberians was spurred last week after the rebels struck the town of Clay Junction, just 35 kilometres from Monrovia. Shooting was also heard in the vicinity of the two Sinje refugee camps 90 kilometres northwest of the capital. Clay Junction had been a refuge for displaced civilians and refugees fleeing the fighting, which previously only had taken place further away from the capital. - The fighting spurred the 38,000 Sierra Leonean refugees living in six camps in Liberia to try to return to their country, UNHCR notes. In Sierra Leone, the vicious ten-year civil war officially ended only last month. While initially 6,218 refugees registered to return with UNHCR in January before the fighting widened, "all refugees are now willing to go," according to Moses Okello, the agency's representative in Liberia. UNHCR said its convoys from Sinje will run every other day this week, adding that only a limited number of refugees have been transported thus far because of the large amounts of luggage the returnees are bringing with them. Once repatriation from Sinje is completed, the UN refugee agency will begin moving those in other camps. Some near the seaside city of Monrovia are to be taken back by boat. In addition to the Sierra Leonean refugees, there are large numbers of internally displaced Liberians in many areas around the capital, including in the refugee camps originally established for the Sierra Leoneans. Although their numbers are fluctuating daily, the Voice of America (VOA) camp near Monrovia is reported to be currently hosting between 5,000 and 6,000 displaced persons in addition to the 8,700 refugees who were already there. According to UNHCR, the Liberian government's agency for the displaced is this week scheduled to undertake a global registration of the displaced populations, including those in the refugee camps. In Sierra Leone itself, UNHCR dispatched the second group of 250 returnees from Sinje, who had reached the Blama way station near Kenema in central Sierra Leone on Friday, to their final destinations. Some may be going home to safe areas, with an assistance package from UNHCR and other agencies, which includes food for two months, blankets, kitchen sets and other materials. Others will be offered transport to a place of their choice or to existing settlements for returning refugees. Since the fighting intensified, Liberian refugees have been entering the Pujehun and Kailahun districts in southern and eastern Sierra Leone in greater numbers. UNHCR has set up a small office in Zimmi near the southern border with Liberia to look after the Liberian influx, the agency reports. On Saturday, a first convoy was organised for the new Liberian refugees from Jendema to the Jembe settlement near Kenema. Other convoys will run every day this week for both refugees and returnees. The UN Peacekeeping Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) has agreed to assist with the transportation of the refugees. UNHCR in Sierra Leone is currently reviewing the reception capacity in different settlements to accommodate the sudden influx of newcomers. The agency has set up a refugee camp in Jimi Bagbo, which is already hosting 5,000 Liberians. The Sierra Leonean government has agreed to let the agency use former demobilisation sites in Bo and Kenema districts as transit facilities for the Liberians. Previous returnee sites, like Bandajuma, in the Bo district, could also be used as new refugee camps. Sources: Based on UNHCR and afrol archives
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