CARE withdraws international staff from Guinean town

The US-based humanitarian agency CARE has withdrawn its international staff from the Guinean town of Guekedou following Sunday’s attack by armed men from Liberia on nearby Macenta. The agency said that aside from insecurity because of the cross-border attacks, Guinean vigilantes - some armed with guns or machetes - have set up numerous roadblocks in Guekedou, making movement difficult and dangerous. Guekedou is 75 km west of Macenta. Several other border villages have been raided in the past month by armed men from Liberia and Sierra Leone, leaving at least 100 people dead. “Our first priority is the security of all our national and international staff,” said Nick Webber, CARE director for Guinea and Sierra Leone. “We are relieved that they are safe but disturbed that some national employees lost family members in the attack. We are eager to resume work in Guekedou as soon as possible.” CARE has been distributing food to more than 200,000 Sierra Leonean and Liberian refugees for nearly two years in the Guekedou region. Suspending operations there has left some refugees without food, CARE said. The evacuated staff said the refugees and local population were frightened and felt vulnerable.