Liberians return home from Cote d'Ivoire

A batch of 291 Liberian refugees left Cote d'Ivoire for their home country last Thursday, a source at the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Abidjan told IRIN on Tuesday. The group travelled from Bollequin and Toulepleu, located in southwestern Cote d'Ivoire, to the eastern Liberian county of Grand Gedeh, the source said. This brings to 1645 the number of Liberians voluntarily repatriated from Cote d'Ivoire since January, the source added. UNHCR is also preparing to resume the voluntary repatriation of Liberian refugees from Guinea following a statement by the Guinean Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, Moussa Solano, that the Liberia-Guinea border had been reopened for the sole purpose of repatriation. [See item titled 'REFUGEES: Voluntary repatriations to Liberia resumed']