First convoy of returnees from Monrovia

The first convoy of some 400 Sierra Leonean returnees from camps around the Liberian capital, Monrovia, was expected to arrive on Tuesday at the border town of Jendema, Sierra Leone, Kris Janowski, UNHCR's spokesperson in Geneva said.

The convoys from Monrovia are expected to continue three times a week, UNHCR said. They are in addition to regular return convoys from Sinje camp, located in northwestern Grand Cape Mount County, which have been taking place since 12 February. So far, six convoys have brought back over 1,700 refugees, Janowski said, adding that a further 400 people were expected to leave Sinje on Tuesday.

The voluntary repatriation of refugees from Liberia follows an upsurge in fighting earlier this month. The clashes were reportedly between Liberian government troops and a dissident group, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy.

At least 9,500 Liberians have sought refuge in neighbouring Sierra Leone since the declaration of a state of emergency by President Charles Taylor on 8 February. Some 300-500 people had been arriving daily over the past few days, Janowski said, adding that most originated from Lofa County in northern Liberia, and that they had already been displaced several times before the latest clashes forced them across the border.

UNHCR, supported by the UN Mission in Sierra Leone, is in the process of transferring Liberian refugees in the border town of Jendema to camps further inland.