Refugee centre inaugurated

The Beninese government and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Friday inaugurated a refugee centre in Kpomasse, some 40 km outside Cotonou, the commercial capital of Benin. Some 1,030 refugees, 730 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 200 from Nigeria and some 100 Togolese, are accommodated at the centre which was built at a cost of over US $1.5 million. Contributions came from the Benin government, Belgium, UNHCR, the Beninese water and electricity utility and the Centre Songhai, the local NGO that implemented the project, UNHCR reported. The centre also includes a training site at which some 200 refugees and inhabitants of the neighbouring village will be taught courses in areas such as farming, livestock development, masonry and carpentry. The long-term aim of the training is to enable the refugees to be self-sufficient, less dependent on international relief, UNHCR said. “Putting this centre right in the middle of a village in Benin would allow refugees to interact with their local hosts since many of them may be in exile for a number of years,” Abou Moussa, UNHCR Regional Director for Africa, said. Over the years, Benin has hosted thousands of refugees, most of them from Togo. During a political crisis in Togo in 1992-1993, some 150,000 Togolese fled to the neighbouring country. The vast majority went back voluntarily with the UNHCR’s help in 1997, but some 1,350 remain in Benin and do not want to return home for security reasons, according to UNHCR.