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Refugees International (RI) is sending a mission to the United Nations mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) to gain an understanding of why it "succeeded and analyze the implications of its success for other missions", RI reported on Monday.
"RI embarked on this mission because of its concern about the refugee outflow from Liberia and the lack of stability in the region. These countries are most affected by the refugee outflow. Liberia was not chosen because of the security situation and difficulties in access," an official of RI in Washington told IRIN.
The two-man team of Sayrce Nyce and Cliff Bernath, will travel later this month to meet UNAMSIL officials and visit some battalions in central and eastern Sierra Leone, the statement said. In early July, it will visit Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire.
The team hopes to identify the humanitarian needs of the Liberian refugees, and to monitor the return and reintegration process. It will also investigate the conditions for the recently arrived Liberian refugees in southeastern Sierra Leone and follow-up on its previous investigation into the return process for Sierra Leoneans, RI added.
In Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire the team will assess the conditions for Liberian refugees. According to UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Guinea is now hosting 100,000 while Cote d'Ivoire hosts some 130,000 refugees from Liberia.
The team will then travel to London to discuss UNAMSIL activites with British officials, the statement added, noting that the British military played a major role in stabilising the situation in Sierra Leone.
"The organisation views the whole refugee return process in Sierra Leone as a success and so it wants to understand what the reasons behind the success are," the RI official added.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
