Refugees continue to flee Sierra Leone

Hundreds of Sierra Leoneans fleeing fighting in their country continue to enter neighbouring Guinea, UNHCR Public Information Officer in Guinea Fatoumata Kaba told IRIN on Thursday.

Since renewed hostilities in early May between Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels and pro-government forces over 4,000 refugees have arrived in the Guinea region of Forecariah.

As of 20 June, 4,183 refugees, mainly women from the northern Sierra Leonean towns of Kambia, Makeni and Port Loko, had reached Guinea. “There are approximately 200 people arriving every day at the moment and we expect more,” Kaba said.

A new camp able to house 15,000 people has been built at Kalako and eight more in the Forecariah region can together hold as many. Most of the arrivals are in good health but are tired after walking for over a week.

However, in the last week three people arrived with shrapnel wounds and others have been speaking of reports of continuing forced recruitment of civilians into rebel ranks and aerial attacks on Makeni and Kambia.

“Many do not wait for the atrocities to occur,” Kaba said.

A Sierra Leone Army (SLA) combat helicopter reportedly dropped leaflets in the Makeni area two weeks ago in a bid to encourage rebels to disarm. The leaflets show photographs of victims of RUF atrocities and warn of an impending SLA attack, which, refugees told UNHCR, caused them to flee.

There have been recent reports of tension within Kalako camp because of the alleged presence of RUF members there. Seven suspected rebels have now been taken out of the camp, Kaba said, and are being questioned by the Guinean authorities.