Irregular fighters in camps

Several irregular fighters armed with grenades, semi-automatic weapons and other arms were seen in Nyaedou camp, southwestern Guinea, on Thursday while food aid was being distributed, UNHCR reported. Vehicles loaded with fighters bearing rocket-propelled grenades, light machine guns and ammunition draped over their shoulders were seen passing Nyaedou headed for Guekedou, UNHCR said.

Fighting between armed assailants and Guinean forces broke out on Monday in Guekedou.

Refugees in Nyaedou and Massakoundou, farther north, continued to express frustration at the limited options available to them, UNHCR said. They have been telling UNHCR that instead of waiting for food aid, they would rather be helped to go back to their home countries as soon as possible so as to escape the fighting and chaos that has engulfed southwestern Guinea.
They also fear being press-ganged by militia groups, or having local communities turn against them.

UNHCR finished the distribution of relief aid, begun last week, to the some 30,000 refugees in Massakoundou camp on Thursday. Refugees said the rations were not enough. However, armed men were seen leaving Massakoundou with several bags of food aid intended for refugees, UNHCR said.

Meanwhile, the few refugees who successfully reached Conakry, more than 600 km to the west, reported paying up to US $50 for transport and bribes, UNHCR said.

Some 180,000 refugees and 70,000 displaced Guineans living in the Parrot’s Beak, a region near Guekedou that juts into Sierra Leone, remained out of reach as agencies had not received the go-ahead to resume aid distribution in the area.