Ship with Liberian refugees expected

A Swedish-registered ship laden with Liberian refugees that had been denied entry at two West African ports was expected at Lagos port after the Nigerian government gave it permission to dock, port sources and UN officials said on Wednesday.

The MV Alnar, estimated to have 168 Liberian refugees on board, was yet to establish contact with the Lagos port authorities after leaving Cotonou port in neighbouring Benin, where it was refused entry, on Monday, a journalist who was at the port early Wednesday afternoon reported officials as saying. “The port officials said arrangements were being made to receive the refugees as soon as the vessel made contact,” he told IRIN.

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Nigeria also confirmed that the ship was yet to arrive. “So far we don’t have any definite information on the exact whereabouts of the ship ... Perhaps by tomorrow (Thursday) morning, we will have something concrete,” a UNHCR spokesperson told IRIN.

The Liberians on the vessel, who are fleeing the recent upsurge of fighting between dissidents and government forces in the country’s northern region, were refused entry into Ghana two weeks ago when the ship docked briefly at Tema Harbour. Ghanaian, Sierra Leonean and Nigerian passengers were allowed to disembark. Since then conditions on the ship have reportedly deteriorated, with provisions running short and many passengers in poor health.

The Nigerian government said on Tuesday that the refugees were being allowed into the country on humanitarian grounds following the intervention of Malian President Alpha Konare. Konare, who chairs the Economic Community of West African States, met on Monday with President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria.
“The Government of Nigeria wishes to reiterate that the decision to allow these Liberians into Nigeria is based purely on humanitarian grounds and does not expect this to constitute a precedent for similar cases in future,” the government said.