120 Liberian refugees arrive in Macenta

At least 120 Liberian refugees feeling conflict in their country have recently arrived in the southeastern Guinean town of Macenta, the UNHCR reported on Friday. They join another 80,000 Liberian refugees some of whom have been in Guinea for the last decade.

Many of the new refugees, who have been sent to a camp at Kola, 35 km north of the southeastern town of Nzerekore, were in poor health and “more than a dozen” arrived wounded. UNHCR reported that the refugees fled when fresh fighting broke out on 10 August in Batazou village, Lofa County. Government and dissident forces having been fighting for months for control of the county.

UNHCR reported this group of refugees as saying many of them were separated from their families as they fled. The location of some 60 family members remain unclear, UNHCR added. It reported the refugees as saying that many more Liberians had fled their villages and were heading for Guinea.

Guinean authorities in Macenta have detained “an unknown number” of refugees among the new arrivals, UNHCR reported. “It is not clear why some individuals have been detained, although it is believed that able-bodied males from Liberian are likely to be suspected of belonging to forces hostile to the Guinean army,” UNHCR reported.

Guinea and Liberia have been accusing each other of supporting their dissidents.