More than 6,000 Sierra Leoneans return home from Liberia on UNHCR convoys

MONROVIA, Liberia, March 12 (UNHCR) - More than 6,400 Sierra Leoneans in Liberia have returned home on convoys organized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since mid-February, with thousands more helped with transportation from the border.

The refugee agency said Tuesday it had transported 2,023 spontaneous returnees from the border between the two West African countries. In addition, 3,352 Liberians fleeing the renewed fighting in their country were taken from the border town of Jendema to four settlements further inland originally built for Sierra Leonean returnees.

The agency organizes three convoys a week from the Sinje and Monrovia camps, transporting an average of 2,400 persons a week. UNHCR in Sierra Leone also runs three convoys a week for those arriving in Jendema on their own.

Refugee agency field teams estimate that about 2,000 Liberian refugees and 800 Sierra Leonean returnees are currently awaiting relocation in Jendema.

The return convoys from Liberia were planned by UNHCR before the outbreak of fighting last month between government forces loyal to Liberian President Charles Taylor and rebels belonging to Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy. The fighting, which came close to the Liberian capital of Monrovia before subduing during the past two weeks, encouraged many Sierra Leoneans to return to their country, where a vicious ten-year civil war was officially declared over last month.

UNHCR is sending an emergency team to the Liberian-Sierra Leonean border to increase monitoring of non-official border crossings and install a registration system for the refugees residing in border villages. The agency's protection staff also participated in monitoring patrols along the frontier by military observers belonging to the United Nations peacekeeping force.

When their home areas are declared safe by the government, the returning refugees are assisted with transportation and a resettlement package distributed by UNHCR. Refugees originating from areas not yet deemed safe are given the option of either temporarily staying in a resettlement compound or collecting the return package and a two-month food ration.

In the latter instance, the refugees are provided with transportation to the Daru drop-off point in a safe area. To date, however, only 163 persons of the 6,771 returnees relocated thus far have opted for temporary resettlement.