By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
FISH TOWN, Liberia- The small southeastern Liberian county of River Gee is seeing the inflow of refugees from neighbouring Ivory Coast, in the wake of mounting political tensions there, the County’s Superintendent has told www.newspublictrust.com.
This comes as the UNHCR said announced days ago that a total number of refuges that have crossed into Liberia reached 8,000.
Superintendent Philip N. Nyenuh has received a high power delegation from the United Nations High Commission on Refugee (UNCHR) headed by its Country Director Roseline Okoro to access the Ivorians Refugee situation in the county.
The 15-member delegation also included UNICEF and LRRRC over the weekend.
The UNHCR reported this on its website on November 12, 2020:
“Amid political tensions in Ivory Coast, more and more Ivorians are fleeing into neighboring countries like Liberia, UNHCR reports. Their number has risen to over 8,000 in just one week.
The number of Ivorian refugees who have fled into neighboring countries amid political tensions in Ivory Coast has risen from 3,200 to 8,000 in just one week, UNHCR said in a online statement published on November 10.
The UN refugee agency said it was “ramping up its support fearing that continuing violence will force more people out of the country.”
According to Superintendent Nyenuh, River Gee County has registered four hundred and twenty-nine (429) refugees while, Grand Gedeh has registered over five thousand refuges in the PTD Refugee and Nimba County as well through illegal borders entries.
Superintendent Nyenuh
From August to current, Ivorian citizens have been entering into Liberia through illegal borders over fear of their lives.
Since the pronouncement of controversial third term election of incumbent President Alassane Dramane Ouattara, the country has witnessed countless electoral violence leading to deaths and destruction of properties.
Reports say those who crossing over to Liberia are believed to be supporters of former president of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo.
The Ivorian citizens continues crossed to over to the Liberian border through an unrecognized border known as Boe, Pahonbly and B’ah borders. While others are using the recognized border in Toe town Grand Gedeh County for safety.
Boe border in Grand Gedeh County is unrecognized border situated in Niao clan, Cavalla Administrative District.
According to some of them, they have blacklisted to be killed and infact they were been notified with death threats and some have even lost their properties over violent destruction.
The candidates are incumbent President Alassane Ouattara, former president Henri Konan Bedie, Pascal Affi’N Guessan and Kouadio Konan Bertin.
Four out of 44 presidential candidates in the Ivorian election were confirmed to contest while, rest were denied including former present Laurent Gbagbo.
The Ivorian citizens who crossed over to Liberia have been taken to the largest refugee camp known as Palm Timber Production (PTP) in Grand Gedeh County through the Liberia Refugee, Repatriation, Resettlement Commission (LRRRC).
Guinea went to the polls on October 18, 2020, while, Ivory coast also went to the poll on October 31, 2020, thus causing serious political tension in their countries resulting over the loss of lives and properties over third term controversy.
In another Development, the government of Liberia through Superintendent Nyenuh and the Independent Human Rights commission have broken ground for the erection of a monument for those who loss their lives during the 14years civil crisis in Liberia.
The ground breaking ceremony took place recently in Wiffiken, Sarbo district, RiverGee County.
In remarks, Superintendent Nyenuh said never again people will be killed no matter what because the monument served as reminder for every Liberians including the unborn generation.
Mr. Nyenuh added through their government will fight Injustice to avoid conflict in all forms including electoral violence and he lauded the residents for providing the land for the erection of the monument.