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General News of Monday, 6 December 2004

Source: The Analyst (Monrovia)

400 Liberian Refugees Repatriated

Scores of Liberians gathered over the weekend at Buduburam Sports field to bid farewell to the camp they are used to in a second batch of four hundred refugees.

The refugees whose return to Liberia has been influenced by several crucial prevailing factors at the Budubaram Settlement left on Saturday and Sunday, November 27 and 28 via the Kotoka International Airport where they boarded the Bellview Airline.

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Hackman Owusu Agyeman, said that the safety and comfort of the returnees was most important.

Mr. Agyeman who was addressing a cross section of media at the Kotoka International Airport described the exercise as fruitful and attributed it to the current change of affairs taking place in Liberia.

He observed that it had not been easy for Ghana to play host to more than 45,000 Liberians, adding that the country did what was required of her by the International Community.

The Liberian Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Andrew Kronyanh, thanked the government and people of Ghana for the love and care that his people received for the past 14 years.

He said that the quest to get all refugees back to Liberia was very important since 2005 would be an election year for Liberians.

Mr. Thomas Albrecht, United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) representative to Ghana, observed that for so many years Liberia refugees had to flee their homes in the waek of unspeakable atrocities.

"Today marks another beginning. While Liberia is still in the process of rehabilitation, another 400 refugees have decided to return home," he said.

He commended Ghana for the exemplary way they accommodated the refugees.

The long awaited repatriation exercise was joyously welcomed by registered refugees who have undergone a lot of difficulties including lack of parental support, constant National Security intrusion at the settlement, in-efficient feeding program, joblessness, poor sanitary condition, among others.

The just ended disarmament exercise conducted by UNMIL has has significantly engendered the voluntary return of the refugees.