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Signs of rebirth and reconciliation in Angola as returnees settle back home
13 Mar 2006 After nearly three decades of civil war in Angola, thousands of refugees have come home. But now they are facing the challenge of re-establishing themselves in a country which for many of their children is a foreign land. Coping with resentment of those who remained in Angola during the war as well as the lack of employment opportunities, are just some of the difficulties the returnees face. But in spite of the problems, there are real signs of hope. -
Liberian refugee women stitch together new future after Angelina Jolie skills course
23 Feb 2006 There was an atmosphere of joy and jubilation in Largo refugee camp last week when 50 Liberian refugee women each received a sewing machine after completing a sewing skills course, kindly funded by UNHCR's Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie. Their new skills will help the refugees earn a living when they finally return home. -
New political order pulling Liberian refugees home
9 Feb 2006 Heeding the call of their new president to return and help rebuild the country, Liberian refugees have been streaming home from Ghana, Nigeria, and neighbouring Sierra Leone and Guinea with UNHCR assistance to embrace the new peace. -
UNHCR expands activities to help Liberian IDPs realise their goal of a new school
2 Feb 2006 A new school rising in the Liberian village of Balama shows both the importance of letting communities decide their own priorities and UNHCR's increasing efforts to give the same reintegration help to internally displaced people as it gives to refugees. -
Largest UNHCR convoy since Liberian refugees began returning home
30 Jan 2006 The largest convoy of refugees to return to Liberia since the UN refugee agency's repatriation operation began in 2004 has arrived home in the wake of this month's inauguration of the new democratically elected president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. -
New president appeals for refugees to return to Liberia
16 Jan 2006 Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was sworn in Monday as Liberia's president, becoming Africa's first elected female leader. The 67-year-old woman has vowed to restore stability to her country and is calling on Liberian refugees to return home. -
Micro-credit scheme gives refugees in Angola chance to end dependency
5 Jan 2006 Henri, a Congolese refugee living in Angola since 1978, is one of the first to benefit from a UNHCR-funded small-loan programme to boost his business and break the chain of dependency that has affected the majority of the 14,000 refugees in the country. After seeing the impact on people like Henri, more refugees are becoming interested in the scheme. -
UNHCR's Angola repatriation operation draws to a close with last flight
20 Dec 2005 After more than three years, UNHCR's repatriation operation to bring home Angolans living in exile during the country's 27-year-long war, has drawn to a close with a last flight of returnees from Botswana. An estimated half a million Angolans have returned to their war-ravaged country since the peace accords were signed in April 2002, some 123,000 with UNHCR assistance. -
Liberian refugees hope election result will usher in new era
23 Nov 2005 The hopes of returning home for up to 230,000 Liberian refugees have been resting on the peaceful outcome of Liberia's presidential election run-off. So far so good: the final results were announced on Wednesday, with Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf elected as Africa's first woman President with a comfortable 59.4 percent of the vote.