Guinea: tension between local population and refugees from Sierra Leone

In another sign of the ongoing insecurity in the region, there was an attack on Tuesday 20 April, apparently by rebels from Sierra Leone - on Moola district in Forécariah prefecture in Guinea. The attack was on an area 7 km from the border, about 132 km from Conakry, and has increased tension between the local population and refugees from Sierra Leone. As a result Guinean villagers burned down the refugee settlement at Moola sending the camp population fleeing (original camp population was 3,900 persons).

Refugees scattered in various directions including Kaliah and Farmoyah located 30 km and 25 km away. It is believed also that some refugees went back to Sierra Leone or simply stayed near villages in the area with acquaintances. Up to this morning some 450 refugees have arrived in Kaliah. Additional shelter is being put together to accommodate them. Villagers accuse refugees of collaborating with rebels. An intensive sensitisation campaign by UNHCR and the Government is ongoing to calm down emotions. Meanwhile UNHCR is working on a plan to move some 30,000 refugees from camps too close to the Sierra Leone border - as we are doing in the Guéckédou area, where the transfer is still ongoing. In total UNHCR is assisting some 60,000 refugees in Forécariah Prefecture.