UN official warns refugees to stay out of Côte d'Ivoire conflict

Reacting to allegations that refugees have been recruited as combatants by warring parties in Côte d’Ivoire, a senior United Nations official has warned a group of refugees in Abidjan against being drawn into the fighting, which has raged since September.

Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees Kamel Morjane on Monday cautioned the refugees from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Congo, Togo and Rwanda to "refrain from any political or military involvement," and reminded them that it is "vital that refugees stay out of the conflict."

"You have benefited from the hospitality of this country and your involvement would make life very difficult for the other refugees living here," Mr. Morjane said.

Fighting in the border areas of western Côte d'Ivoire has intensified since late November. The region, which previously hosted some 45,000 mostly Liberian refugees, is now largely inaccessible to humanitarian agencies, and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) remains concerned that the populations at risk could become targets of armed attacks and forced military recruitment.

Mr. Morjane also told the refugees in Abidjan that despite the sensitive situation in Côte d'Ivoire, UNHCR would do its best to find safe solutions for them. An estimated 44,000 people have crossed into Liberia since the fighting spread to the west two weeks ago. The majority - some 29,000 - are Liberians returning home, while the remaining 15,000 are Ivorians seeking refuge in conflict-torn Liberia. Côte d'Ivoire has sheltered 70,000 Liberian and 3,000 Sierra Leonean refugees for years.

In another troubling development, reports from southern Côte d'Ivoire indicate that large population movements took place over the weekend around the coastal town of Tabou following rumours of impending attacks, according to UNHCR.