UN mission in Sierra Leone to transfer Bangladeshi battalion to Liberia

Following a resurgence in the number of Liberian refugees fleeing into Guinea, the United Nations humanitarian affairs office today expressed concern over the early warning signs indicating a lack of compliance with the recent peace agreement signed by the warring factions in Liberia and fears more people will be forced to flee across the border.

Some 5,500 people have arrived in Guinea since fighting began in northern Liberia in late August, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Guinea. No arrivals of Guinean returnees or third country nationals have been reported to date.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is planning to transfer the newly arriving refugees to the Kouankan camp hosting Liberian refugees at a rate of 300 to 450 persons per day starting today. Several other UN agencies are closely monitoring the situation.

Meanwhile the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) announced today that it was preparing an 850-strong Bangladeshi battalion to be deployed in Liberia once their one-year tour of duty ends in northern Sierra Leone.

The announcement coincides with the Security Council's decision to establish a new mission for war-shattered Liberia consisting of up to 15,000 military personnel and up to 1,115 civilian police officers. The deployment of the Bangladeshi battalion is expected to start next Tuesday and last for about 10 days.