Monthly publication of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees–

December 2004 Vol. 1, Issue No. 7 HIGHLIGHTS OF SECURITY AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

WARRING FACTIONS October. However, due to DISBANNED bad roads and the late com- mencement of DDRR in some remote areas of Libe- The three Liberian warring fac- ria, particularly the northern tions – Ex-Government of Libe- and southeastern regions of ria (Ex-GOL), Liberians United the country, UNMIL had to for Reconciliation & Democracy extend a grace period to (LURD) and Movement for De- those still in possession of mocracy in Liberia (MODEL) weapons to turn them. have been formally dissolved. UNHCR facilitates the voluntary return To date, only seven out of 15 of Liberian refugees This is within the framework of the Comprehensive Peace Agree- counties in Liberia have been POLICE REDEPLOYMENT ment (CPA), which calls for the declared safe for the return IN LIBERIA dissolution of the factions fol- of the refugees who fled lowing the end of disarmament abroad and about 500,000 The National Transitional Govern- on 31 October. A ceremony to more people who were inter- ment of Liberia (NTGL) and the mark the disbanding of the three nally displaced. United Nations Mission in Liberia factions was held in . (UNMIL) have begun the redeploy- ment of Liberian police officers to LIBERIA/GUINEA SIGNED PACT the regions. CALM RETURNS IN MON- The redeployment is a significant ROVIA-CURFEW LIFTED step taken towards restoring civil In a bid to live in peace and har- authority in the counties. The UN mony, north-eastern Liberia and mission in Liberia has since July southern Guinea both signed a re- Following the gradual return been training new cadets as part of gional non-aggression pact to of calm to Monrovia and its the new police service, which will, guard against cross-border activity that could destabilize the two West environs, the NTGL an- by the end of next year, comprise of nounced the lifting of the some 3,500 officers. African countries. Liberian offi- cials traveled to Nzerekore in curfew hours. The Govern- The Liberian government is bank- Guinea to sign the agreement. In ment said the decision to lift ing on the new recruits to be the the past, Guinea and Liberia have the curfew hours is predi- new phase of a much-needed over- accused each other of fueling insta- cated upon the gradual sta- haul of the police force. Meanwhile, bility. bilization of the situation in the United Nations Mission in Libe- the capital following days of ria (UNMIL) Civilian Police and DISARMAMENT FINALLY rioting in the city. Normal ENDS the Liberia National Police have business activities have re- launched the community policing The United Nations has finally sumed, and life has returned strategy to jointly fight the high rate wound up its disarmament pro- to the streets of Monrovia of crime and promote peace and gramme in Liberia on 31st again. stability in Liberia.

This document does not necessarily reflect the official position of the United Nations UNHCR/FAO Assist Farming Activities port to ensure that the inputs are of The UN refugee agency and The Liberia Agriculture good quality and meet the standard the Food and Assistance Or- Reintegration Project will specifications. It will also facilitate ganization, FAO, have also enable vulnerable the distribution of farm inputs to the signed a multi-year project farmers to resume their target beneficiaries and conduct train- to provide basic agricultural livelihoods and to make ing sessions on improved farming inputs to an estimated the transition from de- methods. UNHCR will in the mean- 20,000 war-affected farmers pendency on relief aid to time ensure the protection and wel- by end 2005. self-sufficiency and effec- fare of Liberian returnees, IDPs and tively contribute to the ru- other war-affected populations return The project, called Liberia ral economy as well as to in safety and dignity to their original Agriculture Reintegration increase local subsistence towns and villages in a sustainable Project (LARP), will be im- food production. manner. plemented in five counties The project will prioritize returnees Lofa, Bong, Nimba, Mont- An initial 7,500 farm with farmland who have recently ar- serrado and Grand Gedeh families, mostly war- rived, communities in which return- counties, which are the main affected and vulnerable ees have been reintegrated and ex- area of return. The project is farmers will receive kits of combatants who have been demobi- to enhance preparedness and assorted vegetable seeds lized and willing to farm. facilitate the return and rein- and basic tools during the tegration of 340,000 Libe- current farming season. Meanwhile, in efforts to enhance col- rian refugees to their coun- The distribution will be laboration at the county level, Transi- try. followed by training ses- tional Recovery Teams have been set sions on farming methods up to ensure an active role in the co- It aims to bolster the pro- to refresh their memories ordination of agricultural activities ductive capacities of war- on agricultural techniques and facilitate the process of speeding affected households by sup- and on new technical in- up the recovery process. plying emergency agricul- novations for enhanced The teams have been founded ini- tural inputs and training in production. tially in Lofa, Nimba and Bong sustainable and improved FAO will provide techni- Counties. Additional teams will be agricultural technologies. cal and operational sup- appointed for more counties in the second phase of the project. Collabo- ration with Ministry of Agriculture, FAO, UNHCR at counties level is crucial to ensure a successful imple- mentation of the project.

Meanwhile, the two organizations conducted a joint field mission to es- tablish operational modalities to start the Agriculture Reintegration Pro- gramme (ARP). In these counties, FAO consultants have worked out in- formation sharing, reporting and monitoring mechanisms with UNHCR sub/field offices. UNHCR will release tools and FAO vegetable Representatives of UNHCR and FAO signed Joint Agriculture Re- seeds for the 2004 vegetable farming integration Project season.

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This document does not necessarily reflect the official position of the United Nations PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE RETURN

Town elementary School. As- women’s groups have benefited The Minister of Education of sessments have been carried out from a US$16,200.00 grant to Liberia, Dr. Evelyn Kandakai on other schools including the start CEPs in four districts – visited the and La- Kolahun High school targeted Voinjama, Kolahun, Zorzor and walazu Public Schools reha- for renovation in early 2005. Salayea in Lofa County. The bilitated by UNHCR’s imple- assistance is provided within the Under UNHCR rehabilitation menting partner Peace Winds 4Rs framework, which is bene- program, Liberian returnees are Japan. fiting Liberians in 11 of Libe- given access to micro credit ria’s 15 counties. Minister Kandakai also vis- scheme, skills training and agri- ited the Selega Primary culture. Agriculture tools and In the Kolahun District, signifi- School, currently being reha- farming implements were dis- cant progress has been made in bilitated. She went to observe tributed in 26 communities in the implementation of 54 new first hand the contributions Voinjama, Kolahun, Zorzor and Community Empowerment Pro- being made to Liberia’s edu- Salayea. Community Empower- jects (CEPs) in the areas of agri- cation recovery program. ment agriculture related projects culture, skills training, shelter UNHCR in the meantime, are being implemented in four and water and sanitation. continues with rehabilitation districts. activity at the David Selmah Also, 324 persons from 18 local

jungle. We are in dire need serve their needs. Peace of everything, Korlu sadly Winds Japan builds the capac- added. Lofa County is one of ity of the community by pro- the areas of high return. The viding basic training on needs scars of war are everywhere. identification and priority set- Stubbles of concrete poking ting as well as management of through dense forest are indi- projects carried out in the com- cation that there once stood munities. Peace Wind Japan schools, hospitals and basic also has a shelter program for facilities. Under a joint the most impoverished. The Shelter Construction in Lofa County UNHCR/UNDP reintegration shelter program involves the initiative, programmes to distribution of galvanized iron provide basis services are un- roofing, tools, nails and As Liberians grow confident in the derway. UNHCR’s imple- kitchen sets. peace process, many of them have menting partner, Peace winds Prior to the distribution, Peace begun to go back home, not wait- Japan (PWJ) is engaged in winds Japan provides basic ing for ideal conditions to return. the construction of schools, tools such as wheelbarrows, They are however, finding out that wells and latrines. cutlasses, and diggers to enable the task of rebuilding is enormous families to begin the construc- and many of them are left with the PWJ relies on the services of tion of their shelters. PWJ en- challenge of starting their lives local contractors and invari- courages the involvement of from scratch. able provides job opportuni- the community at every stage Korlu Beyan, a 45-year-old mother ties to the returning popu- of the shelter construction. of six children, returned to Zorzor, lace. This group employs the “From start to finish, we re- Lofa County in northern Liberia on community-based approach, ceive assistance, Korlu ex- her own initiative. “It was difficult which abolishes the tradi- plained. PWJ also helps the to locate the spot where my house tional treatment of benefici- community with safe drinking once stood”, explained Korlu aries as passive recipients, water and the provision of pointing in the direction of a thick and instead galvanizes the sanitation facilities. support of communities to

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This document does not necessarily reflect the official position of the United Nations Facilitated Voluntary Repatriation Continues careful assessment of the situation in the country shows that stability is durable and overall improvements permit return in “safety and dignity”. The promotion phase is therefore scheduled to take place after general elections are held in the second half of 2005. It is anticipated that by then Liberia will have progressed to- wards greater political and social stability and that state authority will have been re- stored throughout the country.

UNHCR is committed to the voluntary repa- Facilitating return in safety and dignity-Sinje Transit Center, triation of more than 350,000 Liberian refu- gees, the majority of which are in Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Ghana. The facilitated voluntary repatriation of Liberian Lesser numbers reside in the Gambia, Mali, refugees is continuing by land convoy as well as air- Nigeria and Senegal. Voluntary repatriation lifts bringing home refugees from asylum countries. remains the viable durable solution for Libe- As at 13, December, 4,350 have so far been assisted ria refugees who remain in exile. to return home since the launch of the re- patriation exercise on 1 October 04. To ensure the sustainable return of As of date, 4,350 have Liberian returnees in places of ori- been repatriated since At transit sites, the returnees are issued 1 October 04 gin, UNHCR supports the inter- NFIs and other assistances and subse- agency integrated 4Rs programme ap- quently transported to designated drop-off proach (Repatriation, Reintegration, Reha- points. Convoys and airlifts continue to be received. bilitation and Reconstruction) utilizing exist- ing UNCT coordination mechanism includ- Under the facilitation phase of the repatriation exer- ing bilateral donors and NGOs. UNGHCR cise, UNHCR provides protection and assistance to also supports community-based reintegration refugees who opt to return home. This includes pro- activities in the main areas of return to build viding transport to areas that are deemed safe and absorptive capacity in order to ensure that re- facilitating the refugees’ reintegration in their com- turnees have access to basic services. munities of origin. UNHCR will promote voluntary repatriation after a

4,350 Liberian refugees have so far returned under the UNHCR Facilitated Voluntary Repatriation Exercise

Country of Asylum Entry Point No. Repatriated

Sa. Leone Bo waterside 1,603

Guinea Ganta 969

Ghana RIA 991

Nigeria RIA 740

Ivory Coast RIA 47 Airlift of Refugees from Ghana and Nigeria/RIA

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This document does not necessarily reflect the official position of the United Nations

UNHCR C0-Funds SGBV Resource Center

women, children and the com- health of women, for the munity at large. UNHCR do- health of the World, No more nated a couple of Gender Based Violence”. Appropriate pro- Violence Guidelines which are grams held highlighted being widely used by all agen- strategies that would advo- cies working in this area. cate for elimination of all UNIFEM also donated some forms of violence against reading materials. women, the prevention of Liberian women, youths and ad- HIV/AIDS and promotion of vocates of gender equality pa- human rights. Already, the The SGBV Resource Center in the Min- UN refugee agency has istry of Gender and Development raded the streets of Monrovia to observe 25th November as the launched an HIV/AIDS Elimination of All Forms of awareness campaign for Li- The dedication of a SGVB Resource Violence Against Women Day beria's returning refugees, center at the Gender Ministry and the launch of the 16 Days IDPs and local communities. marked the launch of the 16 Days Campaign against Gender- The campaign seeks to edu- Campaign Against Gender Vio- Based Violence. cate them on risky behaviors lence. The Liberian Government that help spread the disease, through the Ministry of Gender giving people - especially The resource centre is one of spearheaded this year's celebra- youth and women - the UNHCR’s commitments to support tion in close partnership with knowledge to protect them- gender mainstreaming in Liberia. It UN agencies, National, Interna- selves against HIV infection. will serves as a library and enable tional and Community-Based The capacity of Community students, researchers and other in- Organizations. health workers, peer educa- terested persons to have a deeper tors and community leaders insight of gender issues affecting This year's theme is "For the are being built.

REINTEGRATION/CEPs UPDATE

UNHCR through its implementing Agricultural tools have been distributed Six Elementary Schools and its water partner LUSH is renovating and pro- to returnees and the local community and sanitation facilities are under con- ducing furniture for the Primary School under the joint UNHCR/FAO joint ag- struction by World Vision International in Gbonota, . riculture reintegration project in Bong. in . Additionally, four Also in Lofa County, 19 communities of the 12 schools earmarked for reno- were supplied agriculture inputs. vation are completed or nearing com- pletion.

UNHCR’s Implementing partner Inter- Significant progress has been made on Fifty-five (55) towns are benefiting national Medical Corps has completed five of the seven health centers. Six- from agriculture tools and other farm- renovating the Bolahun Health Clinic teen (16) Community Empower- ing implements in Lofa County. in Lofa County. ment Programs are ongoing in Maryland County.

Three CEP projects in Twenty-four (24) wells have been con- UNHCR and its implementing partner have been approved and will be imple- structed in communities and school continue with road rehabilitation in mented by Africa Concern Interna- facilities in Montserrado. In Lofa some parts of , Lofa and tional. The projects include community County, 100 pit latrines have been dug Grand Gedeh. schools and halls. Renovation will be in four Districts. done on water and sanitation facilities.

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This document does not necessarily reflect the official position of the United Nations