Liberians stranded at border
2004-03-20 19:13
Monrovia - Hundreds of Liberians seeking to enter neighbouring Guinea en route home from Ghana are stranded at the Guinea-Mali border, the foreign ministry here said Saturday.
Acting Foreign Minister Abel Massaley told journalists about 350 Liberians, mainly traders and refugees, were being denied entry into Guinea from Mali on their way home amid fears some of them may be mercenaries plotting to oust the Guinean government.
"The ministry has received information about the situation involving the stranded Liberians," he said, adding talks had been held on Thursday with the Guinean and Mali governments about the situation.
One of the drivers in a convoy carrying Liberians, Sheikh Kamara, said when they arrived at the Guinea border they were denied entry on grounds that they were "mercenaries of former president Charles Taylor".
In a letter to his relative quoted by the independent Inquirer newspaper, Kamara said there were 27 vehicles with 335 Liberians on board waiting at the border.
"We have been told by Guinean authorities to go back to Ghana," Kamara said in his letter, adding Guinean authorities were standing firm, despite the intervention of the Malian government, United Nations and Ivorian government officials.
A source at the Guinean Embassy in Monrovia hinted the Guinean reaction stemmed from reports that Liberians were involved in plot to destabilise the French-speaking West African state.
"Due to this report, my government is being very tough in screening Liberians travelling through Guinea," said the source, asking to remain anonymous.
Deputy internal affairs minister Jerry Gonyon recently told the authorities here that Liberian, Sierra Leonean and Guinean mercenaries were being trained in Nimba forest in northeastern Liberia for a bid to destabilise Guinea.
The aim was then to restart the Liberian war which ended in August. About 12 000 United Nations peacekeepers have since deployed in Liberia and now cover more than half of the country.