More arrest of Liberian refugees in Ghana.......

Ghanaian Police on Saturday made their second swoop on the Liberia refugee camp just west of Accra in one week as the government carries out its resolve to ensure that the refugees obey Ghana's laws.This time they arrested dozens of men who they say have been fomenting trouble at the camp, as the standoff between the refugees and the government continues.Eyewitnesses said police went to the Gomoa Buduburam refugee camp just west of Accra at dawn on Saturday moving from house-to-house seeking the alleged male troublemakers. Many men fled into the bush while other locked themselves up in their rooms.

Liberian refugees were only protesting for their rights.

Main while Thirty Liberian refugees were expelled from Ghana and are expected home on Sunday amid disagreement between the two countries about the best way to deal with thousands of refugees.
Liberia's Information Minister Laurence Bropleh said in a radio broadcast Saturday that the "first batch" of nine women and 21 men would be met off the plane by senior officials and given temporary housing.

I am really starting to get angry about some of the reporting by the Ghanaian press and some insensitive statements made by some government officials, for example, Kwamena Bartels the Ghanaian interior minister after ordering the arrest and detention of helpless women and children told the news media “Ghana was good enough for them when their country was at war and they needed a place where they can have peace and protection and Ghana is not good for them when the war in their country was over…this shows their crass ingratitude to a country has protected them, fed them and given their children a free education.”

Kwamena Bartel Ghana's interior Minister.

what the hell is this guy problem? if he wants Liberians to leave Ghana, they should just say it and not come up with crazy excuses for beating, and harassing our people because they are protesting for their rights. Let them call us ungrateful and whatever the hell they want to call us, but the truth of the matter is they have no reason what so ever, of treating our people like crap.

Life in Ghana is hard for any foreigner, let alone refugees, they are not allowed to operate and own businesses unless Ghanaian citizens are not operating the same businesses, were as in Liberia, Ghanaian nationals can do whatever they want, as a matter of fact they practically own and operate all the business in the new Kru town, fanti town, and westpoint area of Monrovia.

All over the blogger sphere today Ghanaian bloggers have being insulting and calling our people names, and saying shit like God bless Ghana, throw out these ugly Liberians ingrates. and How dare these ugly Liberians, these savages try to bite the hand that feeds them?” i am so sick of this shit, not only are these people helpless, but must you make them feel like shit too? this has got to be the last straw, our government must do everything to bring our people home, i would rather they suffer in poverty home, then be beggers and insulted by people who are suppose to be our African brothers.



Bring our people home now!

The Plight of Liberian refugees in Ghana.....

Hundreds of Liberian women refugees arrested Monday by Ghanaian police remain in custody, and there are reports the Ghanaian government is considering deporting them back to Liberia as soon as possible. The BBC said a group of Liberian refugees most of whom are women were accused by a minister of being naked while protesting by the roadside, the refugees were protesting plans to send them back home with only US$100.

Some of the refugees told the BBC that they were beaten by the Ghanaian police at Buduburam camp.

While most of us Liberians are very grateful to the Ghanaian Government and the people of Ghana for their hospitality and generosity in our time of great needs, we also respectfully ask that they be patient with our people, and not resort to acts that would abuse the rights of our people, and further add insult to injury to women and children who not only lost everything during our country's civil war, but must also live as beggars in another country. i live in Ghana for several years before coming to the states and i can tell you from experience that it is not easy for Liberians or any foreigner for that matter to just integrate into Ghanaian society, it is hard to start a business because the government don't want you taking business from, or competing their citizens, leaving many of our people to depend on aid from relatives abroad, or in some cases, our young women resorting to prostitution just to feed their family.

Meanwhile, The Coalition of Ghanian Human Rights Organizations says it will sue the government of Ghana if it fails to resort to the courts in dealing with the arrested Liberian Refugees. The coalition slammed the government of Ghana for what it calls an “over reaction” to the protests of the refugees. The coalition has formed an investigative team to look into the stand off between the refugees and the government.The team comprises of people from the Legal Resources Centre and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative. A fact finding team was dispatched to both the Buduburam camp and holding area for the over 600 arrested refugees in Kordeabe in the Eastern Region. The team claimed its initial findings revealled that the rights of the refugees had been grossly violated by the Ghanaian government. The Head of the Legal Resources Centre, Mr. Edward Amuzu who was part of the team told the press that the public was generally misinformed on the crisis.He said the women had not striped themselves naked as had been reported in the media and that there were no road-blocks at the Buduburam camp.Mr. Amuzu said the government’s handling of the crisis was embarrassing to the country.According to him only a court of competent jurisdiction could determine whether the refugees should be repatriated.The Country Representative of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Ms Hida Harley Mariam told the BBC that the UNHCR was concerned about the manner in which the crisis was being handled.She said the Commission supported the government’s decision to ensure that the refugees respected the country’s laws.It was however worried about any disproportionate action by the government.The Minority spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Mr. John Mahama said although the demands by the refugees could be unreasonable, it was important to protect their human rights.He said the anger of the Interior Minster should not be allowed to damage the reputation of the country. The Liberian government is said to be sending a delegation led by the Liberian Foreign Minister to Ghana to plead with the government to rescind its decision to repatriate the protesting refugees.