In continuation of efforts to remain engage with stakeholders involve with the Liberian refugees saga in Ghana, a two-man delegation of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) on April 16th held a follow-up meeting with H.E. Amb. Chieck Sidi Diarra, the United Nations Under Secretary General and Special Adviser on Africa.

Hon. Coleman, VP Eastern Region, ULAA,  Amb. Diarra, Under Secretary for Africa, UN, Ms. Larsen, Chief, Coordination and Advocacy, UN, and Hon. Slewion, External Affairs Chairman, ULAA

On April 3, the National President of the Union, Mr. Emmanuel S. Wettee, and the Chairman of the External Affairs Committee of the Union, Mr. Sam Togba Slewion, during an International Development Forum in New York, met with Amb. Diarra and expressed the Union's concerns about the refugee situation in Ghana. The Forum was organized and hosted by the Amb. Milton Nathaniel Barnes, Liberia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.  

Hon. Charles Coleman, Vice President, Amb. Diarra, UN Undersecretary for Africa, and Hon. Sam Togba Slewion, Chairman, External Affairs Committee, pose for the camera after the meeting  in the office of Amb. Diarra at the UN Headquarters in NY.

Under Secretary General Diarra, who is also High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, in his response at the moment, promised to hold a follow-up meeting with the Union to further discuss the matter, along with senior staff in his office?  He assured the Union officials that he will prioritize the meeting to address such volatile situation.

In keeping with his promise, Amb. Diarra, through his Administrative Staff, Ms. Aba Davis, extended the Union an invitation for a meeting on April 16, 2008 at his office at the UN headquarters in New York to dialogue on the Liberian refugee crisis.

Messrs  Charles Coleman, Vice President of the Eastern Region, ULAA,  and  Sam Togba Slewion, Chairman of the External Affairs Committee, ULAA, representing the Union at the  meeting with Under Secretary General Diarra and his staff, informed him about the Union's humanitarian  initiative to assist the refugees and its  proactive approach to form partnership with stakeholders, including representatives of the refugees, the UNHCR, Liberian Government and host countries  to address the plight of its compatriots in Ghana and  other host countries in the sub-region.

The Union officials explained further that the Union is taking a proactive stance to be prepared to assist their compatriots just in case other host countries decide to institute similar action like the Ghanaian government based on the justification that there is political stability in Liberia, adding, "the UN and our government need to be in a preventive mode to address any eventuality that may face our people in refugee camps."

Responding to the comments of the Union officials, Amb.  Diarra, said he was very impressed with the two-prong approach of the Union to address the humanitarian needs of the refugees in Ghana and its proactive stance to be prepared to prevent crisis in other countries where there are Liberian refugees, adding, " we are glad that you taking such approach and your group is the kind of group we want to work with in such situation."

He immediately instructed his two staff, Ms. Cheryl Jensen, Chief, Coordination, Advocacy and Programme Unit, and Ms. Wasantha Bandarage, Political Affairs Officer, to contact the office of the UNHCR to arrange a meeting between the UNHCR and the Union in order to lay out a plan for on-going relationship between the two organizations to address the Liberian refugee situation.  Ironically, on the same day of the meeting, Amb. Diarra was traveling to Ghana, according to him, to attend an International Conference.

Following the meeting in his office, the Political Affairs Officer, Ms. Bandarage, met with the Union's officials to gather more information on the Liberian refugee crisis in Ghana and other refugee camps in the sub-region. She also indicated that the minutes of the meeting with Amb. Diarra will be shared with the staff of the UNHCR prior to the meeting between the agency and the Union.

Hon. Coleman. Vice President, Eastern Region, ULAA, Ms. Aba Davis, Administrative Staff, Under Secretary General Office, UN, and Hon. Sam Togba Slewion, Chairman, External Affairs Committee, ULAA share friendly moment with staff after meeting with Amb. Diarra.

It can be recalled that recently Liberian refugees in Ghana staged a demonstration to protest plans by the Ghanaian government to integrate them in the Ghanaian society and are demanding to be either repatriated with a $1,000 package or move to a third country. Women and men were arrested and 30 refugees have been deported to Liberia.

Following the incident, the Union issued a Position Statement expressing its concerns about the situation and among other things called on the Liberian government to develop a plan to address the issues of repatriation and resettlement for Liberian refugees in other countries and internally displaced Liberians.

In an apparent response to the sentiments contained in the Union's statement, the Liberian Government, in an Official Response to the Ghanaian refugee crisis issued on Tuesday, April 1,noted “in continuation of efforts aimed at gradual orderly repatriation of our citizens living in refugee's camps across the sub-region and beyond, a Government delegation shall be dispatched to the sub-region to meet with Liberian refugees and discuss their plight and possible plans for their return to contribute their quotas to the national development."

In the meantime, the Union continues to raise funds to implement its humanitarian assistance to the refugees in Ghana through its National Social Service Commission. The Union is also expected to announce it’s newly created ULAA Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Committee, as the mechanism for the implementation of its proactive approach to address the conditions of refugees in other countries through partnership with diverse interest groups, including the Governments of Liberia and host countries and the UNHCR.

-ULAA Press