DATE=5/16/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=SIERRA LEONE / REFUGEES (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-262415
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations refugee agency, U-N-H-C-R,
says it is bracing for the arrival of large numbers of
Sierra Leonian refugees in neighboring Guinea-Conakry.
Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva.
TEXT: The refugee agency reports an estimated 600
refugees from Sierra Leone have fled to Guinea-Conakry
during the past three days.
The refugees come from the area of Kambia in western
Sierra Leone. This brings the number of new arrivals
in Guinea's Forecariah province to one thousand since
fighting resumed earlier this month.
U-N-H-C-R spokesman Kris Janowski says greater numbers
of refugees have been fleeing Sierra Leone since the
rebels decided to open the border with Guinea-Conakry.
/// JANOWSKI ACT ONE ///
We're told they opened the border because they don't
want too many civilians around since they want to
concentrate on fighting. But, nobody really knows.
We get the interpretations from the people who come
across. What the rebels are up to, we don't know
really. Why they kept the borders closed for awhile,
why they opened it now hard to tell.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Janowski says the U-N refugee agency is ready to
accommodate up to 25-thousand people from Sierra Leone
in Guinea's Forecariah area. This is in addition to
25-thousand refugees who previously fled there to
escape Sierra Leone's eight-year civil war.
The agency also is caring for more than 300-thousand
other refugees in camps around Gueckedou, on Sierra
Leone's eastern border.
Mr. Janowski says the people crossing into Guinea
appear to be in fairly good condition.
/// JANOWSKI ACT TWO ///
This time we have no reports of atrocities or arms
or legs being chopped off, so on and so forth. They
report fighting between government troops and rebel
forces. They are also reporting that the border now,
after being sealed for awhile, is open for civilians.
They are also reporting that there seems to be a
government forces push to ward them off. The rebels
are trying to essentially fight back.
/// END ACT ///
In the meantime, the U-N's World Food Program says
about 35-thousand people from rural areas have fled in
recent days to Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown. The
agency says it plans to distribute food to about 80-
thousand people in Freetown. (Signed)
NEB/LS/JWH
16-May-2000 08:00 AM EDT (16-May-2000 1200 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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