In Guinea, Security Council members briefed on poor conditions facing refugees
9 October -- Deteriorating security conditions facing hundreds of thousands of refugees living along Guinea's border with Liberia and Sierra Leone topped the agenda of meetings held today in Conakry between Security Council members and representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The 11-member Security Council delegation was in Conakry on the first leg of a five-nation trip to West Africa aimed at reviewing UN operations in Sierra Leone and exploring ways to promote stability in the region.
"UNHCR said anxiety amongst Sierra Leone refugees was causing them to return to insecure areas back home, such as Kambia and Kailahoun, and other rebel-held parts of Sierra Leone," a UN spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, told reporters in New York.
In the light of the volatile situation in the region, UNHCR emphasized to the Council delegation the crucial need for greater protection guarantees from Guinean authorities, as well as the need to build trust and confidence among the neighbouring countries.
After meeting with key government ministers, the Council delegation travelled to Freetown to begin a three-day visit to Sierra Leone. Among other activities, the delegation is scheduled to meet with the country's Attorney-General, Solomon Berewa, to discuss the practicalities of setting up a special war crimes court for Sierra Leone.
The Council mission is being led by the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Jeremy Greenstock, and includes representatives of Bangladesh, Canada, China, France, Jamaica, Mali, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the United States. It is expected to return to New York on 15 October following stops in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mali, Nigeria and Liberia.
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