Monrovia – The Liberia Returnee Network (LRN), a group of former refugees that seeks the welfare of refugees in and out of Liberia, has purchased a 10-acre land space in Bomi County for the construction of housing units for Liberians still living on refugees in nearby countries.
Mr. Emmanuel Marshall, Executive Director of the group made the assertion to journalists at the Head Office of the LRN on Carey Street a week after he and his team visited the Laine Refugee Camp in Guinea and the Bahn Refugee Camp in Nimba County.
As former refugees themselves, the Executive Director of LRN said their ‘Home back Home’ campaign should be seen as a way of serving humanity and not being seen as heroes.
According to him, it is aimed at bringing to light the forgotten people and to correct the mistakes of the past and present leaders of Liberia.
“The Liberia Returnee Network, through its efforts, has purchased a 10-acres land space to construct housing units for the returnees, hence the caption Home Back Home,” he said.
Mr. Marshall added: “At this point, we’re yet to get the funding for the construction of the housing units. In this light, we are calling upon members of the diplomatic core, NGO’s, philanthropists, the civil society organizations and all well-meaning Liberians in and out of Liberia to join hands with us to achieve this noble cause whilst it is still early and hasn’t gone offhand that Liberians be thrown out in the streets in foreign lands.”
The Executive Director of the Liberia Returnee Network also stressed that their operation to bring back home Liberian refugees should not be misconstrued.
Mr. Marshall added that their goal is to bring back the spirit of love that once existed amongst the people of Liberia.
“Let this festive season bring about love amongst us, Liberians. To our unpatriotic politicians, let us put Liberia first and Liberia not last as we celebrate the yuletide season, let love reign in our hearts, let our social media posts give a fragrance of love, even though you may not love his or her face, but respect is the best you can give to someone and the composition of your language,” he said.
Frowning on the Living Condition of Ivorian Refugee in Bahn City, Nimba County
Also speaking, Mr. Marshall added that being a refugee is not a crime. That, he says, has been backed by 1951 Geneva convention, 1967 protocol and 1969 OAU Protocol followed by ECOWAS treaties.
Having visited the Bahn Refugee Camp in Nimba County, the LRN Executive Director said the Ivorian refugees living in the refugee camp in that part of Liberia are experiencing uncertainty; Something he says is already adding unto their existing trauma from the war.
“To our brothers and sisters, who are still languishing in refugee camps, including our Ivorian brothers and sisters in Bahn, being a refugee is not a crime, our experiences have brought about our advocacy that being a refugee in Africa is like committing a crime which adds unto the already existing trauma of war,” he said.
Mr. Marshall added: “The Bahn refugee camp for the Ivorian in Liberia is of no exception, the Liberia Returnee Network does not want to be seen as a bias advocacy group for refugees, our recent visit to the Ivorian refugee camp in Bahn Nimba County, to absentee facts on the local integration process of these refugees stated by the Liberian government via the LRRRC, seem not to be a fact as stated in the news.”
He added: “Ivorian refugees are living under harsh conditions which we believe that a local integration is supposed to provide transformation from a refugee status to a normal state of being but the Ivorian refugee situation is on the contrary as the story of the Liberian refugees in other countries. LRN believes that this is a normal trend of all African leaders disrespecting the fundamental rights of refugees, they are human beings and their rights must be respected.”