In Liberian villages just across the border from Côte d’Ivoire, thousands of men, women, and children are now seeking refuge from unrest in their home country. The Danish Refugee Council is one of few aid agencies currently in the area working to assist the new refugees and their host communities. Everyday more people arrive from the troubled areas in northern Côte d’Ivoire.

Joel Minpeu Douan is a 35-year-old single mother of seven and a refugee in Liberia. She comes from the village of Bougbeu near the city of Danane in West Côte d'Ivoire, close to the border with Liberia.

Her husband died some time ago, leaving her a house and a cocoa farm. The farm was just about ready for harvest when the rising tensions and generalized threats in the area made her fear for her family’s safety. The militants of opposing factions were going around and threatening people that they will be “dealt with unless they vote”. She herself was not aggressed, but the sense of fear that something terrible might happen, made Joel Minpeu Douan leave.

A political deadlock
Côte d’Ivoire has been divided since a conflict in 2002, and the presidential election on 28 November 2010 was intended to reunify the country. But incumbent president Gbagbo has refused to recognize the outcome declaring his opponent Ouattara as the winner and new leader of the country. Political instability and unrest in Côte d’Ivoire related to the elections has caused a humanitarian crisis with more than 20,000 people seeking refuge across the border in Liberia.

Leaving Côte d’Ivoire
When the presidential elections took place on 28 November 2010, Joel Minpeu Douan did not even go to vote, but already a few days later, she decided to leave with her seven children. Unable to cross at the official border point in Gbinta (Côte d’Ivoire) - Loguatuo (Liberia), manned by the so-called Forces Nouvelles, a former rebel group loyal to Ouattara - she and her family walked for the whole day and finally crossed the narrow river Nyon over a shaky log.

Refugees in the bush
Joel Minpeu Douan and her children brought almost no possessions with them, because carrying a load of belongings could attract the attention of militants, who would then try and stop them from leaving, even hurt them. The family had to look as if they were just going out in the field. All of them were frightened as they were going through the bush towards the border, with other people who were fleeing the Danane area.

Joel Minpeu Douan is currently staying in the village of Old Loguatuo in Liberia, housed in a typical mud-brick hut of a local host family (so-called “tuteur” by Ivorians). For the refugees, accommodation is extremely basic – all of them sleep on the floor as there not enough mattresses, they have no lighting in the night and no sanitation facilities which is the chronic problem in the villages of the area. Water supply is equally scarce, as many people have flocked into a village that was already struggling with safe drinking water supply.

One meal a day
At home, the family used to have at least two meals a day, enough for all. Now, in exile, they rely on what little food the host family has to share and eat only once a day, in the evening, when the household cooks some rice and soup. She and the others say it’s best to have an evening meal, as one cannot go to sleep on an empty stomach.

Joel Minpeu Douan would like to go back to her village as soon as things are settled and situation permits, as she left everything there. Meanwhile, she appeals to those who can assist to help her do some small business or petty trade so she could take care of her children and not depend entirely on the host family and handouts.

Not everyone made it across the border
Alphonse Gonlegbe, is a 35-year-old farmer of Zouen-Hounien, a large village in West Ivory Coast, 15 km from the border with Liberia. He and his 26-year-old wife have six children between the ages of one and six.

They arrived in the village of Gborplay in Liberia on 17 December, after rebel soldiers (Forces Nouvelles) came from Danane, allegedly to protect the citizens, but soon starting to persecute people who voted or were thought to have voted for the incumbent president Gbagbo.

Alphonse Gonlegbe says his brother was taken away by the rebel forces, accused to be a “militant of Gbagbo” and later killed. He still feels traumatized and is dealing with the loss.

The same fate, according to him, met many other people, on both sides, as the troops loyal to the outgoing president were taking out and shooting people who voted the other way, in areas where they are in majority.

Waiting to go home
People used to live in peace in their village, side by side, but without generalized violence the likes of which began during the second round of elections in late November 2010. Alphonse Gonlegbe would like to go back home as soon as possible and says that depends on how quickly the politicians would agree so the country could have one president - either of the two - and life could go on. His wife used to do petty trade at home and was doing well, but - as all others - they could not take with them any major possessions, so now they have no money and no valuables to sell or exchange.

Host communities
Alphonse Gonlegbe has friends in Gborplay and is staying with his family in the small shack given by the village chief. There is no work for him and he feels embarrassed not to be able to take care of his family.

Despite the fact that he wants to go back home as soon as possible, he is looking for something to live on, maybe restart the petty trade his wife used to have at home. Gborplay is only one kilometer from another border town, Beoyoola, which is a big market for this area of Nimba County.

The Danish Refugee Council is working in support of refugees as well as the host communities in villages in Liberia where there is now food shortage, lack of safe drinking water and growing needs for shelter and protection for the new refugees from Côte d’Ivoire.

Border villages of Beoyoola and Gborplay are located only 74 km to the southeast from Sanniquellie, the capital of Nimba County, but it takes least four hours to drive there, due to the poor condition of the dirt road. Most people travel on motorcycles, as occasional trucks that venture this way most often get stuck in mud in the middle of the road. During rainy season (May-October) this road may become impassable for weeks.

Related News:

 Côte d’Ivoire: Thousands of new refugees in need of assistance - 16-03-11 13:35

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