At the end of the third meeting of the Coordination Committee relating to the management of refugees in the North, which was held on Wednesday April 24, the authorities initiated a discussion to put in place conditions for the return of refugees to their country . According to the latest UNHCR estimates, there are nearly 55,000 Burkinabè refugees in Côte d’Ivoire.
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With our correspondent in Abidjan, Bineta Diagne
According to a denial from the Ministry of the Interior, “ no repatriation plan was mentioned », during the meeting on the management of refugees in the North, which brought together authorities, diplomats and humanitarians, on Wednesday.
According to this press release, a technical team should be set up next week to assess needs: “ reflect on the one hand on the conditions of immediate assistance for refugees, and on the other hand, on the process of encouraging return to Burkina “.
“ The situation is serious »
Since the end of July, some of the refugees identified and registered with the authorities and the UNHCR have been housed in two sites: in Niornigue and Timalah, in Tchologo and Boukani. These two sites can accommodate up to 12,000 people. They are currently saturated. The majority of refugees are housed with families in villages near the border.
“ The situation is serious », Says Fidèle Sarassoro, the executive secretary of the National Security Council, interviewed by RTI. This minister specifies that a reflection was carried out with foreign partners, so that the refugees “ can return to their country as soon as possible “.
“ Many of them, he continues, decide to return on their own… And so this is proof that these refugees want to leave again. We should be able to create the conditions for this », Explains the minister, executive secretary of the CNS.
But this announcement arouses a certain skepticism: “ Is Burkina safe enough to allow refugees to return home? », asks a humanitarian actor.