Visual Mission: Ivoirian Refugees Ignored by UN in Liberia
On November 6, 2004, approximately 12,000 Ivoirians fled across the river to Liberia. Côte d'Ivoire has been in the throes of an undeclared civil war for two years. Tensions heated up when the government forces attacked French peacekeepers that have been guarding the "Line of Demarcation" that separates rebels in the North from Government forces in the South. While the immediate fighting has stopped, allowing approximately half of these refugees to return home, the other half refuse to go for fear of continued harassment by both rebel and government forces.
 |
Liberia: Ivoirian refugees flee from soldiers
Photographer: Sarah Martin
01/13/2005
"We are afraid that they will attack us on their way back to their barracks," said these women. "In the past, they abducted our young girls and used them terribly. We saw them moving war machinery to the front lines. The soldiers are from a different ethnic group than we are and they will attack us. We do not want to wait until they attack us again - it will be too late. These people (the local Liberians) know us and will help us."
|
|
|
All Photos in Report
View
