For Immediate Release:

Guinea: Security of Liberian Refugees under Threat

(New York, November 25, 2002) -- The United Nations Security Council
should extend the arms embargo on Liberia to all rebel groups, and
closely monitor the compliance of the Guinean government with that
embargo, Human Rights Watch said today.

In a new report, "Liberian Refugees in Guinea: Refoulement,
Militarization of Camps, and Other Protection Concerns", Human Rights
Watch said the Guinean government's close relationship with Liberian
rebel groups is posing a serious threat to refugees' security and
protection in Guinea. Hundreds of Liberians seeking asylum in Guinea are
being forced back to Liberia to join the ranks of the rebel group
Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), either as
fighters or to work for them as porters. LURD soldiers have prevented
others from even reaching the border.

International human rights law prohibits the return, or refoulement, of
people to situations where their life or freedom would be threatened.

"The Guinean government is clearly violating international human rights
law in its treatment of these refugees," said Peter Takirambudde,
executive director of the Africa division at Human Rights Watch. "On top
of that, Guinean authorities are facilitating human rights abuses by the
Liberian rebels."

Many refugees told Human Rights Watch how LURD members operate freely
and openly within Guinea. They described how the Guinean military near
the border stop refugees, select some for return, and order them back to
Liberia. Often, the Guinean soldiers physically handed refugees over to
LURD commanders.

Human Rights Watch's report was released to coincide with a U.N.
Security Council discussion on Monday, November 25 of sanctions imposed
on the Liberian government because of its support for rebels in Sierra
Leone.

Human Rights Watch researchers were particularly alarmed by the
situation in Kouankan, the largest refugee camp in Guinea: LURD
combatants, often uniformed and sometimes armed, were able to move
freely in and out of the camp, and in some cases were reported to be
residing there. Guinean military officials who controlled the only entry
point to the camp were clearly aware of the movements of LURD members,
but were doing nothing to prevent them.

"Refugees have been threatened and intimidated," said Takirambudde. "The
LURD have engaged in forced military recruitment of men and young boys
among the refugees, and have abducted adolescent girls for sex, then
returned them to the camp. This is not acceptable: the civilian nature
of all refugee camps must be preserved, and camp residents must be
safe."

Within the last two weeks, Human Rights Watch has received credible
reports of some Liberian refugees leaving Kouankan camp and seeking
safety in refugee camps in Sierra Leone.

In the areas of Koyama and Fassankoni, refugees were not being forced
back to Liberia, but were facing a range of other abuses, including
arbitrary arrest and detention in military or police custody, on
unsubstantiated charges of fighting for the Liberian government.
Several male refugees who were detained were ill-treated by the Guinean
military or police. They were not seriously questioned about any
criminal offense and in most cases, were able to secure their release
after bribing Guinean officials.

Human Rights Watch also called on the Guinean government to allow
unrestricted access to the border areas to staff of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and humanitarian agencies.
Government authorities have often blocked access on the grounds that the
areas are too dangerous.

Human Rights Watch also urged UNHCR to take a more active and public
role in calling on the Guinean government to ensure refugee protection
and security, and to immediately report to the authorities any instance
of abuse.

The report is available online at
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/guinea/ [2].

For more information, please contact:
In London, Bronwen Manby: +44-20-7713-2789
Carina Tertsakian: +44-20-7713-2783
In New York, Peter Takirambudde: +1-212-216-1834

--
Jeff Scott
Africa Division
Human Rights Watch
Phone: +1-212-216-1834
Fax: +1-212-736-1300
http://www.hrw.org/africa/index.php [3]
en français, http://www.hrw.org/french/africa/ [4]