Ivoirians in their numbers are fleeing post electoral heightening tension in their country to neighboring countries including Liberia through various entry points with counties like Grand Gedeh and Maryland.
According to report monitored from ELBC, over 1,000 Ivoirians mostly women and children as well as the elderly have entered the country through the border points with Ivory Coast.
Grand Gedeh and Maryland Counties’ Superintendents Kai Farley and George Prowd have confirmed the presence of the fleeing Ivoirians to Liberian.
They said that the arrivals were being documented by the local offices of the Liberia Refugee, Repatriation and Reintegration Commission (LRRRC), United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNCHR) and other agencies.
“These people are seeking protection having been provided food and other basic needs by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR); Liberia Refugee, Repatriation and Reintegration Commission (LRRRC) and other agencies with local offices in the two counties,” Supt. Prowd said.
He explained further that there were over 288 males and 268 females registered by the local offices of the UNHCR, LRRRC and other agencies respectively.
For Supt. Farley, he stated that over 1,507 Ivoirians have arrived in a refugee camp called PTP and other towns near the border with Ivory Coast into Toe Town Township in Gbarzon Statutory District where the UNHCR, LRRRC and other agencies held meeting with them.
There are further reports of more Ivoirians arriving in neighboring Ghana, Togo and further as tense situation continue in Ivory Coast in spite of public servants being asked to return to work.
With that, roads leading to the presidential palace or President Allassane Ouattara’s house have been blocked with the huge presence of state security forces.
This follows a lawsuit filed to the Constitutional Court by the Ivoirian government against the opposition who set up a parallel National Council of Transitional Government, telling both the local and international community, not to recognize Ouattara as President of Ivory Coast.
As a result, this has led to mass arrests of the opposition including their leaders whose whereabouts are unknown as some of their houses or homes have also been barricaded by state security.
In Guinea, the opposition there is awaiting ruling from the Constitutional Court to validate the election results following the Electoral Commission declaring President Alpha Conde the winner for the 3rd term.