Camps for Togolese Refugees to Close
Togo: Camps for Togolese Refugees to Close
23 May 2007
Posted to the web 23 May 2007
Agame
Camps in Benin housing Togolese refugees who fled election-related violence two years ago will close in June.
"There is an agreement between UNHCR and the governments of Togo and Benin to resettle refugees, and for good reason. Of the 25,000 Togolese that fled to Benin, only 4,700 remain there," said Francis Kpatinde, regional director for UNHCR in Ghana.
The UN children's agency, Medecins sans Frontiers, and the World Food Programme have all agreed to end their aid to the remaining refugees, UNHCR said.
A botched father to son succession in Togo in April 2005 prompted weeks of protests and security crackdowns. Between 400 and 500 people were killed in the violence, according to an inquiry by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Last week, Togolese Minister for Human Rights and Democracy Célestine Akouavi Aidam, members of the Togolese opposition, civil society, and two former refugees visited remaining refugees at Agome in Benin to encourage them to return.
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]