As UNHCR Repatriates Liberian Refugees From Ghana, Buduburam Refugee Camp Becomes Gangster Paradise

As the ongoing UNHCR's repatriation exercise for Liberian refugees living in Ghana draws to an end, there is a growing threat of insecurity amongst thousands of Liberians still living on the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana without UNHCR's identification cards, and those who have not yet made up their minds to be repatriated. Over the past months, there have been incessant acts of violence in the refugee settlement as UNHCR rounds up its operation to  repatriate thousands of Liberian refugees, many of whom have sold their homes to Ghanians and other foreigners in search of cheap dwellings. But as it's turned out, most of these cheap homes' buyers are local and foreign gang members wanted by the Ghanian National Police. And with the mass repatriation exercise finally coming to an end, the camp has now become a gangster paradise ruled by motorbike riding thugs who attack people at broad day light for money or phones, and break into houses at night. 

previously, a gang war sparked out between two rival gangs, the infamous Ghanian/Nigerian thugs that now control the camp and a handful of Liberian thugs, over the flogging of one of its members. The precarious situation which saw several young men severely wounded and more than a million Cedis worth of properties destroyed hardly arouse the police interest. And about a week ago another violent clash erupted between two local armed gangs, and led to the shooting to death of one of the gangs' members who pulled out a pistol at the police officers who had come in to intervene after the episode had lasted about an hour.

With several thousands families now repatriated, the once bustling camp now looks like a ghost town at night. More than a thousand Liberian Refugees without UNHCR's identification cards, who are unqualified for any of the two programs, and still residing on the camp, are now living in constant fear, as the UNHCR's repatriation program draws to a close. Already, UN has warned that it will not be responsible for the well being of any Liberian refugee who had not made the choice to repatriate or  locally integrate. And even those who opted for the local integration package are worried about the slow process their option is being looked at.