Displaced residents of Budumburam Liberian camp in tears over eviction; say they have nowhere to go
- The government has begun to evict occupants on the Budumburam Liberian Camp
- Displaced residents of the camp are in tears over the decision by the government
- According to them, they have nowhere else to go
Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in
Buduburam- Occupants of the Liberian Camp at Budumburam in the Awutu Senya constituency in the Central Region have stated that they have nowhere to go.
Most of the occupants of the camp are immigrants who came to Ghana to seek Asylum when war broke out in their country.
In July, the occupants of the camp were given the notice to vacate the camp by September 30 following reports of the camp being a haven to various criminals.
This decision was taken after various pockets of crime including robbery attacks, assassination, and other socially unacceptable deviant behavior were traced to the camp, where people who have used it as a hideout and safe haven from security personnel.
Source: Original
Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with all major Ghana news
YEN.com.gh visited the community to see what exactly was going and interacted with some of the affected residents
Speaking to YEN.com.gh, Aunty Vero, one of the residents at the Budumburam Liberian camp who claims to have lived at the camp for the past eight years says she has nowhere to go now that the government is bent on evacuating them.
Aunty Vero who was in tears says she has no money to rent live the other occupants who have left the camp. According to her, the little she has, she is using it to cater for her child who is a nursing student in Bole.
A building contractor who claims to have been living in the Budumburam enclave before the arrival of the Liberian refugees arrived says, the Chiefs want to clear all the occupants for their own selfish gains.
He added that his Ghanaians living in Liberia will be suffering the brunt due to the decision taken by the government to clear Liberians from their place of abode.
Another lady who happens to be a Liberian said the one-month notice given by the Ghanaian government is unfair as most of the Liberians have been living in Ghana for the past 31 years.
Watch video here
Why will the camp be demolished?
In a report filed by GraphicOnline.com, the District Chief Executive, (DCE) for Gomoa East, Solomon Darko-Quarm, said the demolition of the camp was in response to a request by the chiefs over the increasing criminal acts in the area.
Darko-Quarm said the demolition would also pave the way to redevelop the area to befit the district’s status as the gateway to the Central Region.
“It has become a fast-growing community which needs social and economic amenities to befit its status,” the DCE said.
When was the Budumburam camp created?
Buduburam is a refugee camp in the Goamoa East district and located along the Accra-Cape Coast Highway.
It was established in 1990 to accommodate the influx of Liberian refugees who fled to Ghana when Charles Taylor came to power.
It was opened by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1990 as a home to more than 12,000 refugees from Liberia who fled their country during the first and second Liberian civil wars
The UNHCR began pulling out of the camp in April 2007, slowly withdrawing all UNHCR-administered services.
In February 2011, the Deputy Minister of Information in Ghana indicated that Buduburam is no longer needed and that the inhabitants should consider returning to Liberia or settling elsewhere in Ghana.
Source: YEN.com.gh
