Some 486 Ivorian refugees living in Liberia were on Thursday, 29 August 2013, repatriated by the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The Moroccan contingent of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire provided security escort for the convoy of 22 trucks and two ambulances from the border village of Pékan Barrage to the transit centre in Toulepleu in the extreme west of the country.



Facilitating the voluntary return of refugees by providing them with security from the border between Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia to their respective villages is one of the many tasks of the peacekeepers.



The operation which was organised by UNHCR and its partners gave 184 families, comprising men, women and children the opportunity to return to their country after staying in the PTP and Solo refugee camps in Liberia over several months.



The returning refugees spent the night at the UNHCR transit camp in Toulepleu village with security provided by UNOCI peacekeepers before returning to their respective localities in the Toulepleu, Guiglo and Taï areas under escort,

The organisers said that the presence of UNOCI peacekeepers reassured the returning refugees of their safety once they have crossed the border between the two countries.