Monday, March 31, 2008

from the "hello, you must be going" dept.

The recent protests at the Buduburam Refugee Settlement near Accra, the capital of Ghana, were centered around an issue that is fairly straight forward.

Liberian refugees living in the UNHCR camp have been told it's time to go home. And they're getting $100 in their pockets to help resettle/fix Liberia.

However, many of the refugees, some of whom have been living at the camp for more than a decade, don't want to go back. They'd rather stay in Ghana where they've created a new life or move to a third country (like the U.S.) where there are more opportunities.

A Liberian refugee operating his own business at Buduburam.

There's an interesting Op-Ed piece about the whole affair by Ato Kwamena Dadzie in the Daily Dispatch. It provides not only a look at the issue, it is also an example of the journalistic style in Ghana. It's well worth the read.
Forgive me, but is there still such a thing as the legendary Ghanaian hospitality? Are we still supposed to be most hospitable people on earth? Or we have lost that title too? Otherwise, someone should explain to me why our government is treating our refugee brothers and sisters from Liberia like they were the scum of the earth?

[ MORE ]
Cheers!

No comments: