A 30-acre land has been acquired in Tarikom in the Bawku West District in the Upper East Region to permanently resettle Burkinabes currently seeking asylum in Ghana due to terrorist attacks in their country.

The land, which was provided by the Chief of Sapeliga, Naba Emmanuel Ayagiba Abangiba, was secured by the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB) to permanently settle the Burkinabes in Ghana.

Since early this year, more than 4,000 Burkinabes have fled to Ghana following attacks by suspected terrorists and militants.

They are currently scattered in communities in the Bawku West, Binduri and Pusiga districts, as well as in the Bawku Municipality.

Therefore, the move by the UNHCR and GRB is to permanently resettle the Burkinabes in the Tarikom settlement, which is near the Ghana-Burkina Faso border until the situation in that country returns to normal.

Since early this year, more than 4,000 Burkinabes have fled to Ghana following attacks by suspected terrorists and militants.

They are currently scattered in communities in the Bawku West, Binduri and Pusiga districts, as well as in the Bawku Municipality.

Therefore, the move by the UNHCR and GRB is to permanently resettle the Burkinabes in the Tarikom settlement, which is near the Ghana-Burkina Faso border until the situation in that country returns to normal.

It is anticipated that the permanent settlement would be ready in August this year so that they can be moved officially into the settlement.

Capacity

In an interview with the Daily Graphic last Monday, the Executive Secretary of the GRB, Tetteh Padi, said the reception centre had the capacity to accommodate 2,000 asylum seekers, while the permanent settlement could house about 3,500 refugees.

The interview was a follow-up to a visit by a UNHCHR and GRB team to some temporary community hosting camps and stakeholders’ forum organised by the UNHCR and its partners in Accra in February this year.

Mr Padi noted that the idea was to construct a permanent settlement to accommodate all Burkinabes who would troop to Ghana to seek refuge due to the instability in their country following attacks by suspected violent extremists.

He noted that UNHCR was funding the construction of the temporary tents as well as the construction of the permanent settlement made up of shelter, water and food on a daily basis.

“We are hoping that the settlement would be completed soon, so that those in the reception centre can be moved there to live peacefully and comfortably”, Mr Padi added.

No cause for alarm

The assembly member for the Tarikom electoral area, Isaac Anongwin, said there had not been any cause for alarm since the Burkinabes were relocated to the area towards their final resettlement.

He noted that had fully been embraced by community members since their relocation to Tarikom, saying “fortunately, they have already started integrating into the community without any difficulty.

During a consultative meeting with some divisional chiefs from the traditional area, officials of the GRB, UNHCR and municipal and district assemblies concerned, the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, commended the chiefs in the communities that received the Burkinabes when they fled to Ghana.

He entreated the GRB to adequately sensitise them to be law-abiding and live in peace with the residents.

SOURCE: GraphicOnline