GUINEA (20 February)
Following armed clashes in and around the country over the period September 2000 – March 2001, which led to massive population displacements, thousands of internally displaced Guineans returned to their home areas during 2002, encouraged by overall improvements in the security situation. However, there are still some 82 000 IDPs, mainly concentrated in Kissigougou, Macenta and Gueckedou Prefectures.
The presence of a large refugee population and the persistent instability in the sub-region have exacted a heavy toll on the country, which already hosted some 92 500 refugees (about 55 percent of them Liberian and 45 percent Sierra Leonean) before the Ivorian armed conflict. The latter has prompted an influx of various categories of displaced persons including Guinea evacuees, refugees and foreign nationals in transit. As of late January, some 52 000 Guineans arrivals from Côte d’Ivoire were registered.