Mossi refugees besiege Effiakuma

Takoradi, W/R -- The inconvenience and danger of wars in neighbouring countries became vividly manifest at Effiakuma Zongo in Takoradi at the weekend when 200 Mossi kinsmen fleeing the war in Cote d’Ivoire stormed the home of the Mossi chief.

The large compound house of the Mossi chief could not comfortably accommodate all the displaced persons. Neither could enough food be provided.

This forced most of the displaced persons including women, babies and old people to sleep in uncompleted buildings in the Zongo area and rely on the hospitality of residents of Effiakuma to provide them with food and water.

The situation of the displaced persons who looked tired and malnourished from their long and arduous tortuous journey was worsened when they were drenched by a heavy rain over the weekend.

The refugees who speak only the Mossi language and French had difficulty describing their plight.

Relying on an interpreter, they told The Mirror that they are nationals of Burkina Faso who lived in Cote d’Ivoire near the border with Liberia.

They said they were fleeing the carnage unleashed on them by the warring factions in Cote d’Ivoire and that they fled that country through Liberia and arrived in Axim by boat.

They said they arrived in Takoradi from Axim by road last Monday and have since been living on the generosity of their kinsman, the Mossi chief in Takoradi.

The acting Mossi chief at Effiakuma Zongo, Chief Alhaji Mahmoudu, said an emissary has been sent to the Burkina Faso ambassador in Accra to respond to the plight of the refugees.

The refugees who are in dire need of food, water, shelter and medicine have appealed to the authorities for relief supplies.

Over the last two weeks, 375 Burkinabe refugees from Cote d’Ivoire had been assisted by their ambassador.