286 Central African refugees return from Cameroon after 12 years in exile
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Centra News
Two hundred and eighty-six Central Africans have left Cameroon to return to their country after 12 years in exile linked to the 2013 crisis. In Baoro, they are rebuilding their livelihoods through livestock and farming, as part of a repatriation organised by the two governments with UNHCR support, according to Centra News.
286 Central African refugees in Cameroon returned to the Central African Republic in November, 12 years after leaving because of the violence of the 2013 crisis. The voluntary repatriation is being organised by the Central African and Cameroonian governments with support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Centra News reports.
In Baoro, in the west of the Central African Republic, returnees are relying on farming and trading activities to regain their independence. The “Mo ba tè” group received around 100 head of cattle, some of which were resold for between 20,000 and 100,000 CFA francs to fund schooling and healthcare. Its members also grow red beans, groundnuts, maize, yams and sweet potatoes.
Around 75,000 Central Africans have returned since the start of the crisis, according to figures provided by Centra News. The Central African government and UNHCR are planning 14 development hubs in return areas, with programmes focused on vocational training, education and economic activities.
The repatriation follows the coordination of the voluntary return of Central African refugees announced on 20 October by Bangui and Brazzaville in the voluntary return of Central African refugees. It is also part of resettlement efforts monitored by UNHCR, which brought experts together to discuss forced displacement on 30 September.
