”We do not intend to go back to Burkina Faso” – Burkinabe asylum seekers in Ghana

Some Burkina Faso nationals currently seeking asylum in Sapeliga in the Bawku West District in the Upper East Region have expressed their unwillingness to return to their home country.

Over 4,000 Burkinabes fled across the border into Ghana in search of safety havens following attacks by suspected terrorists.

According to them, their safety in their country cannot be guaranteed.

That, they said, was due to the murder of their family members making the country unsafe for them and other citizens.

The Burkinabe refugees disclosed this when the Country Representative of the United Nation Refugee Agency, UNHCR, Esther Kiragu, visited their camp.

The visit to the camps at Kare and Burgila was to assess the situation on the ground.

Mr. Madi Bukar, the leader of the asylum seekers, speaking through an interpreter said they are still battling with the emotional trauma they suffered after their neighbors were killed and they were tortured.

“We want to officially inform you that we do not intend to go back to Burkina Faso, but want to stay in Ghana to continue our lives. We saw with our eyes how the Jihadists besieged our communities, entered our houses, and killed our family members with no provocation.

“The terrorists and Jihadists shot and killed our mothers, fathers, and siblings in front of us. We don’t feel it will be safe for us if we return to our country and our communities at this moment,” Mr. Bukari emphasized.

He described Ghana as a safe home for them.

Mr. Bukari also appealed to the UNHCR and other institutions to make efforts to provide them with urgent support since they needed basic items and facilities to make life a bit more comfortable at the camp.

Additionally, he asked for support to enable them to engage in dry season farming to grow some crops to sell to earn income to support their lives.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Sapeliga, Naba Emmanuel Ayagiba Abangiba, said since the Burkinabes had resolved not to return, his community was ready to integrate them into it.