Buduburam is a refugee camp located 44 kilometers (27 mi) west of Accra, Ghana. It is situated along the Accra-Cape Coast Highway.
Map of Ghana locating Accra.
Opened by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1990, the camp became home to more than 12,000 refugees from Liberia who fled their country during the First Liberian Civil War (1989-1996) and the Second Liberian Civil War (1999-2003).
Establishment and Early Years
The Carolyn A. Buduburam was established in 1990 to accommodate the influx of Liberian refugees who fled to Ghana when Charles Taylor came to power.
The camp is served by Liberian and international NGO groups and volunteer organizations.
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The first baptisms into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Liberia occurred in 1987. By December of 1989, there were approximately 1,200 members of the Church in Liberia. When the Liberian refugees fled Liberia for Ghana in the early 1990’s, there were members of the church among them. These committed members of the church ended up in the Buduburam refugee camp and chose to remain faithful despite their devastating circumstances. Working through their challenges, they learned to sacrifice. When they first arrived in Buduburam, they went to church in Achimota. When a ward was formed in Odorkor until May 2000, the members had to travel to Odorkor (about 25 kilometers) to worship. In May 2000 a ‘group’ was formed in Buduburam for these dedicated saints with Brother Wolobah D. B. Yekeku as group leader. The Africa West Area Presidency requested that President Charles Sono-Koree, stake president of the Lartebiokorshie Stake, create the Buduburam Group under the Odorkor Ward. These thirty or so members could now worship in Buduburam without the burden of traveling to Odorkor.
Another blessing came around the end of 2002 when the Buduburam Branch was formed with about ninety members and with Samuel S. Nepay as the branch president. The branch continued to meet in the Liberia Camp School. On November 2, 2008, the branch was made into the Buduburam Ward and Alexander Tandoh was called as bishop. After the creation of the Buduburam Ward, there was considerable growth in membership with baptisms every two weeks. Most of these new members were Liberians. The Buduburam Ward was divided in 2015 into the Buduburam 1st Ward and 2nd Ward. John Buah was bishop of the 1st Ward and Adeola Ahmed Gbadegesin was bishop of the 2nd Ward. The next blessing for the faithfulness of the Buduburam saints was that of having their own meetinghouse rather than meeting in a rented facility. The Buduburam meetinghouse was constructed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Fluctuations in Refugee Status and Assistance
In 1997, Liberia held elections that the UN judged fair enough to allow for safe repatriation conditions. As a result, the UNHCR discontinued refugee assistance to Liberians in Ghana, and the settlement lost much of its funding. During this time, an estimated 3,000 refugees returned to Liberia.
Soon after the 1997 elections, the political situation in Liberia worsened, and fresh arrivals of Liberian refugees to Ghana led the UNHCR to return to Buduburam. The UNHCR began pulling out of the camp in April 2007, slowly withdrawing all UNHCR-administered services.
Cessation of Refugee Status and Repatriation Efforts
June 2010 was the official cessation of refugee status for the refugees in the settlement. The Liberian government, through its Refugee Repatriation & Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), coordinated discussions with Ghanaian authorities and UN partners.
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While Buduburam supported millions over decades, this repatriation was supported in part by international bodies. State Department to help refugees return.
In mid-May 2024, approximately 770 refugees left Buduburam in a first wave of voluntary repatriation. The first cohort arrived at Loguatuo border on 24 May. Health assessments revealed that a significant portion of the first 750 returnees faced issues: LRRRC reported that “80 percent” struggled with drug addiction, along with cases of mental illness, pregnant women, and many children under five.
Critics, such as the Liberia Returnees Network (LRN), decried the repatriation as poorly managed and lacking inclusivity.
Life in Buduburam
For more than 2 decades the Buduburam Refugee Camp, near Kasoa in the Central Region, has been home to some refugees from neighbouring African countries, majority of whom are Liberians. The Buduburam Refugee Camp, according to residents, has demarcations otherwise known as zones which start from 1-9. Though leadership could not put out the total population because there has not been a census in recent times they were definite the numbers could be more than 2,000. The Camp could boast of social infrastructure such as schools, including that for deaf and dumb, women’s centre, police station, community centre, hospital, water and a recreational centre for kids.
Mr. Proximity of the Buduburam Refugee Camp to the capital Accra has today seen it buzz with activities. From hair salons, video clubs, cinema, churches, temples and mosques, it feels more like a small town than a refugee camp. Sanitation of the area is not in the best of shape.
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In December 2012, the Liberia refugees officially ceased being refugees following the return of peace to their country. However, the majority of them who continue to live at the camp are those who sought local integration.
Executive Director Tetteh Padi, says the board currently has some 350 refugees who opted for local integration. Chairman of the Liberian Community, Dennis Gwion is unhappy about the assertion by Mr. Padi. For him, the numbers are more than 350.
Interestingly, although it is perceived as a Refugee Camp and one expects residents to be all foreigners there are some Ghanaians who live at the camp.
The UN High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR in its Global Appeal report 2008-2009 indicated that Ghana hosts the largest refugee population in West Africa, with a population of 40,000. 24,000 of this number are Liberian refugees who live at the Buduburam Refugee Camp, an urban settlement established in 1990 near Kasoa in the Central Region.
Valda Boyd Ford is wrapping up an eight-week, volunteer experience at the 140-acre Buduburam Refugee Camp, the largest camp in Ghana with roughly 42,000 people. Ford, director of UNMC’s Community and Multicultural Affairs, has been working with Unite for Sight, an organization dedicated to health promotion and disease prevention.
Today there is a plea for help in locating a family member, a job announcement for a history teacher, and a listing of camp activities - usually involving UNHCR repatriation issues.
Challenges and Incidents
The story has not been all that rosy, as the Camp has had its fair share of negative reportage usually over criminal activities. In August 2020, 30-year-old Kwabena Sakyi was stabbed to death in broad daylight by a suspected Cameroonian over suspicions that he is a Police informant at Gomoa Budumburam (Liberia Camp). There are also reports of armed robbery, theft among others in the area. This is what has today incensed traditional authorities to take back their land.
Eviction notices have been pasted at all vantage points in the community, triggering another conversation.
On other days I might help with visual acuity screening using the illiterate “E” chart or do the physical assessment of the eye using a penlight and ophthalmoscope. The process is always interesting and challenging. Many people are looking for someone/anyone to actually listen to what they have to say so history-taking may include much more than a chronology of the eye condition or injury.
Rock Blasting Incident
In October 2024, an unfortunate incident occurred during construction activities at Buduburam. Rock blasting resulted in casualties, with reports indicating three deaths and over 30 injuries. Investigations and responses from government officials followed, highlighting the accidental nature of the incident and subsequent resumption of construction activities.
Scenes From Buduburam Refugee Camp Part 1 "Water is Life"
Music and Culture
In 2008, the University of Alberta, in a collaborative initiative involving faculty, staff, and students, as well as camp musicians and a camp NGO (Center for Youth Empowerment) produced a music CD entitled Giving Voice to Hope: Music of Liberian Refugees, featuring 16 Liberian musical groups then residing as refugees in Buduburam.
The CD, was meant to raising global awareness about Buduburam, conflict, and displacement in West Africa, while raising profiles of participating musicians, supporting them with royalties from CD sales, and generally encouraging music-making in the camp.
Several notable individuals have links to Buduburam:
- Irene Logan: A Liberian-born singer-songwriter who took refuge in Ghana during the Liberian civil war.
- Bishop Blay: A Liberian actor who fled to Ghana during the war and first trained in “street dramas” at the camp.
- Kimmie Weeks: A prominent advocate for children's rights. Weeks contracted life-threatening illnesses in Buduburam after which he pledged to help vulnerable youth.
Future Prospects
Projects such as a major bus terminal, housing, school and market are being considered. What is however clear is for the traditional authorities to work assiduously to erase the bad image which the Refugee Camp has brought to the entire Gomoa Traditional Area.
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