The President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has assured Ivorian refugees in the country that they will be given the necessary protection. The president gave that assurance when he visited the Ampain Refugee Camp in the Ellembele District ahead of his visit to Cote d'Ivoire for the investiture of President Alhassane Ouattara on Saturday. He indicated his displeasure at the situation of the refugees, who had to leave their country because of post-election violence, saying, “I am not proud of the situation where you have to leave your country as a result of violence.” President Mills said he would confer with President Ouattara on measures that could be put in place to enable those willing to return home to do so. “He used the occasion to reiterate the need for dialogue, as against violence, to resolve disputes. The President cautioned those who beat the war drums to stop, adding that the effects of wars were very expensive, painful and retrogressive. The Manager of the camp, Mr. Kelly Forson, told the President and his entourage that the camp, with a current population of 5,700 was faced with problems such as water, food and security. He said the land released by the chiefs and people of Ampain are inadequate because of the increasing number of refugees. Mr. Forson said the International Organisation on Migration (IOM) had plans to develop a new camp between Elmina and Komenda in the Central Region. He appealed to the refugees to be law abiding and always respect the rules at the camp to ensure peaceful co-existence. Earlier, President Mills had been accorded a rousing welcome in the Ahanta West, Ellembele and Jomoro districts and the Nzema East municipality. Source: Daily Graphic