Liberia: Gola village, Tofaec, Monrovia
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 24 April 2008 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LBR102835.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Liberia: Gola village, Tofaec, Monrovia, 24 April 2008, LBR102835.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/49b92b3a1e.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information on a "Gola village, Tofaec, Monrovia" in Liberia could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, several sources consulted make reference to a "Tofac Village" (HIC Liberia 20 Sept. 2003; US n.d.; Mapplanet.com n.d.; Fallingrain.com n.d.), which is also referred to as "Tofae Village" (ibid.; US n.d.; Mapplanet.com n.d.).
Tofac Village is located in Lofa County (TravelPost.com n.d.; Fallingrain.com n.d.), which is in northern Liberia (HIC Liberia 10 Oct. 2005; JRS n.d.). Lofa County is a remote region of Liberia that witnessed "heavy fighting" during the country's civil war (IRC 13 Sept. 2004; Temin Dec. 2004; UN 8 Sept. 2004). The county has a high number of returning refugees and internally displaced persons (JRS n.d.; Temin Dec. 2004). It is also said to have a high concentration of former child soldiers (IRC 13 Sept. 2004).
In 2004, the United Nations (UN) established a disarmament program in Lofa County (IRC 13 Sept. 2004; UN 8 Sept. 2004). The program was for former members of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebel group, which used the county as a "stronghold" (ibid.).
The distance between Tofac Village and Liberia's capital city of Monrovia is unclear: while one source consulted indicates that the distance between the two locations is approximately 65 km (TravelPost.com n.d.), another source estimates that the distance is approximately 97 km (Microsoft n.d.). However, travel between Tofac Village and Monrovia by car is thought to take about a day (Temin Dec. 2004). According to a December 2006 report by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Committee, road networks in Liberia are particularly damaged in Lofa County and roads are often closed during the country's rainy season (see also UN 8 Sept. 2004).
Information on whether Tofac village is a Gola village could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, members of Liberia's Gola ethnic group reportedly live in northwestern Liberia, including in Lofa County (DLIFLC Feb. 2006).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC). February 2006. Curriculum Development Division. Instructional Design Department. "Liberia in Perspective: An Orientation Guide."
European Commission (EC). December 2006. Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid – ECHO. "Humanitarian Aid for Vulnerable Sections of the Population in Liberia: Global Plan 2007."
Fallingrain.com. N.d. "Places in Lofa County That Start with T."
Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) for Liberia. 10 October 2005. "Distribution of Population in Liberia: Villages <1000 Inhabitants."
_____. 20 September 2003. "Bomi County."
International Rescue Committee (IRC). 13 September 2004. "IRC Resumes Activities in Liberia's Lofa County as Fighters Disarm."
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) – West Africa Region. N.d. "Lofa County Projects."
Mapplanet.com. N.d. "Country List: Liberia."
Microsoft. N.d. Live Search Maps. "Driving Directions: Monrovia, Liberia to Tofae Village, Liberia."
Temin, Jonathan. December 2004. Review of African Political Economy. Vol. 31, No. 102. "Abstract of Briefing: Building and Sustaining Stability in Lofa County, Liberia."
TravelPost.com. N.d. "Tofac Village, Liberia, Map."
United Nations (UN). 8 September 2004. "Liberia: Disarmament Finally Begins in Lofa County."
United States (US). N.d. National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the Board on Geographic Names. "Geonames Search Results."
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: AllAfrica, European Country of Origin Information Network (ecoi.net), Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), Microsoft – MSN Encarta, TravelJournals.net, United Kingdom (UK) Home Office, United States (US) Library of Congress.
