Catégories et reconfigurations migratoires en Afrique de l’Ouest

Abstract

This article aims to show the changes that the Liberian Civil War (1990-2003) brought about in West Africa in terms of a reconfiguration of regional migration flows. The refugee influx affected the whole sub-region modifying migratory relations dating back from the post-independence years and saw the return of older migratory patterns. Many countries have been destabilized by the conflict which produced specific spatial forms, such as refugee camps and settlements. Refugee movements during and at the end of the war further call us to question the common image and categorization by the media and international organizations of refugees as mere 'victims'. Besides pointing towards changed regional migratory configurations, this article thus also reconsiders the category of 'refugees' which de facto covers a lot of different situations in the field. Instead, this article argues for a greater usage of the term of 'forced migrants', which has not often been used in the Francophone literature for now, but offers a way to moderate the artificial distinction between refugees and migrants.

Keywords

• forced migration
• Liberia
• refugee
• West Africa
• migration category