Children among 69 stranded Liberians repatriated from Mali in joint rescue operation

Published: April 8, 2025

MONROVIA — Sixty-nine Liberians, including several children, have been safely repatriated from Mali after being left stranded by human traffickers who lured them with false promises of reaching Europe. Their return marks the result of a coordinated rescue operation involving the Government of Liberia, the Child Protection Network of Liberia (CPNL), and Kyne’s Hands Foundation.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) led the official reception of the returnees and is now overseeing their reunification with families across the country.

Deputy Minister for Children and Social Protection, Madam Garmai S. Tokpah, revealed that the Ministry had been alerted weeks earlier by the CPNL about the dire conditions faced by the stranded Liberians in Mali.

“They were deceived with hopes of a better life abroad, only to be abandoned in a foreign land,” said Minister Tokpah. “Upon their return, the Ministry welcomed them, and reunification is ongoing, especially for those from remote areas like Grand Cape Mount County.”

She extended special thanks to Kyne’s Hands Foundation, which provided vital logistical and financial support during the final phase of the rescue and family reintegration process.

CPNL Chairperson Keifala Kromah confirmed that the group returned home on March 20, 2025. According to him, the victims were tricked by individuals posing as travel agents and ended up in unsafe and degrading conditions in Mali.

The alert was first raised by the Malian Child Protection Network (MCPN), a sister organization to CPNL within the West African Network for Children Separated and on the Move (WAN). The MCPN coordinated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which facilitated the group’s stay and repatriation from Mali.

However, with IOM unable to fund the local reunification, CPNL and the Gender Ministry stepped in, and Kyne’s Hands Foundation pledged additional resources.

According to Kromah, the Foundation’s support was crucial in transporting 13 children and a widowed mother back to their community. “The Ministry has taken the lead in the reunification, and Kyne’s Hands Foundation has covered the costs needed to ensure these children find their way home safely,” he noted.

Varney A. Sheriff, Country Director of Kyne’s Hands Foundation, reaffirmed the organization’s mission to defend and uplift children in vulnerable circumstances.

“When the Child Protection Network reached out, we didn’t hesitate,” said Sheriff. “We immediately made L$20,000 available to cover transportation costs and are also providing school supplies, clothes, and support to reintegrate the children into their communities.”

The Foundation, whose motto is “We are where children are,” has promised to continue monitoring the welfare of the children and ensuring they receive the care and protection guaranteed under the Liberian Constitution.

The donation was formally turned over to the Ministry of Gender during a ceremony at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, with officials from Kyne’s Hands Foundation and the Child Protection Network in attendance.