Guinea is the second largest refugee hosting country in Africa after Tanzania.
The country has been a host to some 330,000 refugees from Sierra Leone and 125,000 refugees from Liberia until the end of last year, when conflict spreading from these countries erupted at Guinea's borders. The key problem in the region is the highly volatile security conditions along the borders and the explosive mix of armed rebel groups with different affiliations. There are signs of increasing military retaliation by the Guinean government against the rebels. Security threats to refugees also come from the local authorities and population who suspect them of harbouring or supporting rebels and being the cause of the attacks. The proliferation of armed groups poses a threat to refugees who could be subjected to forced recruitment.