Until mid-1999, Gabon remained one of the few countries on the African continent to not have experienced a significant influx of refugees. That all changed in just a few months starting in June of the same year, with the arrival of tens of thousands of people fleeing a spreading civil conflict in the neighbouring Republic of Congo (RoC). On arrival in Gabon, most refugees initially settled within or adjacent to existing villages in rural areas, some of whom have remained there since their arrival. Others have since moved to urban and periurban settings. Little assistance was, however, provided by UNHCR or other agencies so the refugee caseload was, in large, self-settled.
