UNHCR REPATRIATES 283 AS PART OF ONGOING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001468

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2013
TAGS: RW CG PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: UNHCR REPATRIATES 283 AS PART OF ONGOING
REPATRIATION EFFORT

Classified By: Poloff Meghan Moore for Reasons 1.5 B and D


1. (U) Summary: UNHCR repatriated July 26-27 a total of what
UNHCR believed to be 283 Rwandan refugees from S. Kivu to
Rwanda as part of an ongoing repatriation effort. Once they
crossed the border, however, many "refugees" said they were
really Congolese who wished to stay in the Congo. While these
individuals might indeed be savvy Congolese using the
international assistance network to their advantage, they
also could be pawns in a game designed to embarrass both the
Congolese government and the UN. End Summary.


2. (C) On July 27, UNHCR Acting Country Representative told
poloff that July 26-27, UNHCR repatriated a total of what it
believed to be 283 Rwandan refugees (50 men, 63 women and 170
children) from S. Kivu to Rwanda as part of an ongoing
repatriation effort. (Note: From Jan 1-May 30, UNHCR
repatriated 2544 Rwandans from South Kivu to Rwanda. Due to
insecurity in Bukavu during June, only 19 were repatriated.
End note.)


3. (C) The UNHCR rep. said the refugees contacted a local NGO
in Bunyakiri on July 23 and told the staff they were Rwandan
refugees who wished to return to Rwanda. On July 24-25, they
were transported from Bunyakiri to Bukavu for standard UNHCR
refugee screening and processing. On July 25, the group told
UNHCR Bukavu Protection Officer that everyone in the group
was born in the DRC, children of Rwandan immigrants from the
1930s-1950s. They identified themselves as Rwandan nationals,
and said they wished to return to Rwanda. On July 26, UNHCR
Bukavu Protection Officer interviewed the men and women
separately. The men said that the main reason they left their
homes outside Bunyakiri was due to clashes on or about July
16 between the 10th Military Region and Nkunda's troops. They
said that 10th Military Region troops forced them to leave
the area and they were forced to go to the UNHCR repatriation
center at Bunayakiri. The men reported two cases of female
rape, but the women reported no rapes. Neither group said
that they had been mistreated by Mabe's soldiers, held in a
detention facility, or tortured. At the Bukavu transit
center, each family was interviewed separately and completed
voluntary repatriation forms. Once they crossed the border,
however, the Acting Country Rep said they changed their
story, said they had lied to UNHCR about being Rwandan, were
really Congolese, and wished to stay in the Congo. In
response, the S. Kivu governor initially agreed to let them
to return to the DRC. He then said that they should stay in
Rwanda while their true status was determined. On July 30,
the Rwandan government granted asylum to this group and moved
them to a refugee camp.


4. (C) On July 27, Acting UNHCR Country Representative told
poloff he was surprised and disappointed by the extensive
negative attention this case had received. In his opinion,
UNHCR staff responded according to their standard procedures,
did what they thought was appropriate, and were blindsided
when the group crossed the border and declared they were
expelled Congolese citizens. On July 30, two MONUC civilian
officers separately told poloff that the whole story was
really 'fishy.' MONUC poloff said that this may be related to
the larger issue of attempting to portray the current Kivus
conflict as an ethnic one. She said hardline Banyamulenge
leader Benoit Kadage and the GOR have been working together
to prevent moderate Banyamulenge refugees from meeting with
GDRC officials. For example, on July 30, the Minister of
Social Affairs and S. Kivu Vice Governor (himself a
Banyamulenge) met with Banyamulenge refugees in Burundi while
waiting to receive clearance from the GOR to meet with
Banyamulenge refugees in Cyangugu. As of August 3, MONUC
Bukavu reported that clearance had not been given, and the
Minister had not been able to meet with the refugees. In
addition, 12 moderate Banyamulenge leaders who were invited
by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to
participate in a reconciliation ceremony in Bukavu were
unable to participate because they had been intimidated and
kept in Cyangugu by Kadage. (Comment: This is not the first
time that Kadage has been accused of preventing refugees from
returning or meeting with Congolese officials. He has also
been accused of helping Nkunda recruit soldiers, including
child soldiers, from refugee camps in Rwanda. End comment.)

Comment
--------------


5. (C) Clearly, UNHCR had no intention of forcibly expelling
Congolese citizens. There also are suspicious elements to
this story, such as why this particular group assembled in
Bunyakiri (where other IDPs were not),told at least two
organizations they were Rwandan, and only changed their story
when they crossed the border. Maybe they were scared and did
what they could to move from what they perceived as a
dangerous location, or maybe they are pawns in a game
designed to embarrass both the Congolese government and the
UN. This case clearly illustrates some of the complexities
surrounding the nationalities issue in the Congo, including
how individuals within groups identify themselves (i.e.,
Rwandan vice Congolese),and how outsiders, such as UNHCR and
local Congolese authorities, define groups.
MEECE