UPDATE ON SIT-IN BY ETHIOPIAN REFUGEES AT UNHCR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 000546 SIPDIS STATE FOR PRM-CAMILLE D HILL ADDIS FOR REFCOORD JON EKLUND CAIRO FOR REFCOORD GERARD CHEYNE ATHENS FOR DHS JACOB ANTONINIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2014 TAGS: PHUM PREF YM HUMAN RIGHTS SUBJECT: UPDATE ON SIT-IN BY ETHIOPIAN REFUGEES AT UNHCR SANA'A REF: SANAA 00397 Classified By: DCM ALAN G. MISENHEIMER FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Summary. The sit-in by Ethiopian refugees reported in reftel remains unchanged after nearly one month. A group of refugees continues to camp outside UNHCR's Sana'a offices in the road adjacent to the residence of the DCM. Contacts with Yemeni officials indicate willingness by the ROYG to permit the demonstration to continue until a complete solution to the refugees' situation, i.e. resettlement to the U.S. or Canada, is found. DHS regional refugee coordinator might consider postponing travel to Yemen if demonstrators obstruct upcoming case screening visit by our overseas processing entity ICMC. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Post has sustained an active dialogue with ROYG authorities regarding the ongoing sit-in strike by Ethiopian refugees -- members of the armed forces of the previous regime -- reported reftel. In a meeting on March 1 with Deputy Foreign Minister Mustafa Noman, Pol/Econ Chief raised Post's concerns about the demonstration and the potential security threat to the DCM's residence. Noman agreed that there is a real security concern and promised to discuss the matter with Foreign Minister Qirbi. After the meeting, the MFA confirmed that that conversation had occurred and would be followed up by further discussions. ¶3. (U) The demonstrators addressed a letter to the Embassy seeking U.S. intervention. CONS Chief sent a written reply urging continued engagement with UNHCR and the ROYG. ¶4. (SBU) RSO met with BG Ahmed Sunidar, the Interior Minister's Chief of Staff, on March 8 to express Mission's growing concern about the security risks posed by the well-publicized continuing demonstration. During the meeting the RSO made several attempts to get Sunidar on record as to whether the ROYG would or would not move the demonstrators or end the demonstration. Sunidar would only offer to add more security. Throughout the discussion Sunidar emphasized political and historical aspects of the situation maintaining that the solution rests with UNHCR and ultimately the U.S. and Canada - the countries to which most of the refugees seek resettlement. Sunidar joked that, even if the DCM moved his residence, the demonstration and UNHCR might follow. ¶5. (C) Comment. Based on multiple contacts with the ROYG during the last month concerning this ongoing situation it is clear that the ROYG is permitting the demonstration to continue in the hope that the problem posed by the presence of several hundred former Ethiopian sailors will be solved by an outside actor -- UNHCR and/or the United States. There are anecdotal reports of demonstrators falling ill, but no visible indication that the demonstrators' resolve is flagging. With the ROYG, similarly, showing no inclination to act and UNHCR privately expressing frustration at the impasse, Post is concerned that the upcoming visit by our overseas processing entity ICMC, during which cases referred by UNHCR will be screened at the Sheraton Hotel, may become a new or second locus of the demonstration. If this should occur and materially hamper ICMC's ability to screen qualified referrals, the DHS regional representative may wish to consider postponing travel to Yemen set for next month lest similar demonstrations dominate the visit and impede other work. End Comment. HULL