TOGO NOT READY FOR REFUGEE RETURNS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 001871

SIPDIS


DEPT PASS TO PRM/AF CACHANG
BRUSSELS FOR MMEZNAR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2015
TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM TO GH BE
SUBJECT: TOGO NOT READY FOR REFUGEE RETURNS

REF: A. COTONOU 1084

B. LOME 1393

C. STATE 198938

Classified By: REFCOORD NICK HILGERT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B/D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: RefCoord met UN and government agencies in
Lome and Accra from November 8-10 to discuss the Government
of Togo's proposed National Repatriation Plan (NRP) and the
UN's 2006 Consolidated Appeal (CAP) for Togo. UN and EU
representatives stated security conditions in Togo were not
yet acceptable to support refugee returns and UNHCR has not
agreed to participate in organizing returns at this time.
END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Abidjan-based RefCoord and Poloffs met with UN and
government agencies in Lome and Accra on November 8-10 to
discuss the Government of Togo's proposed National
Repatriation Plan (NRP) and the UN's 2006 Consolidated Appeal
(CAP) for Togo. Poloffs Rona Rathod and Scott Ticknor
accompanied RefCoord to several meetings. Meetings in Lome
included UNDP, WHO, the European Union, and the Government of
Togo's High Commission for Returnees and Humanitarian Action
(HCRAH). RefCoord also met with UNHCR officials in Accra.

SECURITY CONDITIONS FOR RETURN
--------------


3. (C) Fidele Sarassoro, UNDP Resident Coordinator in Lome,
stated that the same military and police officials who had
engaged in electoral violence were still stationed in the
same local districts and patrolling the same streets where
the violence had occurred. He explained it was essential for
UNDP to establish 25 Reception Committees outlined in the CAP
2006 before refugees returned as the main objective of the
committees was to ensure that returnees would not be targeted
for violence once in Togo. He hoped to organize an
interagency evaluation team in the early part of December
that would make a statement regarding security conditions in
Togo.


4. (C) Gilles Desequelles, Charge d'Affaires at the European
Union Delegation, stated that two conditions had to be met
before the EU would support returns: resolution of the
impunity issue and progress on national dialogue. He called
the CAP 2006 document a "shopping list" and explained the EU
Director for Development was preparing a letter to the Prime
Minister stating the EU did not have any new money to fund
returns. Desequelles was trying to insert language in the
letter that reflected the two above conditions. Desequelles
said he supported UNHCR's decision not to sign tripartite
agreements with Benin and Ghana at this time as called for in
the NRP, but did feel the EU would be able to contribute
small amounts of money to projects from existing budgets
should returns move forward in the future. The EU's main
objective, he explained, was to pave the way for free and
fair legislative elections, probably in early fall 2006.

GOVERNMENT OF TOGO'S REPATRIATION OFFICE
--------------


5. (C) Kokou Tcharie, the Government of Togo's
representative at the High Commission for Returnees and
Humanitarian Action (HCRAH),believed refugees in Ghana and
Togo fell into one of four categories: persons who had
committed violent acts during the demonstrations, persons
afraid of more violence, persons who were looking for visas
to the U.S., and persons who went looking for food. (Note:
Desequelles said the Government had adopted a hard line
regarding its interpretation of refugee motives following the
release of a critical UN report on human rights abuses in
Togo. End Note.)


6. (C) Tcharie shared a copy of the NRP with RefCoord and
Poloff and explained the document was developed with the help
of two UNDP consultants. He outlined actions taken by the
Government to promote returns as described in the first part
of the plan, all of which took place from August 10-28.
Tcharie said that he had also proposed an amnesty law to the
Prime Minister but that some objected to an amnesty that
would protect government and military officials who had
participated in the violence.


7. (C) Tcharie confirmed that it would be important to
establish the 25 Reception Committees called for in the NRP
before organizing returns. Although the NRP calls for these
committees to be in place by September, Tcharie showed
RefCoord and Poloff a letter he had prepared only now to send

to the Prime Minister requesting approval for the composition
of the 10-person committees.

WHICH PLAN TO FUND?
--------------


8. (C) RefCoord pointed out to Sarassoro that UNDP was
submitting the same project under the CAP 2006 (the 25
Reception Committees) that was in the NRP, but with a
slightly different budget. Sarassoro replied that it was the
same project. However, Tcharie stated that he was seeking
direct funding to the NRP, that the Committees would respond
directly to him, and that he reported directly to the Prime
Minister. He did not identify any particular role for UNDP
and even suggested that direct funding to the NRP, rather
than contributing to international organizations, would help
ensure HCRAH's independence within the government.

UNHCR GHANA
--------------


9. (U) RefCoord and PolChief Scott Ticknor met Daniel
Kamphuis and Jane Muigai, Protection/Resettlement Officers
for UNHCR in Accra, on November 10. UNHCR estimates there
are approximately 15,500 Togolese refugees in Ghana,
primarily located in villages in the Volta region with
smaller numbers residing in Accra or at Krisan refugee camp.
Another 25,000 refugees are in Benin. Kamphuis pointed out
that UNHCR would support returns when conditions were
satisfactory in Togo, but that the decision as to the overall
security situation in Togo did not rest with UNHCR. UNHCR
Accra officials stated they had not yet made any plans in
Ghana to organize returns in cooperation with UN agencies in
Togo.


10. (C) UNHCR Accra claimed that HCRAH had "staged" 25
returns from Benin and broadcast statements from the false
returnees on the poor conditions in Benin and the stable
situation in Togo. They also stated that Ghanaian police had
arrested four Togolese individuals posing as journalists
trying to meet with the refugees.

COMMENT
--------------


11. (C) Agencies seem to have put the cart before the horse
in Togo. The NRP, under normal circumstances, might be
workable. The missing element in the plan so far is the
clear participation of UNHCR, not to mention an expressed
desire on the part of refugees to return, and neither the EU
nor the UNDP stated that security conditions in Togo are
ready for organized returns. Although an amnesty law might
be useful, refugees will probably not return to Togo unless
they believe the terms of all security guarantees will be
respected.

This cable has been cleared with Embassies Lome and Accra.
Valle