SUDANESE REFUGEES ON THE BRINK OF EXPULSION FROM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 001450

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2015
TAGS: PREF PREL GH SU
SUBJECT: SUDANESE REFUGEES ON THE BRINK OF EXPULSION FROM
GHANA


Classified By: POLCHIEF SCOTT TICKNOR FOR REASONS 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: A melee that broke out on July 21 at
Ussher Fort involving Sudanese refugees resulted in a host of
negative publicity and exposed GOG contingency plans to
spirit them out of the country. Both UNHCR Representative
Thomas Albrecht and Ambassador Yates have appealed for
careful consideration of next steps. Albrecht advised that
UNHCR may refer the 270 Sudanese, all of whom have arrived in
Ghana during the last six months, for resettlement in the
U.S. on a priority basis. The Minister of Interior told the
Ambassador he would wait at least one week to see if the USG
can resettle the refugees before taking action against them.
End Summary.


2. (U) The ever controversial 270 Sudanese refugees
sequestered at the former prison known as Ussher Fort have
generated another wave of unfavorable headlines. A scuffle
broke out when two refugees attempted to leave the prison
about 8 a.m. on July 21 to seek medical treatment. The
policeman in charge of security, new to the post and
unfamiliar with procedures, refused to allow them to exit. A
small crowd of refugees soon gathered, tempers soared, and in
the ensuing fracas, two refugees and two Ghanaians sustained
minor injuries. The Sudanese claim they were beaten by
police, while Ghanaians allege that refugees threw stones,
smashed one window, and destroyed a walkie-talkie. Vagrants
in the neighborhood joined the melee, as about 200 men and
women penetrated the prison and began overturning pots of
corn meal mush that were cooking for breakfast. Some twenty
policeman arrived shortly thereafter and restored calm.


3. (SBU) Press coverage of the event in both the print media
and on radio and television was strongly biased against the
refugees, who were termed a potential threat to Ghana's
security. The pro-government Daily Graphic, for example,
accused the Sudanese of having "vandalized" the prison and
"brutalizing" officers. UNHCR Representative Thomas Albrecht
called on the Minister of the Interior on July 22 to express
his concerns, but was shocked to learn that the MOI was
intent on deporting the Sudanese as quickly as possible.
Albrecht reminded the MOI of the damage this would cause to
Ghana's image internationally and of the blow to refugee
protection rights such an action would represent. Albrecht
quietly approached Accra's Refugee Coordinator about the
possibility of resettling the Sudanese on a priority basis in
the U.S. UNHCR subsequently issued a press release,
reminding refugees of their obligations to the host country
and thanking Ghana for continuously fulfilling its
international obligations.


4. (C) Later on July 22, Ambassador Yates paid a farewell
call on the Minister of the Interior Papa Owusu-Ankomah, who
initially maintained his characteristic calm, soft-spoken
demeanor, extolling the U.S. Embassy for its law enforcement
cooperation programs. When the Ambassador asked about the
Sudanese, the MOI's position stiffened, as he expressed his
resolve to solve the problems they were causing, including
the possibility of putting them on a military plane to Chad,
which he said was the country Ghana could convince to agree
to accept the refugees. He opined that they were probably
economic migrants and repeated the oft heard claim that they
pose a potential security threat to the Ghanaian people. The
Ambassador pointed out that earlier Sudanese refugees now at
Krisan Camp had not been problematic; perhaps this group
could be relocated there. She also mentioned the possibility
of asking Washington to consider their resettlement in the
U.S., at which point the MOI agreed to wait at least one week
before taking any action. As the Ambassador departed, Chief
Director Edwin Barnes said the MOI had to take this strong
stance for political reasons.


5. (SBU) Amid this backdrop, the Ghana Refugee Board met in
closed session to adjudicate the claims of another tranche of
Sudanese refugees, all of which the Board is expected to
approve. According to Chairperson A.O. Akiwumi, the Board
had already approved refugee status for 179 Sudanese, while
rejecting none, even those that UNHCR had recommended for
denial because the applicants were not originally from
Darfur. Akiwumi was hopeful the Board would wrap up work on
the remaining Sudanese cases quickly, since some of them had
arrived in Ghana as early as January.


6. (C) COMMENT: The Sudanese and some elements of Ghanaian
society are losing patience, but for divergent reasons: the
Sudanese have tired of waiting in detention for months on end
as the Refugee Board evaluates their qualifications for
refugee status, while some Ghanaians resent what they
perceive as handouts for an undeserving group of young, able
bodied men with possible ties to radical Islam. The MOI is
looking for a quick fix that will bolster his credentials as
a potential presidential candidate in 2008 and help his party
to retain a parliamentary seat in the bi-election scheduled
for next month in the Accra constituency that includes Ussher
Fort. When the Ambassador discussed this issue further with
the Foreign Minister by phone, highlighting potential foreign
policy ramifications, he acknowledged its sensitivity but
could not say definitely how the GOG would resolve the
situation with the Sudanese. He, too, said that the presence
of the Sudanese -- as a group of healthy young men --
presented serious challenges for the GOG.
YATES