VIOLENCE AT GHANA'S KRISAN REFUGEE CAMP

UNCLAS ACCRA 002311

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR PRM/AF CACHANG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: GH IV PREF PREL TO
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE AT GHANA'S KRISAN REFUGEE CAMP


1. (SBU) Summary: On November 8, refugees at Krisan camp
in the Western Region of Ghana torched houses, and destroyed
offices and vehicles, including from UNHCR. UNHCR's Senior
Protection Officer in Ghana told PolChief and visiting
RefCoord from Abidjan on November 10 that the violence was
sparked by a few individuals who spread false rumors about
resettlement and fed on resentment toward recently arrived
Sudanese refugees. The extent of the damage is unclear.
This incident has the potential to sour the climate towards
refugees in Ghana. End summary.

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How It All Started
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2. (U) Krisan refugee camp in Western Region has almost
2,000 refugees of many nationalities, including 577 Togolese
who have been in the camp for a number of years, and 580
Sudanese, who were recently moved to Krisan from Accra.
According to UNHCR Ghana's Senior Protection Officer Jane
Muigai, Ghanaian Minister of Interior Papa Owusu-Ankomah
recently told the media that UNHCR promised to resettle the
Sudanese refugees, causing resentment among the longtime
Togolese refugees at Krisan. UNHCR's Acting Rep was in the
area on November 1 doing contingency planning for a possible
Cote d'Ivoire refugee influx, when he decided to stop by
Krisan. Some fifty Togolese refugees in Krisan got advance
word of his visit and packed their luggage in the mistaken
belief that they would be resettled. Fearing he would be
accosted by angry Togolese refugees, the UNHCR rep deferred
his visit. Several trouble makers (the leaders were
reportedly Liberian and Ghanaian) then spread rumors that the
Togolese would be resettled if they went to Cote d'Ivoire.
They also alleged that vocational training options would
diminish the resettlement options for Togolese. They led a
group of Togolese to the Cote d'Ivoire border but were
prevented from entering. They camped out at the border and
intimidated other Togolese refugees in Krisan to join them.

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Outbreak of Violence
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3. (U) The Ghana police dispatched 200 police to the border
and, on November 8, forcibly bused some of the refugees back
to Krisan. When they arrived at the camp, police were pelted
with stones, responding with shots fired in the air and tear
gas. The returned refugees subsequently attacked those
Togolese refugees who had not joined them in the trip to the
border, burning their houses. They torched a police station,
the UNHCR office and other buildings, as well as a UNHCR and
other vehicles. According to Muigai, the Sudanese refugees
sought refuge in a mosque and did not participate in the
violence. The extent of the damage is unclear at this time.


4. (U) According to Muigai, the camp remains tense,
although there is little information about the current
situation. According to UNHCR, the police have rounded up
six suspected Togolese rioters, but not all the ring leaders.
There is a significant police presence in the camp and many
refugees have fled into neighboring villages and along the
border for safety. The perpetrators have also fled to hide
from police.

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Comment
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5. (SBU) Ghana has a good record of hosting refugees.
However, some in the GOG and in the general public are
increasingly frustrated with the refugee presence here. The
Minister of Interior would like to see the Sudanese leave
Ghana. Muigai noted that there had been a near riot in
Budumburam camp (near Accra) in April and the GOG seems more
frustrated with the presence of Togolese refugees. She has
detected a growing antagonism toward refugees among Western
Regional authorities. The Krisan incident, which made front
page headlines in the media this week, has the potential to
further sour the climate in Ghana for refugees.
BRIDGEWATER