REFUGEES IN GABON -- AN UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 000829

SIPDIS


KINSHASA PASS TO BRAZZAVILLE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2015
TAGS: PREF GB EG CO
SUBJECT: REFUGEES IN GABON -- AN UPDATE

REF: A. A) LIBREVILLE 310

B. B) YAOUNDE 624

C. C) KINSHASA 598

Classified By: POLCHIEF SCOTT TICKNOR FOR REASONS 1.5 D AND E.


1. (C) SUMMARY: Ref Coord, PRM/A Program Assistant, and
Poloff (Embassy Libreville) met with refugees in Libreville
on April 14 to address resettlement, protection, and
repatriation issues. In response to a small pro-settlement
demonstration earlier in the week, we explained that the 41
cases our Overseas Processing Entity (OPE) had interviewed
represented only the first tranche of a larger, but limited,
program. We met with Pedro Pergentino Ekumu-Epitie, an
Equato-Guinean lawyer who had gone into hiding. Finally, we
dialogued with Congolese refugees in an attempt to ascertain
why there was so little interest in repatriation. Despite
assurances that their country was safe, the Congolese
delegation remained reluctant to return home because of
several cases of returning refugees who had disappeared or
had been poisoned. End Summary.

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Emotions Flare as Resettlement Processing Begins...
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2. (SBU) Accra's OPE arrived in Gabon on April 6 on its
first ever trip to pre-screen 18 cases that had been referred
to the U.S. resettlement program. Unfortunately, word soon
reached the close-knit refugee community that these were the
only cases that would ever be considered for resettlement.
Some 26 refugees staged a non-violent protest in front of the
UNHCR office, causing the OPE team to fear for its safety.
Eventually, OPE decided to cancel its last three remaining
interviews and leave the premises; the team departed for
Cameroon on April 14.


3. (SBU) During a meeting with refugees on April 14, Ref
Coord, PRM/A Program Assistant, and Poloff assured those
present that there would be other referrals for resettlement;
this group only represented the first tranche. When pressed
for numbers, we declined to be more specific, cautioning that
only 1-2 percent of the refugees in the region were being
resettled annually. (Note: We expect UNHCR to refer all of
the eighty-one Equato-Guineans and some of the most
vulnerable (non-military) Congolese to the U.S. resettlement
program over the next six months. End note.)

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...and an Equato-Guinean Goes Into Hiding
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4. (C) We also met briefly with Equato-Guinean lawyer Pedro
Pergentino Ekumu-Epitie, an eloquent and passionate speaker.
As noted in ref A, Pedro went into hiding at an undisclosed
location after learning of the disappearance of two of his
compatriots while they were in protective custody in Yaounde
(ref B). Ref Coord assured him that he would do everything
possible to expedite his case. (A DHS adjudicator is
scheduled to arrive in Gabon on May 24.)

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Congolese Reluctant To Repatriate
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5. (SBU) In separate meetings with Congolese refugees, we
broached the subject of repatriation, noting various
pronouncements (ref C) that refugees were welcome to return
home. Refugees scoffed at any suggestion that they were
economic migrants, noting the declining Gabonese economy, the
discriminatory environment against foreigners, and the
difficulty of supporting themselves. Yet, as the Congolese
explained, they were reluctant to repatriate primarily
because of security concerns. Some cited the example of
Colonel Antoine Mouity, allegedly killed by poisoning in

2002. Others mentioned the case of Colonel Simone Pierre
Moussanda, who reportedly disappeared two months ago; he is
believed to be either under arrest or in hiding.
Subsequently, in a separate meeting with Poloff, refugees
alleged that Colonel Narcisse Manguila had been killed on
April 16. Though Manguila was not a refugee, he belonged to
the same ethnic group as many of the Congolese refugees, who
believe his demise was indicative of the dangers they would
face if they repatriate. Privately, UNHCR Representative
Benedict Akinola told us he had been disappointed at the
meager results of his attempts to encourage repatriation,
which totaled only about 700 during 2004, a small fraction of
the 18,000 refugees and asylum seekers (14,000 from
Congo-Brazzaville) living in Gabon. At this point, he
foresaw little change in the attitudes of the refugees.

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Comment
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6. (SBU) We will continue to push for the appropriate
durable solutions for the refugee community in Gabon. With
local integration increasingly unlikely, repatriation remains
a possibility for most Congolese, but it will require time
and effort (and a prolonged absence of allegations of human
rights abuses) to convince them it is safe to return home.
Resettlement appears to be the only option for the
beleaguered Equato-Guineans.


7. (U) For Brazzaville: Any information you can share that
would substantiate or refute the allegations in paragraph 5
would be helpful.


8. (U) This message was cleared by Embassy Libreville and
PRM/A Program Assistant Jennifer Christenson prior to
transmission.
YATES


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