SOMALI REFUGEES PROTEST UNHCR TREATMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 003460

SIPDIS

CAIRO PLEASE PASS TO GERALD CHEYNE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2015
TAGS: PREF PHUM YM SO GTIP
SUBJECT: SOMALI REFUGEES PROTEST UNHCR TREATMENT

REF: A. SANAA 2600

B. SANAA 1836

C. SANAA 1854

Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 12.


2. (U) Summary. Since November 9, over 500 Somali refugees
have been protesting in front of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) HQ in Sanaa. Encouraged by
rumors that the USG soon will accept 70,000 Somali refugees
for resettlement, the protestors have demanded immediate
registration and better treatment by the UN agency. Thus
far, negotiations have proved futile and there are no signs
of the protest ending, perhaps indicating that life for some
of the estimated 100,000 Somali refugees is becoming less and
less tenable. End Summary.

--------------
Protest Mostly Not Violent
--------------


3. (U) For the second time in two years, Somali refugees are
staging a continuous strike in front of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) HQ in Sanaa. The
protestors, who began their vigil on November 9, are
demanding better treatment and immediate registration by the
UNHCR. Citing security concerns, UNDP officials closed the
Sanaa office on December 1.


4. (U) Since the sit-in began, there have been fewer than a
half-dozen incidents of violence. The worst incident
occurred on November 21, when some of the over 500 protestors
threw rocks at MOI security forces who had cordoned off the
area where they were camped. A bullet shot in the air to
disperse the crowd injured one woman. An MOI spokesperson
later acknowledged the incident as an accident.

--------------
No Sign Of Relief
--------------


5. (C) UNHCR lead Protection Officer, Saado Quol, who is
involved in negotiations with the protestors, said that
dialogue thus far has been futile. "Every time we come to a
peaceful resolution with their chosen representative, the
protestors overthrow that person," he noted, "and we start
over." UNHCR officials have met with protesters on six
occasions to date.


6. (U) Promises by the UNHCR that six refugee reception
centers will open across the country also have failed to stop
the protest (ref a). The centers, to be run jointly by the
UNHCR and MOI, will allow refugees to register with the
UNHCR, assuring protection under Yemeni law and UNHCR
protocols. Some centers will provide temporary housing and
skills training.

--------------
Protest Sparked by Frustration and Rumor
--------------


7. (U) Refugee leaders repeatedly have stated that the
protest is aimed specifically at the UNHCR. The protestors'
complaints include the UNHCR's delays in registering Somalis,
unwillingness to communicate with refugee leaders, and lack
of initiative either to resettle Somalis to third countries
or to provide them with subsidies. On November 26, the
government-controlled Yemen Observer newspaper quoted
Abdullah Adam, a Somali community leader, as attributing the
protests to the arrest of several undocumented refugees in
Al-Safya, a Sanaa neighborhood populated by Somalis. In the
past year, post has received increased reports of
undocumented Somali refugees being arrested.


8. (C) Quol, however, attributes the protests to a Somali
website that announced USG plans to re-settle 70,000 Somali
refugees. "It comes up every time we negotiate with them,"
he said. "They are insisting that we register them because
without their documents, they are afraid that they will be
left behind."

--------------
Refugees Outstaying Their Welcome?
--------------


9. (U) There are approximately 68,000 registered and 50,000
undocumented Somali refugees in Yemen. The ROYG continues to
grant prima facie refugee status to Somali refugees who
arrive in the country, allowing them the right to live and
work anywhere they like. In reality, most Somali refugees
live in Aden, port cites, or ghettos throughout the country
and are relegated to jobs that Yemenis will not take (such as
working on the Sanaa sewage system).

10. (C) In the past year there have been signs that the
ROYG's attitude might be changing. UNHCR sources reported
considerable initial MOI opposition to the new reception
centers, coupled with a secret report suggesting a harsher
ROYG stance towards refugees (ref a). Furthermore, ROYG
officials, including Minister of Human Rights Amat al-Alim
al-Soswa, have repeatedly warned emboffs that Yemen cannot
keep supporting Somali refugees (refs b, c).

--------------
Comment and Action Request
--------------

11. (C) Currently, there are no indications of the protest
abating. Although the website announcement may have sparked
the protest, it is the other refugee complaints (not without
warrant) that are fueling it. Yemeni and foreign embassy
colleagues had in the past viewed the UNHCR Sanaa office,
unlike its Aden counterpart, as being poorly managed and
difficult to deal with. Many point to the large numbers of
unregistered refugees (which the UNHCR attributes to the
ROYG's resistance to opening the new refugee centers) as
evidence of this. This perception, however, has been slowly
changing since a new staff took charge of operations in
November 2004.


12. (C) Action Request: Although the protest is expected to
subside sometime in late December once the UNHCR begins to
implement its oft-stated plan to register all of Yemen's
Somali refugees, post would appreciate Department's guidance
on the website's announcement to pass to involved parties and
help alleviate the situation. End Comment and Action Request.
Krajeski