Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ABIDJAN1212
2006-10-31 15:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abidjan
Cable title:  

LIBERIAN REFUGEE REPATRIATION ENTERS NEW PHASE

Tags:  PREF PREL PHUM LI IV 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5296
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHAB #1212/01 3041512
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 311512Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2095
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0509
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABIDJAN 001212 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W AND PRM/AFR/CACHANG
GENEVA FOR RMA
DAKAR FOR USAID/OFDA/RDAVIS
ACCRA FOR NATE BLUHM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2016
TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM LI IV
SUBJECT: LIBERIAN REFUGEE REPATRIATION ENTERS NEW PHASE


Classified By: REFCOORD NICK HILGERT FOR REASONS 1.4 B & D.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABIDJAN 001212

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W AND PRM/AFR/CACHANG
GENEVA FOR RMA
DAKAR FOR USAID/OFDA/RDAVIS
ACCRA FOR NATE BLUHM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2016
TAGS: PREF PREL PHUM LI IV
SUBJECT: LIBERIAN REFUGEE REPATRIATION ENTERS NEW PHASE


Classified By: REFCOORD NICK HILGERT FOR REASONS 1.4 B & D.


1. (U) Summary: Abidjan-based Refugee Coordinator
(RefCoord) for West Africa traveled to Liberia from October
10-19 to discuss ongoing Liberian refugee repatriation
efforts. UNHCR figures show that a total of 80,617 Liberian
refugees returned between November 2004 and September 28,
2006 and that 140,460 Liberian refugees are still officially
recorded outside Liberia, although UNHCR believes the actual
caseload is smaller. UNHCR believes the repatriation effort
is entering a new phase and that additional support is needed
to encourage host governments to adopt a more active role in
promoting repatriation. UNHCR plans to reduce staff where
possible and consolidate project activities in 2007. End
Summary.


2. (U) Abidjan-based Refugee Coordinator (RefCoord) for West
Africa traveled to Liberia from October 10-19 to discuss
ongoing Liberian refugee repatriation efforts. RefCoord also
traveled with Political Officer (Poloff),Silvia Eiriz, to
Bong and Nimba Counties on October 13-15, to visit several
project sites. RefCoord met with officials from UNHCR,
UNICEF, WFP, the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC),the American Refugee Committee (ARC),the Center for
Victims of Torture (CVT),the International Rescue Committee
(IRC),Search for Common Ground (SFCG),the Norwegian Refugee
Council (NRC),and the Liberian Refugee Repatriation and
Resettlement Commission (LRRRC).

Repatriation Figures
--------------


3. (U) UNHCR figures show that a total of 80,617 Liberian
refugees returned between November 2004 and September 28,

2006. The majority of returns is from Guinea (53%),followed
by Cote d'Ivoire (20%),and Sierra Leone (19%). In 2006,
only Guinea and Sierra Leone have shown a notable increase in
return movements compared to 2005. Return figures from Cote
d'Ivoire (2,656) are far below 2005 (13,498) figures and
returns from Sierra Leone in 2006 have declined from a peak
of 588 persons in March to only two persons in September.

Ghana is only slightly up in 2006 (1,725) compared to 2005
(1,161). UNHCR reports a sharp drop in return movements in
September as return convoys in Guinea were canceled due to
poor road conditions and UNHCR's efforts to merge camps in
the Nzerekore region.


4. (U) UNHCR reports there are 140,460 Liberian refugees
still officially recorded outside Liberia. Large refugee
populations remain in Cote d'Ivoire (37,700),Ghana (37,191),
and Guinea (30,060). A recent verification exercise in
Sierra Leone resulted in a drop of the official figure by
more than 12,000 persons to 28,399. UNHCR considers most of
these refugees to be "spontaneous returns" and has
deregistered in Liberia just over 4,000 refugees from Sierra
Leone. UNHCR is currently conducting a verification exercise
in the camps in Guinea. Mengesha Kebede, UNHCR
Representative in Monrovia, expects the official Guinea
figure to drop by at least 10,000 once the exercise is
completed.

Repatriation Enters a New Phase
--------------


5. (U) Kebede told Refcoord he believes Liberian
repatriation has entered a new phase, where the rapidly
declining refugee caseload in host countries is beginning to
strain long-standing assistance and employment levels with
host governments, NGO partners, and even UNHCR staff. Kebede
quoted one refugee in Ghana as saying, "you should thank me,
if I go back to Liberia, you won't have a job." Kebede
believes many officials are reluctant to see refugees return
too fast, fearing for their own livelihoods in the process.
He cited the example of an official from Sierra Leone who
recently reported that Liberians could stay in Sierra Leone
as long as they wished before returning to Liberia. Kebede
believes Sierra Leone should move to a local integration
phase for refugees if that is the case. Kebede highlighted
efforts undertaken by the UNHCR Representative in Conakry and
the UNHCR Head of Field Office in Kissidougou to establish
clear deadlines with refugees on the termination of education
and health services in the camps, to provide continual
information on assistance in Liberia, and to garner the
government of Guinea's support to promote local integration
as a durable solution alongside repatriation.


ABIDJAN 00001212 002 OF 003


The Ghana Factor
--------------


6. (C) In contrast to the approach taken in Guinea, Kebede
said the Governments of Ghana and Liberia are encouraging
UNHCR to extend the repatriation deadline for the Buduburam
Camp refugees from June 2007 to June 2009 and to increase
their return assistance package. Wheatonia Barnes, Executive
Director of LRRRC, suggested to RefCoord the refugees in
Buduburam are particularly well educated and should be
offered an additional four months food distribution upon
return to Liberia, bringing their overall food assistance to
eight months. Kebede said that at least two Liberian
ministers, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Minister
of Education, have relatives in Buduburam, and said the
Minister of Internal Affairs had confessed to him that his
relatives had even returned to the camp from a recent trip to
the U.S., presumably on tourist visas. Even more incredible,
Kebede said the Minister of Health had sent a newly trained
staff member from the Phebe Clinic in Bong County to the
Buduburam Camp to work on HIV/AIDS activities. Kebede said
UNHCR staff in Accra appear reluctant to prod their
government counterparts to promote repatriation more actively
and are resisting his own recommendations to conduct a
verification exercise in Buduburam sooner rather than later.
Moreover, Kebede believes many of the Buduburam refugees are
actually Liberians holding refugee cards left behind by
persons who have already returned to Liberia.


7. (U) Kebede said he could not establish different
criteria for refugees in Buduburam based on their social
status and explained the governments of Liberia and Ghana do
not realize the costs needed to maintain reception
infrastructure in Liberia until June 2009 make such a
proposal unrealistic. Kebede requested PRM's encouragement
to UNHCR and with host governments (Sierra Leone, Ghana) to
encourage them to adopt what he called the "Guinea model"
(i.e., establish clear deadlines and support local
integration) and to push for a verification exercise in Ghana
as soon as possible.

UNHCR'S Plans for 2007
--------------


8. (U) Kebede said UNHCR's priorities for 2007 are to reduce
staffing where possible and to consolidate projects started
in 2006. He said UNHCR's plans are to pull out at some point
in 2008 from most operational roles and to take on a more
traditional profile by then. For example, UNHCR will reduce
their staffing levels in Bong County where they do not expect
many more returns, and will concentrate on turning as many
activities as possible over to local authorities. In Nimba,
where UNHCR still expects some 15,000 refugees to return,
they will maintain staffing levels but will not launch any
new construction or rehabilitation projects unless absolutely
necessary. UNHCR also plans to channel more resources to
support vocational training opportunities for returnees as
they are doing at their computer training centers in Monrovia.

Education
--------------


9. (U) Although the Liberian Ministry of Education (MOE)
recently announced that primary education is free and
compulsory for all children, many refugees complain they
cannot afford to pay for the required school uniforms and
registration fees. Indeed, the Balama Town School Principal
in Bong Country informed Refcoord and Poloff that he is
refusing to allow children into school whose parents do not
pay the various fees. He explained that many teachers are
volunteers and that the Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs)
had established fees in order to cover some costs for
supplies and teacher salaries. He complained that although
education was supposed to be free, the government is not
providing the required resources to cover their costs.
Parents at the Mempha School in Nimba County said some of
those who could not afford the fees had even sent their
children to the school in the Saclepea refugee camp because
it was free.


10. (U) Still, UNHCR points out that focusing on enrollment
as a sign of success at the expense of making improvements in
the quality of education should be avoided. UNHCR plans to
assist the Ministry of Education identify qualified teachers
to move out to rural areas and help schools acquire textbooks
and other needed learning materials in 2007. Although the

ABIDJAN 00001212 003 OF 003


above examples show that some children are being negatively
affected by the decisions of some school leaders, there was
no indication that recent returnees are bearing the brunt of
these decisions. In fact, refugee returns to both Nimba and
Bong Counties are relatively low compared to other counties.
Nevertheless, it seems reasonable that increasing student
enrollment and improving the quality of education are both
equally important goals.

Rule of Law
--------------


11. (C) Refcoord and Poloff also met the Magistrate in the
District Court in Saclepea to discuss the challenges he
faces. The Magistrate reported there had been only three
reported rape cases since the middle of the summer in his
District, but appeared confused by our questions as to
whether or not rape is an underreported crime. He had also
never seen a copy of the Amendment to the Rape Law adopted in
January 2006 and complained that they had no arresting
officer in his District, no defense council, and no secure
jail facility. As part of UNHCR's protection
responsibilities, they have greed to rebuild the local
police station and a etention cell for suspected criminals.
Although iberia is slowly putting a police force together,
many agencies point out that the police do not hav the
necessary means to carry-out their jobs, such as
transportation. Numbers are also a problem. For example,
the Liberian police force in Lofa County reportedly has fewer
than 70 officers for a population of more than 300,000. UN
agencies and NGOs Refcoord spoke to all agreed that improving
the ability to arrest, prosecute, and safely detain
perpetrators of sexual violence was a key protection priority
in the coming year.

Food Security Report Issued
--------------


12. (U) UN agencies issued their "Comprehensive Food
Security and Nutrition Survey (CFSNS)" for Liberia on October

11. The report concludes that recent returnees are more
likely to be "food insecure" (this expression generally
refers to having access to healthful foods) than families
that returned more than one year ago. Louis Imbleau, WFP
Representative, said that although returnees (both IDPs and
refugees) are more likely to be food insecure, returning
refugees are also the least likely group to show high levels
of malnutrition thanks to the feeding programs they enjoyed
in the refugee camps. He pointed out that they are also
likely to see an increase in malnutrition rates as they
reintegrate in Liberia, but agreed that a one year period
seems a reasonable time-frame for returnees to adjust.

Comment
--------------


13. (U) UNHCR continues to play a strong leadership role
among UN agencies and NGOs in Liberia and has made important
strides in meeting both their refugee repatriation and
Protection Cluster responsibilities. There is reasonable
evidence to believe official figures on refugees in several
host countries are high, and verification exercises in these
areas would help UNHCR grasp their real caseload still in
need of assistance. Reluctance by the host government in
some countries to support the full range of durable
solutions, particularly local integration, also seems to be
as much of a factor encouraging refugees to wait as any other
particular issue. Clearly, however, UNHCR will not have the
financial resources necessary to extend their deadlines
indefinitely. RefCoord recommends PRM give consideration to
UNHCR Monrovia's request that PRM stress to UNHCR and their
government counterparts in Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone
the financial constraints to extending deadlines for Liberian
refugees and the benefits of moving to local integration in
host countries as appropriate. UNHCR should also be
encouraged to conduct a verification exercise in Buduburam
Camp to determine the true size of the legitimate camp
population as early as possible.
Hooks