NEW UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE TAKES UP DUTIES IN COTE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000838 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR PRM/AF/CCHANG DAKAR FOR USAID/OFDA/RDAVIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2016 TAGS: REF PHUM PREL IV SUBJECT: NEW UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE TAKES UP DUTIES IN COTE D'IVOIRE ABIDJAN 00000838 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: REFUGEE COORDINATOR NICHOLAS HILGERT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: Saber Azam, UNHCR's new Representative to Cote d'Ivoire, met with Ambassador Hooks on July 21. Azam stated his main objective will be to complete the Liberian repatriation process by June 2007. Ambassador Hooks affirmed U.S. support for the humanitarian community in Cote d'Ivoire and expressed concern for the security of the refugee and IDP populations currently residing in camps in Guiglo. Azam's first big challenge in Cote d'Ivoire will be the successful closure of the Nicla refugee camp in Guiglo by the end of December 2006. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Saber Azam, UNHCR's new Representative to Cote d'Ivoire, made an introductory visit with Ambassador Hooks on July 21. Azam was Head of Office for UNHCR in Tabou in 1994-97 and was present when the refugee camp for Liberians in Guiglo was established. Azam stated his main objective will be to complete the Liberian repatriation process by June ¶2007. To help accomplish this, UNHCR has already closed the Transit Center (TC) in Tabou and plans to close the refugee camp in Guiglo by the end of 2006. Other priorities for UNHCR will be to establish their lead in the Protection Cluster in Cote d'Ivoire and to look more closely at the problem of statelessness. Azam also said his office would reexamine their management of resettlement referrals and promised close cooperation with PRM's implementing partner for resettlement, OPE, based in Accra. UNHCR PLANS TO OPEN OFFICE IN BOUAKE -------------- ¶3. (U) UN estimates on the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Cote d'Ivoire range from 500,000-700,000 persons. Azam said he plans to open a field office in Bouake, north of the confidence zone (ZOC) to help UNHCR meet their lead protection role for IDPs. Azam also hopes to establish two Junior Professional Officer (JPO) positions, one in Abidjan and one in Bouake, and encouraged the U.S. government, via PRM, to fill these slots. Azam expressed gratitude to the U.S. for its strong support to UNHCR and stated the U.S. would be his "priviledged partner" for all activities in Cote d'Ivoire. He requested the U.S. to maintain Cote d'Ivoire as a priority country for UNHCR funding. CONCERN FOR SECURITY SITUATION IN THE WEST -------------- ¶4. (C) Ambassador Hooks affirmed U.S. support for the humanitarian community in Cote d'Ivoire and acknowledged the difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances in which the agencies work, specifically referring to attacks against UNHCR's offices in Guiglo during anti-UN violence in January. The Ambassador expressed his deep concern for the security of the refugee and IDP populations residing in two separate camps in Guiglo, explaining that Liberians had been recruited to fight in Cote d'Ivoire in the past and that locals associated the Burkinabe population living in the IDP camp with rebel forces controlling the northern half of Cote d'Ivoire. As a result, both camps were vulnerable to attack from groups intent on "sending a signal" should the security situation suddenly deteriorate. This is especially true, he explained, in the west where violence over land tenure disputes is common and ethnic tensions run high. Ambassador Hooks encouraged UNHCR to set specific deadlines for the refugees to return to Liberia and to move forward with local integration for those individuals who wish to remain in Cote d'Ivoire. ¶5. (C) Azam confirmed that UNHCR intends to close the Nicla camp by the end of 2006 and that they had already started to restrict WFP food distribution to only the most vulnerable groups. He said UNHCR was very concerned about security and stability in Liberia and that they would follow closely all issues related to Liberians in western Cote d'Ivoire. Azam promised to look into the problem of the IDPs in Guiglo together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) who manages the IDP camp. COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) Azam arrives in his position at a difficult time for UNHCR in Cote d'Ivoire. UNHCR has been criticized for a lack of transparency in its operations and poor cooperation with their offices in Liberia on refugee repatriation. Moreover, UNHCR still owes the Ivoirian government's refugee office, ABIDJAN 00000838 002.2 OF 002 SAARA, part of its budget for the last several months of ¶2005. The first challenge will come as UNHCR moves to close down the Nicla refugee camp in Guiglo. Success will require responding to the government's interest in improving their working relationship with UNHCR and communicating a clear and convincing message to refugees on return and local integration opportunities - refugees whose main interest up to now has been focused on resettlement in the U.S. Hooks