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


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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
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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
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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
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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,

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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