AMBASSADOR TRAVELS TO VOLTA REGION: REFUGEES, POVERTY AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000523

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON GH PGOV PREF PREL SOCI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR TRAVELS TO VOLTA REGION: REFUGEES, POVERTY AND
NEGLECT

ACCRA 00000523 001.2 OF 002



1. (SBU) Summary: On February 15-16, Ambassador traveled to
Ghana's Volta Region to meet the Regional Minister, make a
donation to a USAID-funded school literacy program, highlight USG
research on Leishmaniasis, and discuss refugee, Amcit and
political issues with local contacts. The Volta Region is poor and
in many ways neglected. Although it has some human rights
challenges (especially as a source and destination for human
trafficking),it appears to have done well at absorbing close to
12,000 TOGOlese refugees. End summary.


2. (U) On February 15-16, Ambassador and PolChief traveled to
Ghana's Volta Region, the mountainous eastern portion of the
country. She donated audiovisual equipment to a "Breakthrough for
Literacy School" funded by USAID. She visited a village in which
the U.S. Naval Marine Research Unit (in collaboration with the
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Ghana
Health Services) has identified cases of Leishmanaisis, a
parasitic disease transmitted through sand flies. She thanked the
local chiefs for their cooperation and highlighted to the media
USG interest in combating the disease. In addition, the
Ambassador met with about twenty Amcits and Peace Corps
Volunteers, as well as the
Regional Minister, UNHCR officials, NDC party representatives and
members of civil society.

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Regional Minister on Development, Ethnic Disputes
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3. (U) Poverty and lack of education are the major challenges of
the Volta Region, Regional Minister Samuel Kofi Dzamesi told
Ambassador. Much of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
funds expected for Volta Region have
not been allocated, he said. Governance is difficult because the
region is dominated by the opposition National Democratic Congress
(NDC) party, which does not want to be seen as helping the NPP
government. (Note: the region is home to former President Rawlings
and 21 of its 22 parliamentary seats are NDC. End note.)


4. (U) According to Dzamesi, the Volta Region suffers from
numerous chieftaincy and ethnic disputes, with 18 ongoing
chieftaincy and ethnic conflicts. Nomadic Fulani herdsmen from
Burkina Faso, Mali and TOGO, often heavily armed, also cause
significant destruction in the region and have resisted efforts to
control them. The Regional Minister had met some of the Fulani
chiefs, who said they would accommodate his concerns, although he
was concerned that Fulanis have the potential to cause more
conflict in the future.

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Region Ignored
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5. (SBU) The NDC Regional Chairman and three NDC Members of
Parliament from the area told Ambassador that the NPP government
largely ignores the Volta Region because it is the bastion of the
opposition. Power supplies are erratic, despite the proximity of
hydroelectric power from the Volta Dam. Roads conditions are poor,
with road projects at times abandoned. The region's single
industry, a textile mill begun during the Nkrumah period, has
closed because of obsolete equipment and global competition. They
complained about pervasive corruption in regional government
contracts.


6. (SBU) In a separate lunch, NGO representatives concurred that
the area is suffering from poverty and neglect. There are no
universities and few sources of employment. Young people in the
region are cynical about government and want to get out of Ghana,
they said. The NGO reps noted that the region has significant
human rights problems, including trafficking in persons (within
the region and to the region's fishing villages from other parts
of Ghana),and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS
and physical handicaps.

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Refugees Assimilated
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7. (U) UNHCR Regional Office Director Anicat Ndayaisaba and his
staff concurred that refugees have been absorbed into the Volta
Region, without a single incident of trouble. The TOGOlese
refugees are helping themselves, sometimes farming land given to
them by local communities. One third of refugee children are in
schools taught by volunteer TOGOlese refugee teachers. Ndayaisaba
told Ambassador that UNHCR's main challenge is providing adequate
medical care, especially in remote areas (Note: the 11,500
TOGOlese refugees who fled TOGO for the Volta Region in 2005 are
scattered in 114 locations in a 400 kilometer area. End note.)
Food rations are irregular, although adequate at the moment. UNHCR
plans to do a detailed survey of the TOGOlese refugee population
in the Volta Region in April, which will be used to issue the
refugees identity cards.

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8. (U) While the Regional Minister was initially frustrated about
the refugee situation, he has become more cooperative and
welcoming, according to UNHCR reps. Regional Minister Dzemsi told
Ambassador the refugee situation in the Volta Region is
"manageable" and that the refugees are living peacefully with
their Ghanaian hosts. He has been working with UNHCR to improve
the ability of local towns and villages to absorb refugees.

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Comment
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9. (U) The beautiful Volta Region reminded us of Ghana's poverty
outside a handful of cities. The region has major tourist
potential, but with few jobs and poor infrastructure, it seems
largely ignored. The Peace Corps has made an obvious impact in the
region and everywhere we went contacts praised PCVs (and wanted
more of them). In addition, the positive reception we received at
the school, NAMRU village and elsewhere underscored the
significant good will toward the United States among Ghanaians.

BRIDGEWATER