REFUGEE REFERRAL FOR RWANDAN REFUGEE GERVAIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 000784 SIPDIS SIPDIS PRM/A E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2016 TAGS: PREF PHUM RW GH SUBJECT: REFUGEE REFERRAL FOR RWANDAN REFUGEE GERVAIS RUTEBUKA REF: 03 STATE 326248 Classified By: REF COORD NATE BLUHM FOR REASON 1.4 (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Embassy Accra requests authorization for a refugee referral to the U.S. Resettlement Program on behalf of Rwandan refugee Gervais Rutebuka, his wife, and their niece and nephew. Rutebuka fled Rwanda in 1994 and resided in Benin for eight years, where he obtained refugee status based on fear of persecution due to his membership in the former Mouvement Republicain National pour la Democratie et le Developpement. He has served as a key witness for the Office of the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, meeting in Arusha, Tanzania. Because of that, he began receiving death threats in his first country of refuge and relocated to Ghana in 2002. As an urban refugee, he benefits from limited UNHCR assistance and as a francophone, his employment prospects in Accra are extremely limited. We concur with the Office of the Prosecutor that resettlement represents the appropriate durable solution for Mr. Rutebuka. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Post's refugee referral is for Gervais RUTEBUKA (DPOB: 29 APR 1956, Mbogo, Rwanda),who has taken refuge in Ghana along with three family members: Spouse: Alice Vassella MUKESHIMANA (DPOB: 14 JUN 1978, Mbogo, Rwanda) Nephew: Intwari Alain HABIMANA (DPOB: 02 JUL 1988, Mbogo, Rwanda) Niece: Ishimwe Aline HABIMANA (DPOB: 02 JUL 1988, Mbogo, Rwanda) Please note that the nephew and niece are twins whose parents are deceased. ¶3. (C) Rutebuka completed his secondary studies in 1977 and went on to study management at the Universite Nationale du Rwanda from 1977-79. He worked as the Supervisor of Financial Services at the Office of Tourism and National Parks from 1979-87. From 1988-91 he managed a business known as ETEX which imported car parts. During the next two years, Rutebuka owned his own real estate business, which also provided services in insurance, customs clearance, and taxes. From 1993-94, Rutebuka worked as the Chief of Import/Export Services for the International Committee of the Red Cross. ¶4. (C) When the genocide broke out in Rwanda, Rutebuka continued to work, transporting victims to the ICRC hospital or to the FAYCAL hospital under the protection of UN peacekeepers. Militants who suspected him of cooperating with the rebels threatened his life. In July of 1994, Rutebuka fled to the DRC. His brother returned to Kigali to check on conditions, only to learn that a military officer had occupied the family home. When his brother disappeared, Rutebuka decided in November to travel to Benin and seek asylum there. ¶5. (C) In January 2002, Rutebuka met a former classmate, who asked him to testify before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Rutebuka, as a former employee of the ICRC, had first-hand knowledge of the atrocities taking place and readily agreed to cooperate. In May 2002, Rutebuka testified against a former GOR official who had been arrested in Benin in 1998. Two months later, he began receiving threatening letters and phone calls. In October 2002, unknown assailants entered his home, vandalized his belongings, and left a message saying, "Your days are numbered." Rutebuka changed his residence and moved to Ghana in November 2002. In March 2006 he again began receiving threats. Rutebuka's name has become well known among the Rwandan diaspora in Benin, Togo, Belgium, and France. Rutebuka suffers from sinusitis, persistent headaches, and respiratory problems and his wife experiences constant abdominal pain. Despite medical checkups, their condition has not improved. ¶6. (C) Accra has corroborated Rutebuka's story with UNHCR and with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. ¶7. (C) PRM's consideration of this request is greatly appreciated. BRIDGEWATER