Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANJUL526
2006-08-23 17:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Banjul
Cable title:
REFUGEES FROM SENEGAL'S CASAMANCE REGION STREAMING
how-toVZCZCXRO8965 OO RUEHPA DE RUEHJL #0526 2351718 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 231718Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6915 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANJUL 000526
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016
TAGS: MOPS PREF PHUM PINS SG PU PREL GA
SUBJECT: REFUGEES FROM SENEGAL'S CASAMANCE REGION STREAMING
INTO THE GAMBIA
REF: A. DAKAR 2012
B. DAKAR 1932 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Classified By: TDY Poloff Shaye Brown for reasons 1.4 (b
) and (d).
---------------------------------
NUMBER OF REFUGEES GROWING DAILY
---------------------------------
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANJUL 000526
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016
TAGS: MOPS PREF PHUM PINS SG PU PREL GA
SUBJECT: REFUGEES FROM SENEGAL'S CASAMANCE REGION STREAMING
INTO THE GAMBIA
REF: A. DAKAR 2012
B. DAKAR 1932 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Classified By: TDY Poloff Shaye Brown for reasons 1.4 (b
) and (d).
--------------
NUMBER OF REFUGEES GROWING DAILY
--------------
1. (C) As reported in ref A, the fighting that erupted
between Senegal's military and MFDC rebels in Senegal's
Casamance region has resulted in a large influx of refugees
into The Gambia. According to our sources, the estimated
number of refugees ranges from 2500 to 4500, with the latter
being more probable. As of Sunday, August 20, The Gambia's
country director of Concern Universal estimated the number of
refugees at approximately 2500. The Secretary General of the
Gambian Red Cross Society (GRCS) estimated the number of
refugees at approximately 3500 as of Sunday. As of Monday
night, The United Nation's High Commission for Refugees
(UNHCR) estimated the number at closer to 4500 refugees with
still more arriving daily. The refugees are mainly in the
towns of Gifanga, Kusambai, Siwol, and Tambakunda.
--------------
LOCAL COMMUNITIES FEELING THE IMPACT
--------------
2. (C) In the past refugees from the Casamance have stayed
with friends or family members, but this time the number of
refugees in some of the villages is larger than the local
population and is straining the resources of host
communities. One group of refugees has been housed in a
primary school in Tambakunda and in Gifanga refugees are
being housed in a skills training center. The schools
housing the overflow refugees are scheduled to resume
instructions in three weeks, on September 11. The refugees
have flatly refused UNHCR's offer to relocate further inland.
They say they are worried about the loss of their
properties, livestock, and farms. Many of the refugees
reported to UNHCR that their only reason for fleeing was
because the Senegalese military placed heavy armor in the
middle of their compounds.
--------------
BULLETS CROSSING THE BORDER
--------------
3. (C) There have been incidences of bullets straying into
Gambian villages. To date, no human casualties have been
reported as a result of these stray rounds but some livestock
have been lost. There have also been reports of villagers
delivering spent ammunition cartridges to the District Chief
in Kusambai. The Gambian Armed Forces deployed at least two
heavily armed platoons that are actively patrolling the
border area. COMMENT. With President Jammeh on vacation in
his home border village of Kanalai the deployment may be
meant as a deterrent to cross-border excursions or may simply
be to provide a sense of security to Gambian residents along
the border. END COMMENT Reportedly, some Gambian compounds
located very close to the border have been or are currently
being "evacuated," to avoid stray fire.
--------------
UN AND RED CROSS RESPONDING
--------------
4. (C) We understand that the UNHCR is sending an emergency
response team from Geneva to assess the situation and provide
further assistance. A team from the various agencies at the
Gambian UNDP office will join the emergency response team.
The UNHCR in The Gambia reported that there is currently a
critical shortage of food in the affected villages and they
plan to tap emergency reserve funds to help alleviate the
impact on the refugees and the local populations. The
Secretary General of the GRCS reported that the International
SIPDIS
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is fielding a 5-man mission
from their offices in Dakar and Ziguinchor that is expected
to arrive in country by August 22, 2006. Efforts by the GRCS
are hampered because they currently have no vehicles of their
own and were not prepared to handle this sudden influx of
such a large number of refugees. For now, it appears that
UNHCR and ICRC has the situation under control. Despite the
food shortage, which is aggravated by the fact that we are
currently in the middle of the rainy season and the new crop
has just been planted, they have made no official appeal for
emergency assistance and promised to inform us should the
situation escalate further.
ALSUP
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016
TAGS: MOPS PREF PHUM PINS SG PU PREL GA
SUBJECT: REFUGEES FROM SENEGAL'S CASAMANCE REGION STREAMING
INTO THE GAMBIA
REF: A. DAKAR 2012
B. DAKAR 1932 (NOTAL)
Classified By: Classified By: TDY Poloff Shaye Brown for reasons 1.4 (b
) and (d).
--------------
NUMBER OF REFUGEES GROWING DAILY
--------------
1. (C) As reported in ref A, the fighting that erupted
between Senegal's military and MFDC rebels in Senegal's
Casamance region has resulted in a large influx of refugees
into The Gambia. According to our sources, the estimated
number of refugees ranges from 2500 to 4500, with the latter
being more probable. As of Sunday, August 20, The Gambia's
country director of Concern Universal estimated the number of
refugees at approximately 2500. The Secretary General of the
Gambian Red Cross Society (GRCS) estimated the number of
refugees at approximately 3500 as of Sunday. As of Monday
night, The United Nation's High Commission for Refugees
(UNHCR) estimated the number at closer to 4500 refugees with
still more arriving daily. The refugees are mainly in the
towns of Gifanga, Kusambai, Siwol, and Tambakunda.
--------------
LOCAL COMMUNITIES FEELING THE IMPACT
--------------
2. (C) In the past refugees from the Casamance have stayed
with friends or family members, but this time the number of
refugees in some of the villages is larger than the local
population and is straining the resources of host
communities. One group of refugees has been housed in a
primary school in Tambakunda and in Gifanga refugees are
being housed in a skills training center. The schools
housing the overflow refugees are scheduled to resume
instructions in three weeks, on September 11. The refugees
have flatly refused UNHCR's offer to relocate further inland.
They say they are worried about the loss of their
properties, livestock, and farms. Many of the refugees
reported to UNHCR that their only reason for fleeing was
because the Senegalese military placed heavy armor in the
middle of their compounds.
--------------
BULLETS CROSSING THE BORDER
--------------
3. (C) There have been incidences of bullets straying into
Gambian villages. To date, no human casualties have been
reported as a result of these stray rounds but some livestock
have been lost. There have also been reports of villagers
delivering spent ammunition cartridges to the District Chief
in Kusambai. The Gambian Armed Forces deployed at least two
heavily armed platoons that are actively patrolling the
border area. COMMENT. With President Jammeh on vacation in
his home border village of Kanalai the deployment may be
meant as a deterrent to cross-border excursions or may simply
be to provide a sense of security to Gambian residents along
the border. END COMMENT Reportedly, some Gambian compounds
located very close to the border have been or are currently
being "evacuated," to avoid stray fire.
--------------
UN AND RED CROSS RESPONDING
--------------
4. (C) We understand that the UNHCR is sending an emergency
response team from Geneva to assess the situation and provide
further assistance. A team from the various agencies at the
Gambian UNDP office will join the emergency response team.
The UNHCR in The Gambia reported that there is currently a
critical shortage of food in the affected villages and they
plan to tap emergency reserve funds to help alleviate the
impact on the refugees and the local populations. The
Secretary General of the GRCS reported that the International
SIPDIS
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is fielding a 5-man mission
from their offices in Dakar and Ziguinchor that is expected
to arrive in country by August 22, 2006. Efforts by the GRCS
are hampered because they currently have no vehicles of their
own and were not prepared to handle this sudden influx of
such a large number of refugees. For now, it appears that
UNHCR and ICRC has the situation under control. Despite the
food shortage, which is aggravated by the fact that we are
currently in the middle of the rainy season and the new crop
has just been planted, they have made no official appeal for
emergency assistance and promised to inform us should the
situation escalate further.
ALSUP