UNHCR'S SECURITY CONCERNS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 001183 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF, D, DRL, PRM; LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICAWATCHERS; GENEVA FOR CAMPBELL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF ASEC CD SU SUBJECT: UNHCR'S SECURITY CONCERNS ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: UNHCR still remains concerned that it will not have the capacity to cope with a refugee influx, and new IDP movements should violence in eastern Chad escalate after the end of the rainy season. Chadian government representatives are absent from a number of areas where UNHCR operates, and these areas are extremely insecure, making humanitarian access difficult. UNHCR still suspects recruiting in refugee camps is taking place with the knowledge of Chadian authorities. END SUMMARY. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR POTENTIAL REFUGEES AND IDPS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (SBU) Economic/Consular officer traveled to Abeche on September 29 to meet with Claire Bourgeois, Deputy Head of Operations for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in eastern Chad, to discuss UNHCR's current contingency planning efforts and operations after the September 19 clashes between GOC forces and Chadian rebels in the East. Bourgeois stated that UNHCR was already planning the movement of refugee camps further west should an increased number of refugees enter eastern Chad with renewed fighting in Darfur. The current camps would act as transit centers for the refugees coming in, who would then be moved to areas that were deemed viable camp sites (i.e., with adequate water supplies, being accessible, and where the refugees were ethnically compatible with the host population). The Ouri Cassoni camp would probably move to an area close to the northern Chadian town of Faya. The Am Nabak camp would move closer to the Chadian town of Biltine. At the same time, new camp sites would open closer to the Gaga camp. ¶3. (SBU) Bourgeois admitted that, even with the movement of camps, and indications from refugee leaders that new refugees would be welcomed by the existing refugee populations, UNHCR was not sure if it had the absorptive capacity to offer sustained assistance for the projected number of 50,000 refugees. She added that the capabilities of the organization would be severely tested should renewed violence in eastern Chad create IDPs in the region. Bourgeois noted that during a meeting with the Governors of the Ouddai and Wadi Fira provinces, the GOC authorities admitted that the Government did not know how the country would handle IDP movements to areas that were already burdened by refugee populations. She said that UNHCR would obviously do what it could to assist any new IDPs, but was pessimistic about the organization's ability to assist all IDPs. - - - - - - - - - - - POCKETS OF INSECURITY - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (SBU) With respect to the attacks in Hadjer Marfaine that occured the previous week, Bourgeois said that she was not particularly concerned that the violence would affect the security of refugee camps and humanitarian workers operating in the camps. The Chadian national army, according to her, had standing orders to ensure that refugee camps and humanitarian workers would be off-limits in military engagements. At the same time, Chadian rebels were normally focused to combating the Chadian national army, and only targeted humanitarian activities for vehicles (although she admitted that vehicle thefts directly put the safety of humanitarian workers at risk). ¶5. (SBU) The greater problem with increased insecurity was access to assist potential IDPs. The towns of Guereda and Iriba lacked an effective GOC authority figure. Bourgeois pointed out that a vehicle for the International Committee for the Red Cross was stolen by a group of armed unidentified men in military fatigues on September 27. She also noted that near the southern part of the Chad-Sudan border, Janjaweed incursions, along with a minimal Chadian military presence, had forced the local population to create local militias, referred to as the Toroboro. The GOC was trying to develop a plan to disarm the Toroboro, but, as Bourgeois indicated, the continued presence of armed militias would impact UNHCR's decision to send humanitarian workers in that area to assist any IDPs. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTINUED INDICATIONS OF RECRUITMENT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (SBU) During a subsequent meeting, Claude Vadeboncoeur, Senior Refugee Security Liaison Officer, told Economic/Consular officer that UNHCR was still very concerned NDJAMENA 00001183 002 OF 002 by the presence of Sudanese rebel movements loyal to the Justice and Equality Movement and National Redemption Front. While higher-level Chadian authorities had told UNHCR that Sudanese rebels were no longer permitted to remain in Chad as part of the July 26 agreement between Chad and Sudan, lower-level authorities (particularly in Guereda, Iriba, and Bahai) were permitting the free movement of Sudanese rebels. Vadeboncoeur said that while forced recruitment was probably not taking place, Sudanese rebels were reported to be "encouraging" refugees to join the Sudanese rebel movements in Darfur. Vadeboncoeur also said that some of these rebel leaders were accompanied by Chadian officials, who were traveling with official travel documents signed by the Chadian Minister of Territorial Administration. ¶7. (U) Tripoli Minimize Considered. WALL