REFUGEE REFERRAL FOR LIBERIAN REFUGEES WILMAH

C O N F I D E N T I A L ACCRA 000654 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2017 TAGS: PREL PHUM GH LI SUBJECT: REFUGEE REFERRAL FOR LIBERIAN REFUGEES WILMAH MARTHA JACOBS AND TETEE JANJAYAMARS WILSON REF: 03 STATE 326248 Classified By: REF COORD NATE BLUHM FOR REASON 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Embassy Accra hereby refers Tetee Janjayamars Wilson and Wilmah Martha Jacobs to the U.S. Resettlement Program, together with Wilmah's son, Tetee's daughter, and four foster children whose mother was brutally murdered in June 2006. They have presented evidence of fear of persecution based on their political opinion as supporters of former President Doe. The death of their mother Amelia has deeply traumatized the foster children, who need to be resettled to a third country. The perpetrator was Amelia's husband, who set her on fire, trampled on their three-month infant, and torched their house. He later confessed and remains behind bars in Accra, awaiting trial. Amelia's cousin Tetee and sister Wilmah have assumed responsibility for the children's care, but Tetee is unemployed and Wilmah earns only a modest income from braiding hair. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Post's refugee referral is for two linked cases. The first case is comprised of Wilmah Martha Jacobs, DPOB: 01 MAY 1984, Monrovia, Liberia, who has taken refuge in Ghana along with one family member: SON: Mousa Dassama, Jr. (DPOB: 05 OCT 2003, Budumburam, Ghana) ¶3. (C) The second case is for Tetee Janjayamars Wilson, DPOB: 17 SEP 1975, Monrovia, Liberia, who has taken refuge in Ghana along with five family members: DAUGHTER: Musu Secret Scott (DPOB: 12 JUN 1997, Monrovia, Liberia) FOSTER NEPHEW: Bennigo Jacobs (DPOB: 10 NOV 1990, Monrovia, Liberia) NIECE: Diamond Chayee (DPOB: 10 JAN 1995, Monrovia, Liberia) NIECE: Sam-Melia David-Etta Witherspoon (29 NOV 2000, Budumburam, Ghana) NIECE: William Etta Byrle Witherspoon (19 APR 03, Budumburam, Ghana) ¶4. (C) JACOBS' STORY: Jacobs was living a large house in Liberia with her extended family, including her sister Amelia, who was the biological mother of the nieces mentioned in para 3. At the time, a tenant by the name of "Brother Harris," who was suspected of being a rebel sympathizer, boarded with them. At one point, Harris had stopped paying rent and the family had to evict him. Jacobs described her father as a traveling salesman, an ethnic Bassa who was not involved in politics. When fighting broke out on April 6, 1996, Harris returned to Jacobs' home to seek revenge but was unable to force the door open. The entire family moved to a different neighborhood and one year later relocated to Mabakle. Harris visited the family again, forcing them outside. He used a pliers to remove Jacobs' toenail but scattered along with his four or five accomplices when the Liberian army arrived on the scene. Jacobs, Amelia, and the children fled to Danane, Cote d'Ivoire, and on May 12 arrived in Budumburam, Ghana. In 2003, the two separated, with Jacobs moving to Eastern Region, earning a livelihood as a hairdresser. Two months after Amelia was murdered, Jacobs returned to Budumburam to help her cousin Tetee Janjayamars Wilson take care of Amelia's children. UNHCR believes it would be in the best interests of the children to be resettled with both care givers. ¶5. (C) WILSON'S STORY: Wilson, cousin to Wilmah and Amelia, lived with her parents elsewhere in Monrovia, where her father worked for the government as the head of the Traffic Department within the Ministry of Public Works. Consequently, her father was sought out by rebel forces who came looking for him in April 1998, after the political environment had changed. Fortunately, her father had already fled to Guinea. The rebels forced everyone outside the house and began beating the occupants. After hitting Wilson on the wrist and the face, rebels sprinkled gasoline around the property. It was then that the rebel leader received a telephone call and left the scene without resorting to further violence. Although the situation was difficult, her father returned to Liberia around May 1998. Jacobs decided to move to Grand Bassa County in September 1998, where she remained for two years. In 2000, she met a friend who told her that Amelia and Wilmah were in Ghana. On September 21, 2000, Wilson fled Liberia, fearing she would be killed because of her father's association with the Doe regime. She has remained in Budumburam Camp since that time, moving in with the nieces and foster nephew mentioned in para 3 after their mother was killed. Wilson is unemployed, relying on UNHCR assistance. The nieces and foster nephew describe themselves as equally close to both caregivers, Wilson and Jacobs. Bennigo's biological parents are unknown; Amelia had raised him as her own child from his infancy until her untimely death nine months ago. ¶6. (C) Post has corroborated the family composition with UNHCR and will arrange for a BID consultant to interview the nieces and foster nephew. PRM has recommended that these four children be included in Wilson's case for humanitarian reasons, although they were not living together as an economic unit in Liberia, their country of origin. Jacobs claims to have another son, Trokon Flo, whose present whereabouts are unknown. BRIDGEWATER