MAURITANIAN REFUGEES IN SENEGAL GOING HOME

UNCLAS DAKAR 002259 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL AND INR/AA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PREF MR SG SUBJECT: MAURITANIAN REFUGEES IN SENEGAL GOING HOME REF: A) Dakar 1764 B) Dakar 1577 C) Dakar 1570 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) In a November 13 meeting hosted by the French Embassy, Rosaline Idowu, Regional representative for the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR),said that UNHCR and the governments of Senegal and Mauritania had signed an agreement to repatriate Mauritanian refugees living in Senegal. The process is expected to begin after a three-day National Forum, to be held Nouakchott, irons out any outstanding problems not addressed in the repatriation agreement. Out of an estimated 30,000 refugees, at least 24,000 are expected to return. The refugees will not sign a repatriation agreement until the National Forum is held. End Summary ¶2. (U) After years of neglect by the Mauritanian government, Senegal's Mauritanian refugees will be able to go home as soon as early December, said UNHCR's Rosaline Idowu following the signing of a repatriation agreement by the GOS and GOM on November 12. Before the repatriations begin, Mauritanian President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi will lead a National Forum November 19-21 in Nouakchott, to try to get to grips with remaining contentious issues such as who is a Mauritanian. For example, many nomadic Peul people, who are native to both Senegal and Mauritania, have no papers and roam hundreds of kilometers with their herds. The government and representatives of the refugees still need to agree on how the re-insertion will take place, how property that has been seized or occupied by "Arab" Mauritanians will be returned to repatriated black "African" Mauritanians or new properties distributed. Moreover, the two sides need to decide who will get compensated for what and whether refugees be able to return to their old jobs. The government of Mauritania is not expected to set up tribunals to punish the perpetrators of crimes committed during the 1989 conflict but will acknowledge that crimes were committed and recognize those who have lost someone. Supporting the Mauritanian Government -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Idowu pointed out that this is a very sensitive process and that if Mauritian President Abdallahi is not successful it may have repercussions for his administration. She agreed that the Mauritanian government is still an extremely fragile one and that international assistance both financially and politically would go a long way in bringing about a successful resolution to a problem that has not been resolved in close to twenty years. In reply to a question from PolOff about who would pay for it, she wryly said that the United States and European countries would be the first to be asked to assist in providing the USD 7 million billion needed to implement the repatriation. SMITH