MALAWI: RWANDAN REFUGEES UNDER THREAT, OR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LILONGWE 000802

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PRM - MARY LANGE, AF/S - ELIZABETH PELLATREAU

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PREL MI
SUBJECT: MALAWI: RWANDAN REFUGEES UNDER THREAT, OR
MISINFORMATION



1. (SBU) Summary: Since the September visit of Rwandan
President Paul Kagame to Malawi, a press report and letters
from Rwandan refugees claim that the government of Rwanda
(GOR) has made threats against the lives of refugees
currently in Malawi. While Rwandan overseas opposition
parties have used the situation to condemn Kagame and the
current government, the GOR is seeking to begin tripartite
talks with the government of Malawi (GOM) and the United
Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) about the
repatriation of the 4000 Rwandan refugees in Malawi. The GOM
is a willing participant due to both refugee fatigue and
increasing complaints about Rwandan refugees successfully
competing against local businesses. While no threats of
violence against Rwandan refugees in Malawi could be
verified, the refugees have a legitimate fear that
intergovernmental negotiations may leave them with the
limited choice of repatriation or fleeing again. End Summary.

Overseas Opposition Parties Seize Attack as Opportunity
-------------- --------------


2. (SBU) On October 9, a Rwandan opposition party coalition
called UDF-Inkingi put out a press release alleging that Dr.
Jean Marie Vianney Rwabukwisi, a Rwandan refugee in Lilongwe,
was attacked in his home by several undercover Rwandan
Patriotic Front (RPF) intelligence operatives. Since
Rwabukwisi is a physician, he is allowed to live and work
outside of the refugee camp and has been working in a clinic
in Lilongwe for eight years. Emboff discussed the attack
with Rwabukwisi who confirmed that one or two shots were
fired into his home on October 1 while he was out of the
house. He stated that his wife and son were at home at the
time of the shots, but were unharmed. Countering claims in
the press release of multiple men entering the house and
destroying belongings, Malawi police reports and Rwabukwisi's
own statements show no one entered the house. It is believed
the shots were fired from outside a security wall surrounding
his home. Police, while still investigating, have no leads
or suspects. Rwabukwisi has been in Lilongwe since 1998 and
is a Malawi permanent resident with no plans to return to
Rwanda. He claimed no political affiliations or motivation
and stated that outside of interactions with Rwandan patients
from the refugee camp who sought him out due to language
difficulties, he had little interaction with other refugees.
Rwabukwisi, while fearful of another attack and while not
entirely ruling out Rwandan involvement in the first attack,
said UDF-Inkingi is just using his misfortune to promote its
own agenda.

Kagame Visit Triggers Rwandan Refugee Response
-------------- -


3. (SBU) Since the three-day visit of Rwandan President Paul
Kagame to Malawi in early September, Rwandan refugees at the
Dzaleka refugee camp have written letters to UNHCR and
several embassies claiming harassment and threats from RPF
officials. During his visit, Kagame was scheduled to meet
with a group of refugees to discuss their concerns about
returning to Rwanda. Before the meeting, the group of
refugees presented a list of concerns in writing including
anti-Hutu bias in the Gacaca courts, the lack of a Hutu day
of mourning, differing levels of assistance to Hutu widows
and orphans, and inequitable distribution of land to
returning refugees. While the list was presented to the
Rwandan delegation, the planned meeting with President Kagame
never occurred.


4. (SBU) Rwandan refugees make up approximately 40% of
Malawi's approximately 10,000 person refugee population. As
of August 31, 3581 Rwandans lived in refugee camps while an
estimated 1000 more have moved into various cities and
villages in the country. Lilian Ng'oma, GOM Commissioner for
Poverty and Disaster Management Affairs who oversees refugee
issues in Malawi, told Emboff that the GOR has tried to
encourage refugees to return voluntarily to Rwanda, but the
refugee population will not trust the GOR. Of the few who
have attempted to return voluntarily, most have come back to
the refugee camp and encouraged the rest to not attempt a
return. The GOM is battling increasing displeasure from
locals who claim Rwandan refugees are opening stores and
undercutting local businesses. Ng'oma stated Rwandans are
often better capitalized because they sold their possessions
before leaving Rwanda and had cash to invest. A UNHCR staff
member admitted to Emboff that Rwandan refugees at the camp
were able to grow cash crops instead of staples since they
were provided food rations and that some had formed
co-operatives and sold tomatoes, onions, and potatoes to

LILONGWE 00000802 002 OF 002


local restaurants and hotels. Ng'oma confirmed that the GOM
and GOR both sought to begin tripartite talks including UNHCR
on the possible repatriation of Rwandan refugees but, both
Ng'oma and UNHCR expressed pessimism given current levels of
distrust between the refugees and GOR. To help facilitate a
possible repatriation, Commissioner Ng'oma said the GOM will
propose that the GOR send down former refugees from Tanzania
and Uganda to discuss current conditions in Rwanda, rather
than GOR representatives.

Xenophobia and Political Agendas Abound
--------------


5. (SBU) Comment: Malawians, who were willing hosts to over 1
million Mozambican refugees in the 1990s and are currently
very tolerant of Zimbabweans mixing into the local
population, clearly have a separate standard for
non-neighbors. Over 90% of refugees in camps in Malawi are
from Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) and these refugees are viewed as outsiders.
Complaints abound from both private and public sources about
the need to close loopholes in the laws that let Rwandan
refugees compete against local Malawians in business.
Moreover, the GOM appears willing to accept the GOR's
statements about current conditions in Rwanda at face value
if it can help lead to the repatriation of over 4000 refugees
from Malawi. The refugee camps undoubtedly are fertile
fields for opposition parties to sow their version of
information about the current situation in Rwanda. As seen
with Dr. Rwabukwisi story, the opposition versions can be
fraught with misinformation. Still, all Rwandan refugees in
Malawi are fearful of forced return if there is an agreement
between the GOM and the GOR.
EASTHAM