ICRC REQUESTS U.S. SUPPORT TO RETURN TO OGADEN

C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 000233

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ADDIS FOR REFCOORD SHEALY
STATE FOR PRM/AFR AND PRM/MCE/ICRC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2018
TAGS: PREF ICRC ET
SUBJECT: ICRC REQUESTS U.S. SUPPORT TO RETURN TO OGADEN

REF: STATE 5906

Classified By: ACTING COUNSELOR DAVID REIMER FOR REASONS 1.4 B&D.


1. (C) Summary: Refugee Officer (RefOff) met with ICRC
officials to discuss ICRC's ongoing efforts to obtain
clarification from the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) as to why
ICRC was expelled from the Ogaden some eight months ago.
ICRC reported that their meeting with the State Secretary of
Foreign Affairs on March 13 had resulted, once again, in an
unsatisfactory response. ICRC requested U.S. help vis-a-vis
the GOE, although ICRC would prefer U.S. intervention be
delivered informally. ICRC suggested the U.S. could urge the
GOE to provide a response to ICRC of its investigation, which
ICRC believes is largely focused on one ICRC staff member,
and to outline a path for their return to the Ogaden. ICRC
is approaching the U.S. only at this time for its support.
End Summary.


2. (C) Refugee Officer (RefOff) met with Daniel Duvillard,
ICRC Head of Operations for East Africa, and Alain Schmid,
Deputy Head of Operations, to discuss ICRC's ongoing efforts
to obtain clarification from the Government of Ethiopia as to
why ICRC was expelled from the Ogaden some eight months ago.
Duvillard reported that their meeting with the State
Secretary of Foreign Affairs on March 13 had resulted, once

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again, in an unsatisfactory response. Duvillard mentioned
that it appears the GOE is focusing its investigation largely
on one former staff who has already been transferred to
another assignment. Nevertheless, according to Duvillard,
the GOE continues to punish ICRC as an institution for what
it characterized as a misinterpretation of the actions of one
staff member.


3. (C) Duvillard said that ICRC's President, Jakob
Kellenberger, had requested previously PRM's support to
return to the Ogaden, but that ICRC had wanted to exhaust all
channels to try to obtain the government's report of their
investigation before deciding to formally request U.S.
intervention. Duvillard said that ICRC now believes it is
time to seek U.S. support with the GOE. Duvillard added that
ICRC's Director of Operations, Pierre Kraenbeuhl, is planning
to write a letter to the GOE, outlining the evolution of the
problem, describing ICRC's efforts to discuss the conclusions
of the government's investigation, and to complain that after
so much time, the GOE has still not provided ICRC with an
adequate response of its investigation nor has the GOE
indicated if they will negotiate ICRC's return to the Ogaden.
Duvillard said that ICRC wanted to keep the issues of the
return to Ogaden separate from their discussions to regain
access to detention facilities and is only seeking U.S. help
for the Ogaden issue.


4. (C) RefOff asked Duvillard how ICRC envisions U.S.
intervention. He said ICRC still did not want the U.S. to
intervene of "behalf of" the ICRC, but said the U.S.
Ambassador in Addis had previously offered to intervene
"informally," during discussions with senior government
officials. He thought the U.S. could discuss with the GOE
the status of their investigation, to encourage the GOE to
provide ICRC with a response to its investigation, and to
indicate to ICRC whether or not the GOE would allow ICRC to
return to the Ogaden. Duvillard said he is not convinced the
GOE wants ICRC to return to the Ogaden, citing ICRC's own
internal operating guidelines and conditions under which ICRC
agrees to work in any given region. He said the GOE may feel
obliged to loosen current restrictions on UN agencies in the
Ogaden if the government were to approve ICRC's return.

COMMENT
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5. (C) Duvillard said that ICRC is only approaching the U.S.
at this stage for assistance. Still, ICRC's wish to keep any
U.S. intervention informal would indicate ICRC is reluctant
to enter into a direct confrontation with the GOE as has
happened in the past (Note: Duvillard mentioned that the
State Secretary had commented to ICRC that the GOE is not
affected by outside pressure. End note.). PRM should
consider how best to intervene with the GOE and possibly to
seek more input from the local ICRC office on the details of
any such message to be passed to the GOE.
TICHENOR