Uganda: UNHCR Preparing for Congolese Returns to DRC

UNCLAS KAMPALA 000727 DEPT FOR PRM/AFR, GENEVA FOR RMA SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF EAID PINS UG CG SUBJECT: Uganda: UNHCR Preparing for Congolese Returns to DRC ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On May 29, 2008, RefCoord met with acting UNHCR country Representative, Montserrat Vihe, in Kampala. Vihe said that the Government of the DRC had invited the Government of Uganda to attend tripartite discussions in Kinshasa in the coming weeks. The GoU, in anticipation of the meetings requested UNHCR funding for the travel of Office of the Prime Minister Refugee officer Douglas Asiimwe, and Refugee, and one assistant to attend the meetings. End summary. CONGOLESE MAY BE GOING HOME FROM UGANDA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (SBU) According to Vihe, UNHCR in Bunia, DRC reported that Congolese, refugees and others, are crossing the border from Uganda and the DRC and requesting assistance. As of May 2008, UNHCR-Uganda had not registered any Congolese departures from the Ugandan settlements. However, Vihe said her office would check to verify the information from the DRC. The GoU reported that as many as 100 Congolese crossed back into the DRC in the past week. ¶3. (SBU) Vihe opined that any border crossers could be returning home to work and maintaining residence in the settlements to receive service. The Uganda-DRC border is poorly patrolled, and only partially demarcated. Monitoring movements was difficult for both UNHCR and the GoU. ¶4. (SBU) UNHCR could not dismiss the possibility that armed groups from North Kivu were not recruiting young people into their ranks within the DRC. However, refugees in Uganda had not reported recruitment attempts. INTENTION SURVEYS SHOW LITTLE RETURN INTEREST - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (SBU) Vihe said that Congolese refugees, when asked, showed little interest in return to DRCongo. The refugees sited security concerns as their chief reason for staying in Uganda. Vihe said she believed that once security returned to the Kivus, refugees would return in significant numbers. According to Vihe's estimate, the lack of services at home, and relative comfort of Uganda would not influence families to remain in Uganda. UNHCR-DRC PREPARING FOR RETURNS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (SBU) UNHCR-DRC was preparing for the tripartite meeting and for the returns of Congolese from Uganda. Uganda accepted the invitation to the technical meetings and Senior Refugee Officer Douglas Asiimwe planned to travel to Kinshasa on June 12, 2008. ¶7. (SBU) To facilitate operations in the Kivus, UNHCR assigned a senior staff member to the DRC office, The Chief of Office would have some decision-making authority while still technically reporting to UNHCR-Kinshasa. Strengthening the Goma office was a concession to the difficulties of running the Kivu program from Kinshasa. (Note: The Goma office of the UN Observer Mission to Congo (MONUC),UNHCR's partner in the protection cluster, would assist integration in the event of refugee returns to North Kivu). ¶8. (SBU) Vihe explained that logistical and administrative support for the Goma and Bukavu UNHCR offices comes from Kampala, rather than Kinshasa, because of the difficult communications links within DRC. With more authority in Goma, UNHCR will be better able to react to rapid changes in North and South Kivu. However, Vihe said her office had little contact with the Kampala MONUC office. Comment--UN Delivering Refugees as one - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶9. (SBU) UNHCR should inform MONUC of all aspects of the repatriation effort, beginning at the tripartite agreement stage. The Uganda repatriation process will require close cooperation between UNHCR and MONUC in DRC and in MONUC's branch office in Kampala. The UNHCR Goma, DRC office and its Bunia sub-office will be the key receiving office for DRC. MONUC would assist in the resettlement, protection, and integration of the returnees. MONUC political and military offices would be central to conflict resolution in the event of difficulties between returnees and long-term residents. End comment. Browning