NIGERIA: BAKASSI WITHDRAWAL AND REFUGEE ISSUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 071955

SIPDIS
GENEVA FOR MRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2018
TAGS: PREF CM NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: BAKASSI WITHDRAWAL AND REFUGEE ISSUES

REF: A. (A) LAGOS 224 [NOTAL]

B. (B)ABUJA 1201 [NOTAL]

C. (C)LAGOS 211 [NOTAL]

Classified By: PRM/AFR DIR MARGARET MCKELVEY FOR REASON 1.4(B-D)


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paras 7 and 8.


2. (C) SUMMARY: Per reftels, the latest violence pending
final handover of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon has
generated a flow of some 3000-4000 individuals who have
crossed into Ikang in Nigeria,s Cross River State since June

2008. They have been sheltering in a government primary
school where they are reportedly straining the capacity of
local authorities to respond. Nigerian villagers in
proximity to the Bakassi are reportedly anxious about the
prospect of absorbing those who may relocate voluntarily
and/or flee to Nigeria once Cameroon assumes full control.
Presumably those moving from the Bakassi to Nigeria will be
accepted as Nigerian citizens; any possibility of Bakassi
residents becoming stateless should be nipped in the bud.
While those sheltering in Ikang are not technically refugees
(unless they claim Cameroonian citizenship),UNHCR should be
in a position to advise, if not materially aid, the Nigerian
authorities. The Red Cross system, which has been building
capacity to respond to periodic internal violence and
displacement, should also be in a position to help. And given
the presence of militants who might resist the final
handover, contingency planning for additional inflows would
be prudent. END SUMMARY.

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Background
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3. (C) Reftels (being e-mailed to RMA Geneva) describe the
flight of an estimated 3000-4000 individuals from the Bakassi
Peninsula into Ikang in Nigeria,s Cross River State since
June 9 attacks on Cameroonian gendarmes by militant youths
protesting the upcoming August 14, 2008 transfer of the
territory from Nigeria to Cameroon pursuant to the 2002 UN
International Court of Justice judgment on the disputed
region. Subsequent detention by the Cameroonian authorities
of some 300-500 able-bodied young men from the area led
several thousand women, children, and elderly men to flee.
According to the Cross River State and MFA officials with
whom AmConsul Lagos and Embassy Abuja have spoken, these
people are in a refugee-like status sheltering in a
government primary school and are in need of blankets, food,
and medicines as well as a more sanitary environment. The
Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Cross River
State authorities have provided some, but not enough,
assistance. Despite requests, UNHCR/Nigeria has not visited
Ikang. The State Government has located a rural place where
it intends to relocate the displaced ) some have already
moved out on their own to pursue livelihoods in fishing --
but it is suspected that the land will not be acceptable to
them as they would prefer some virgin land at some distance
from Bakassi. Moreover, villagers located in proximity to
the Bakassi are reportedly not anxious to share with the
newcomers.

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Status of the Uprooted
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4. (C) Reftels suggest that those who fled to Ikang
consider themselves to be Nigerians. As such, they would not
be refugees, though their needs might well be similar to
those of returning refugees, particularly if they do not have
a place of origin to which they can return. The 2002 UN
International Court of Justice judgment requires Cameroon to
protect the rights, infrastructure and welfare of the
Nigerian inhabitants of the Bakassi peninsula, who presumably
will be allowed to become Cameroonian citizens if they so
desire. Presumably those moving from the Bakassi to Nigeria
will be accepted as Nigerian citizens. Of course there have
been some residents of the Bakassi arguing for autonomy or
even independence. What we want to avoid is the possibility
of any Bakassi residents becoming stateless in the final
transfer of authority. (Note. One of the mandates of the
UNHCR is to prevent statelessness. End note.)

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Protection and Assistance for the Uprooted
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5. (SBU) While those sheltering in Ikang are not
technically refugees (unless they are claiming Cameroonian
citizenship),and while the Cross River State authorities and
NEMA appear to have done a very credible job of providing the
necessary protection and assistance (even if there are not
enough blankets and the like) UNHCR could reasonably be
expected to provide some advice and guidance based on its
expertise in camp management/coordination and refugee
return/reintegration. The International Committee of the Red
Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross/Crescent
Societies have worked with the Nigerian Red Cross for years
on building capacity to respond to displacement caused by
communal conflict so the Red Cross system should also be a
resource in addressing the current situation.

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Contingency Planning for Further Displacement
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6. (C) Dissatisfaction by Nigerians living in Bakassi who
object to becoming Cameroonian citizens or living under
Cameroonian control is reportedly high. Per ref B, in a
June 18 meeting, Tony Eze, Director of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA) East and Central Africa Division,
affirmed the GON's overall commitment to meeting the terms of
the 2006 Greentree Agreement, signed by former President
Obasanjo, but voiced a great deal of frustration at
Cameroon's handling of recent violence, and its general lack
of cooperation in bilateral and regional matters. Eze also
hinted that Nigeria might not remain committed to a
date-specific total withdrawal if Cameroon continued to
"violate" the terms of this and other agreements. In the
run-up to and the aftermath of the August 14 handover of the
rest of the Bakassi from Nigeria to Cameroon, tensions could
be expected to increase. Additional displacement could well
be expected and it would be prudent for authorities in both
Nigeria and Cameroon to have thought through where victims of
violence might be sheltered and/or ultimately relocated.
Both UNHCR and the Red Cross could be helpful to the
authorities and should be doing their own contingency
planning.

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Action Requests
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7. (C) For Abuja, Lagos, and Yaounde: Suggest that you
meet with UNHCR and ICRC locally to urge appropriate
attention to the current group of displaced in Ikang and to
urge contingency planning for any further displacement around
the time of the handover. Also, please advise whether there
is any danger of Bakassi residents becoming stateless,
discuss same with UNHCR, and, if you judge that there is
danger, provide recommendations for any steps you think
necessary to forestall it.


8. (SBU) For Geneva: Mission is requested to review the
Bakassi issue with both UNHCR and ICRC, urging support to the
Nigerian (and eventually Cameroonian) authorities in their
response to the current displacement as well as with respect
to contingency planning.
RICE