CONFLICTING RUMORS OF RECRUITMENT OF SOMALI ASYLUM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 002625

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR PRM/AFR, AF/E
GENEVA FOR POL/RMA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/02/2019
TAGS: PREF PREL ET SO
SUBJECT: CONFLICTING RUMORS OF RECRUITMENT OF SOMALI ASYLUM
SEEKERS IN DOLO ODO

REF: A. A) NAIROBI 2169

B. B) NAIROBI 2141

Classified By: Classified by Acting Charge d'Affaires Tulinabo Mushingi
for reasons 1.4 (c) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: UNHCR and the Administration of Refugee and
Returnee Affairs (ARRA) deny that recruitment of refugees or
Somali asylum seekers to fight for the Transitional Federal
Government (TFG) against Al-Shabaab in Somalia is occurring
either in the Dolo Odo transit center or Boquolmayo refugee
camp. However, some international non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) working in the field have suspicions of
recruitment, especially given the proximity of the transit
center to an Ethiopian military camp, but cannot offer any
tangible proof. These rumors may have stemmed in part from
media reports and Embassy Nairobi reporting of Kenyan-Somalis
and Somali refugees being recruited out of Northeast Province
and Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya and the possibility of the
same activities happening in Ethiopia. End Summary.

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Background
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2. (C) In October, Embassy Nairobi reported on
Kenyan-Somalis from Northeast Province and Somali refugees in
Dadaab refugee camp being recruited to fight for the TFG
against Al-Shabaab in Somalia (Refs A&B). As part of this
reporting, UNHCR Kenya Country Representative Liz Ahua stated
that she had received an unconfirmed report of 300 asylum
seekers being recruited out of the Dolo Odo (also known as
Dollo Ado) transit center (Reftel B). The Dolo Odo transit
center is located less than three kilometers from the
Ethiopian/Somali border in southern Ethiopia and currently
houses between 5,000-6,000 refugees awaiting transfer to
Boquolmayo refugee camp located 85 kilometers from Dolo Odo.
Dolo Odo also houses a large Ethiopian military camp that is
located near the transit center.

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Conflicting Reports
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3. (C) UNHCR Ethiopia and ARRA deny that any recruitment of
refugees or Somali asylum seekers is occurring in either Dolo
Odo transit center or Boquolmayo refugee camp. UNHCR
Ethiopia Deputy Country Representative Cosmas Chanda stated
his office had investigated these rumors but did not receive
any confirmation from UNHCR field staff or from local ARRA or
other government officials. International NGOs, on the other
hand, have conflicting opinions on the subject of recruitment
in Boquolmayo camp and the transit center. In casual
conversations, some NGOs opined that recruitment "must be
going on" due to the proximity of the transit center to the
military camp but could not provide any confirming
information. There is also a common belief among some NGOs
that GOE only put a refugee camp near Dolo Odo to facilitate
recruitment and military training as the lack of water, food,
distance from other towns and subsequent transportation
challenges do not make an ideal setting for a refugee camp.
However, other NGOs concur with UNHCR and ARRA that there is
no evidence of recruitment. Two NGOs working in Boquolmayo
camp and Dolo Odo, the Dutch NGO ZOA and International
Medical Corps (IMC),both reported that they had not heard of
any recruitment.

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Comment
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4. (C) It is not uncommon to hear rumors of recruitment in
refugee camps; however, in the case of the Dolo Odo transit
center and Boquolmayo camp, these rumors are very nebulous
and seem to be based primarily on the musings of some NGOs.
At the same time, if recruitment was taking place in refugee
camps in Ethiopia, we are not confident that UNHCR and ARRA
would be forthcoming about it for two reasons: 1) ARRA and
UNHCR staff in the camps might not be energized or motivated
enough to thoroughly investigate the claims without pressure
or direction from the UNHCR office in Addis Ababa, and 2) in
the GOE organization structure, ARRA falls under the Internal
Security Ministry, a government body that would be well-aware
of any recruitment operations. Overall though, this differs
greatly from the situation in Kenya where a variety of
sources reported on specific instances of recruitment. This
incident also provides a good opportunity to reiterate to the
GOE the continued need to respect international humanitarian
law by ensuring that refugee camps in Ethiopia remain
civilian in character and not become a site of recruitment in

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MUSHINGI