FLEEING VIOLENCE IN NORTHERN CONGO, NEW REFUGEES APPEAR IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGUI 000274

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/C
USUN FOR DMUERS
PARIS FOR RKANEDA
LONDON FOR PLORD
NAIROBI FOR AKARAS
INR FOR JPEKKINEN
DRL FOR SCRAMPTON
PRM/AFR FOR GPARKER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR PREF CT
SUBJECT: FLEEING VIOLENCE IN NORTHERN CONGO, NEW REFUGEES APPEAR IN
THE CAR

REF: A. A - 09 BRAZZAVILLE 345 AND PREVIOUS

B. REF: B - 09 BANGUI 247


1. (U) SUMMARY: A new flow of refugees into the remote
southwestern prefecture of the Lobaye in the Central African
Republic (CAR) is the latest in a series of humanitarian
tragedies to hit the country this year. The latest census
conducted on 14 December 2009 by a joint assessment mission
composed of WFP, HCR and a Dakar-based USAID/Food-for-Peace
Officer reported a caseload of 15,000 Congolese refugees spread
among five camps along the Oubangui River that marks the
boundary between CAR and DRC. The mission also reported that the
number of refugees was expected to increase as more refugees
continued to arrive on a daily basis. Over 45 percent of the
refugees are under 18 years of age. The refugee camps are
located in a densely forested area about 160 km from Bangui.
However, most of the camps, except one, can be reached and
served by road and boat. These refugees fled conflict in
northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) (Ref A),and the
new influx poses significant logistical challenges to relief
efforts and places fresh strains on the already overburdened UN
system in CAR. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) As a result of conflict in DRC, Congolese refugees began
arriving in the Lobaye prefecture of CAR on November 27, 2009
from towns and villages in the northwestern areas of the Equator
Province. According to a joint UN/FFP mission, there are no
wounded or reports of kidnapping, rape victims or victims of
other violence reported among the refugees. The refugees
apparently abandoned their areas of origin to proactively avoid
conflict and dangers they feared were eminently approaching. The
refugees in the camp cited the following as root causes for
their displacement:

-- Interethnic conflict over fishing rights in the village of
Dongo, DRC.

-- A mystico-military movement headed by a young man named Roger
Odjani who has been fighting the Congolese army (FARDC).

-- Fear of reprisals by the FARDC.

-- The alleged fleeing from Libenge by some DRC government
figures and their families.


3. (U) According to reports from one of the five camps, local
authorities in the DCR town of Libenge have called upon the
refugees to return to the town as the conflict is not headed as
far north as the border with the CAR. Never the less, there is
no sign that people are returning. There are ethnic and familial
ties on both sides of the border and, according to the UN, the
refugees are well aware of benefits of remaining refugees versus
returning to DRC as internally displaced persons. According to
observers, many refugees farm on the DRC side during the day and
return to the Central African side at night.


4. (U) For some, this is the third or fourth time they have
sought refuge in the CAR, having suffered through numerous
regional upheavals. They brought with them livestock, clothing,
and some food provisions. As it stands, the most critical and
immediate needs are shelter, healthcare and water and sanitation
services. However, food will become a major priority as refugees
exhaust their food stocks. The principle medical issues,
particularly among the young children, are diarrhea, malaria,
and respiratory illness.


5. (U) The local populations living in the villages and towns
around the refugee camps such as Mongoumba and Zinga are
outnumbered ten to one by the refugees. As a result, in a region
not accustomed to this many people, the competition for the use

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of the local resources may not only be a source of serious
damage to the local environment but a potential source of
conflicts between the host population and the refugees. There
are currently no major problems in accessing most of the
refugee's location by road or by boat, with the exception of one
camp where aid workers need to walk some 45 minutes through
dense forest to reach it.


6. (SBU) The CARG has so far tolerated the presence of these new
refugees and sent along several local government officials on
the UN assessment mission. The USAID/FFP Officer who accompanied
the assessment mission did note, though, that the CARG wants the
refugees out of the CAR by April - the same time as the
scheduled national elections.


7. (SBU) COMMENT: As discussed in Ref B, the humanitarian crisis
in the CAR continues to worsen due to:

-- An increased number of internally displacement of people as a
result of renewed fighting between CARG forces and armed
militias in the northeast,

-- Increasing numbers of refugees from the DRC and increased
insecurity which is significantly limiting humanitarian
agencies' ability to deliver services/assistance to the people
in need (Ref B).

Neither the CARG nor the UN agencies has the additional
resources required for the assistances and services needed by
the current influx of Congolese refugees. Therefore, Post
strongly recommends that USG increases its contributions to the
humanitarian operations in the CAR. END COMMENT.
COOK