REFUGEE UPDATE: MTABILA BURUNDI RESIST RETURN; UNHCR ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000882 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E JTREADWELL, PRM WHENNING, INR FEHRENREICH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PREF TZ SUBJECT: REFUGEE UPDATE: MTABILA BURUNDI RESIST RETURN; UNHCR ON TANZANIA'S RETURN OF CONGOLESE REF: A. DAR ES SALAAM 758, B. DAR ES SALAAM 829 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Despite UNHCR's increased efforts to encourage refugees in the Mtabila camp to return to Burundi, there has been little movement. UNHCR suspects camp leaders are conducting intimidation campaigns to discourage repatriation. Following UNHCR's protest of the Tanzania's return of a group of new arrivals from DR Congo without proper screening, the GOT has committed to following proper procedures in future. GOT progress on planning for the local integration of the naturalized 1972 Burundian population remains slow. END SUMMARY. Mtabila Camp: Refugees Holding Tight -------------- ¶2. (SBU) UNHCR Acting Representative Indrika Ratwatte told donors on December 11 that Burundian refugees in Mtabila camp continued to resist repatriation. However, only 35 percent of the refugees cited security concerns as the reason for their reluctance to return to Burundi, according to a population profile completed in October ¶2009. UNHCR therefore had decided to increase incentives for a period of six weeks, in hopes of substantially decreasing the camp's population. The new repatriation package, announced December 7, includes USD150 per person, a new bike for each family, a six month ration of food and non-food items, and assistance in reclaiming or identifying land for settlement. Although UNHCR was hopeful it would see an immediate response from the refugees, these enhancements have not increased voluntary repatriation. UNHCR suspects camp leaders are conducting intimidation campaigns to limit repatriation. ¶3. (SBU) UNHCR will continue to offer the package through January 15, after which it will ask the GOT for additional time to encourage voluntary repatriation. However, Ratwatte said the regional authorities in the Kigoma region are losing patience. In particular, Ratwatte noted their concerns about Tanzania playing host to a Hutu group, suspected to support former FNL rebel Pasteur Habimana, as the July 2010 Burundi elections approach(ref a and b). Return of Unscreened Congolese: UNHCR Protests -------------- - ¶4. (SBU) On November 11 and 12, 72 Congolese who arrived by boat on November 8 were returned by the regional authorities in Kigoma despite UNHCR's interventions with the local authorities and the Ministry of Home Affairs. According to UNHCR, these Congolese claimed to be fleeing hostilities between Mai Mai insurgents and Congolese army forces in the Fizi Territory of South Kivu. However, Ratwatte said GOT officials suspected these individuals to be relatives of soldiers, seeking safe shelter for their families in advance of renewed fighting. (Note: This is consistent with what we heard from GOT sources (ref b). End Note.) UNHCR lodged a protest with the Ministry of Home Affairs about this action, emphasizing the need for GOT to allow UNHCR to evaluate claims to refugee status before individuals are returned. Ratwatte said he received assurances from the GOT that in future UNHCR would be permitted to evaluate all claims of refugee status. ¶5. (SBU) Following the significant number of new arrivals in September and October, Ratwatte reported there were no new arrivals from DRC between mid-November and mid-December. He noted that the National Eligibility Commission reviewed 376 asylum claims for 784 persons who arrived between May and November 2009. (Note: The Commission is headed by the Director of Public Prosecution and comprises representatives from the Office of the President, the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs, Office of the Inspector General of Police, Office of the Zanzibar Chief Minister, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and UNHCR/UNICEF (as observers only). End Note.) The Commission rejected all but 15 because they did not come from conflict zones within DR Congo. Those whose applications were rejected, however, have been granted a temporary right to remain in Tanzania because UNHCR will not return any individuals to DR Congo until the situation stabilizes. Local Integration of 1972 Burundi -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The GOT's plans to "integrate" the naturalized 1972 Burundi population remain nascent (Note: The GOT continues to insist that the former refugees will be dispersed around Tanzania and away from the settlements. End Note.). On December 7, The Prime Minister's Office of Regional Administration and Local Governance (PMO-RALG) DAR ES SAL 00000882 002 OF 002 convened its first meeting with eight Regional Commissioners and UNHCR to discuss local integration plans. Ratwatte commented that Minister of State Celina Kombani was not engaged on the issue and had been poorly prepared by her senior advisors. The GOT had not coordinated in advance on the process of integration or the roles and responsibilities of local authorities. Thus, little progress was made. PMO-RALG plans to hold an internal meeting in January to identify the "modalities" for local integration before re-engaging UNHCR on the issue. Global Appeal -------------- ¶7. (U) Although there were only two donor representatives present at this pre-holiday meeting, Ratwatte presented the outline of the 2010 Global Appeal. UNHCR is seeking USD32 million for refugee programs and an additional USD13 million for local integration projects in Tanzania. Some expenses related to the local integration effort are embedded in the USD32 million for refugee programs. (Note: Ratwatte told PolOff and PRM's Wendy Henning in October that the cost of local integration would be more than USD20 million per year for two years. (ref a)) LENHARDT