Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KINSHASA618
2009-06-29 15:53:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kinshasa
Cable title:  

POSITIVE TREND: CONGOLESE REFUGEES IN

Tags:  PREF PREL PGOV KTIP ZA CG 
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VZCZCXRO1621
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0618/01 1801553
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291553Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9810
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KINSHASA 000618 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PREL PGOV KTIP ZA CG
SUBJECT: POSITIVE TREND: CONGOLESE REFUGEES IN
ZAMBIA RETURNING TO SOUTHEASTERN KATANGA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KINSHASA 000618

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PREL PGOV KTIP ZA CG
SUBJECT: POSITIVE TREND: CONGOLESE REFUGEES IN
ZAMBIA RETURNING TO SOUTHEASTERN KATANGA


1. (SBU) Summary: PRM desk officer and poloff visited the
Congolese refugee camps in northeast Zambia, escorted a return
convoy of 511 refugees to Katanga, and visited refugee return and
reintegration projects June 11-17. The government of Zambia (GRZ)
and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have
increased their efforts to persuade Congolese refugees to return
home. Depending on actual repatriation figures this year and in
response to GRZ demands, UNHCR plans to consolidate Mwange and Kala
refugee camps in October 2010. UNHCR and partners monitor the camps
to ensure that basic standards of care and maintenance are met and
have organized a system to move refugees from camp to home. A key
concern for returning Congolese refugees is access to education and
health services. The GRZ is increasing its efforts to persuade
refugees to return to the DRC. The significant challenge in the
next year will be how the GDRC and GRZ cooperate to repatriate the
remaining refugees in the Zambian camps. End Summary.


2. (U) After June 10 Lusaka meetings with the World Food Program
(WFP),International Organization for Migration (IOM),and the
Government of Zambia refugee agency, PRM desk officer and Kinshasa
poloff visited refugee camps in northeast Zambia which currently
host 24,600 Congolese refugees. Following the camp visits, PRM
deskoff and poloff accompanied a convoy of 511 refugees June 12-13
to the Zambian port of Mpulungu and boarded the "S.S. Liemba" for
the June 13-14 voyage to the Congolese port of Moba. PRM deskoff
and poloff visited UNHCR and NGO refugee reintegration projects in
Moba June 15-17 and monitored the situation of recent returnees and
receiving communities.


3. (SBU) Most of the refugees fled armed conflict in the DRC in
2000 and 2001. Amid spontaneous returns, UNHCR began a facilitated
repatriation program in May 2007 in partnership with IOM. In the
first year, UNHCR facilitated the return of 7,900 refugees to the
DRC; in 2008, 9,700 refugees; for 2009, the UNHCR plans to
repatriate 18,500 Congolese refugees to the DRC. However, planning
figures are based on refugee intention surveys and actual
registrations for return consistently fall short. The 2009

repatriation began on May 9 and 3,359 people had returned in six
convoys as of June. It is unclear if actual returns will reach
planning figures, but enhanced UNHCR, Government of Zambia and donor
efforts to "persuade" refugees to return appear to be resulting in
increased repatriation.

Persuasion
--------------


4. (SBU) In 2009 UNHCR and NGO partners have stepped up
repatriation efforts. According to UNHCR, there are periodic
cross-border planning meetings during which all technical staff come
together to negotiate details of the return operation. They have
facilitated both "go and see" and "come and tell" visits by which
refugees and recent returnees exchange information about conditions
in areas of return. DRC officials have also participated in "come
and tell" visits to encourage their compatriots to return. As
further enticement, UNHCR has added a bicycle and an allotment of
corrugated sheet metal to the return package. UNHCR and the
Government of Zambia have also added messaging that the facilitated
repatriation program will remain open for a limited time.


5. (SBU) The discussion has shifted recently from refugees
protesting return to questions regarding specific details of the
process and the availability of services. The refugees are in
regular communication with returnees and have concerns based on the
stories they are hearing. According to Kala camp refugees who met
with PRM Desk Officer and poloff June 12, their main concerns are:

-- security of belongings en route as they have had news of previous
theft and breakage

-- availability of anti-retroviral drugs (ARV's) and other essential
medicines upon return

-- repatriation package is not all available at one time

-- food ration is only three months

-- only families of three or more receive bicycles and roofing

(Note: UNHCR on both sides of the border is trying to address
refugee concerns. However, the level of social services in the
camps far exceeds that in areas of return and refugees in the camps
may enjoy a relatively higher quality of life. End note.)

Camp Consolidation
--------------

KINSHASA 00000618 002 OF 004




6. (SBU) Depending on actual repatriation figures in 2009 and in
accordance with GRZ demands, UNHCR plans to consolidate Mwange and
Kala refugee camps in October 2010. The GRZ is planning to turn
Mwange into a youth programs facility. The GRZ has shown little
interest in supporting formal local integration of residual DRC
refugees. (Note: Jacob Mphepo, the Zambian Commissioner for
Refugees, explained GRZ's intentions during a June 10 meeting with
PRM Desk Officer, poloff, and UNHCR. The GRZ position on residual
refugees in consistent with its resistance to integrating residual
Angolan refugee populations in the west. End note.)

Camp Care and Maintenance
--------------


7. (SBU) While repatriation is the priority, UNHCR and partners
ensure that basic camp care and maintenance standards are met. Kala
is a model camp in its well-organized design and the ongoing
provision of basic services. (Note: CDC recently gave the health
services in Kala camp an A+ -- AHA is the implementing partner. End
note.) The well-run health center displays organized record keeping
and a demonstrated knowledge of public health, routine medical care,
and emergency procedures. The health center staff disseminates
critical preventative care messages and ensures early reporting of
medical conditions through a network of community health agents.


8. (U) In addition to health care, there is an adequate supply of
clean water in the camp as well as primary education and community
service activities. Refugees have access to 18 liters of water per
person per day. Lines at tap stands are not long and usage
monitoring systems are in place. The water is tested regularly with
most cases of water-borne disease traced to storage practices.
Refugees are engaged in community service activities, organized by
World Vision, as well as small entrepreneurial endeavors.


9. (SBU) The visit to Mwange camp revealed some problems with the
health services, which received a C+ rating from CDC. While the
first line staff was at a training seminar with a UNHCR doctor,
there was no functioning medical backup system in place. A refugee
health worker had just treated diarrhea in a small baby with malaria
medicine without administering a rapid diagnostic test. (Note:
Poloff asked that the child be tested when the lab technician
appeared; the test was negative for malaria. End note.) The staff
was unable to explain the health care system and appeared much less
engaged than counterparts in Kala. UNHCR has reportedly switched
health partners in recent months with the hope of improvement but it
is not evident to date. According to UNHCR, staff exchanges between
the Kala and Mwange camps are planned.


10. (U) In both camps it was common to see one to three small solar
panels in the yard or perched on thatched roofs. Refugees reported
buying the panels in Lusaka for $30 per panel. The panels are used
to charge cell phones, play radios, and light small households.
Some users reportedly generate income by providing charging services
for a fee and others run small "movie theatres." The panels appear
to be affordable, durable, and effective. Also notable in the camps
is the widespread use of fuel efficient adobe-like stove technology
(a wood-saving alternative to the usual three-rock fire).


11. (SBU) The WFP has been operating at 75% of the full ration
since January 2009 (about 1600 calories per day). WFP and camp
health providers are concerned that malnutrition rates will soon
rise. Without contributions WFP expects a further cut in July. WFP
also argued that funding in the next one-two months would enable it
to take advantage of the currently low price of maize on the local
market.

Repatriation Process
--------------


12. (SBU) The repatriation process appears to run efficiently.
This is partly due to the UNHCR-led, weekly team meetings during,
which all partners assess the most recent convoy and plan the next
one. When possible, refugees prefer to return via ship because it
allegedly cuts down on transport time over difficult roads and the
baggage allowance is slightly higher.


13. (U) UNHCR, IOM and partners have an organized system to bring
refugees from camp to home. Refugees first gathered at the
departure center in the camp for out processing and baggage check.
Each carried a small amount of fragile and essential items with them
while stocks of grain, household items, bicycles, and doors and
windows (limited to 70kg per person) were loaded onto large trucks.
Refugees were provided a warm meal at night and high energy
biscuits. There were two rest stops en route from the camp to port.
The facilities were maintained by the local community. Practices

KINSHASA 00000618 003 OF 004


to ensure safety and dignity were respected: for example, women are
not allowed to travel past 32 weeks of pregnancy.


14. (U) On the vessel Liemba, there was enough room for 500
passengers to sit comfortably. (Note: PRM Desk Officer and poloff
noted that increasing refugee numbers on the ship to 600 may create
overcrowding. End note.) Ship staff prepared dinner and breakfast
for all on board. There were toilet and bathing facilities. Also,
there were a sufficient number of life vests, floatation boards and
two emergency boats. However, safety instructions were cursory and
procedures complicated.


15. Following a welcome reception by local authorities upon arrival
in Moba, the returnees disembarked quickly to board trucks from the
port to the transit center. At the transit center returnees went
through an orderly in-screening process, received a meal, and were
allocated a place in a large tent. Those from the immediate area
returned home that day. However, most returnees in the convoy faced
a one to two day follow-on road journey before reaching their final
destination, ironically close to the Zambian border. It appeared
that the length of repatriation journeys to Moba could be reduced to
two-three days if an overland route were taken. UNHCR shared our
concern and told us that it is planning to explore overland
possibilities. UNHCR informed us that a key bridge is out - a fix
that could be a cost-saving alternative to the current routing,
reducing the number of days in a return convoy.

Return and Reintegration Activities
--------------


16. (SBU) Access to adequate health services is a key concern for
returning refugees. In a June 16 visit to Moba Hospital, PRM desk
officer and poloff noted that hospital services were poor despite
recent Taft Fund rehabilitation. Indicative of local
government-provided social services, hospital employees do not
receive salaries. The head nurse explained that at the end of each
month staff collected all "receipts" and divided up the profits as
their salaries. Considering the size of Moba territory, the
hospital was quite empty. UNHCR pays returnee health bills for six
months. In another example of the dysfunctional health care system,
three new ambulances, granted by Katanga provincial authorities,
were parked idle in front of the Moba hospital. The territorial
administration has not provided any fuel. The hospital receives
patients from hundreds of kilometers away, sometimes arriving on the
back of a bicycle.


17. (SBU) HIV/AIDS patients have access to ARV's at six different
health centers/hospitals in Tanganyika District. However, the long
distances patients must travel and poor health service provision
leaves sustainable, long term ARV access in doubt.

Education access
--------------


18. (U) Access to primary education is also an important concern
for returnees. UNHCR covers returnees' school fees for the first
six months, after which the families become responsible. UNHCR and
partners are building decent school structures throughout the
territory, but costs are prohibitively expensive and the quality
questionable.


19. (SBU) A Moba teacher explained that about half of a starting
class has usually dropped out by the end of the school year due to
the inability to pay the $2 per month school fees. School fees,
however, are the only way teachers get paid as the provincial
Ministry of Education is not paying salaries. In addition, in some
cases students are obliged to tend the principal's and teachers'
fields. (Note: This may constitute forced child labor. End note.)



20. (U) WFP appears locked into the three month food ration for
returnees due to competing regional needs and global shortfalls.
Nevertheless, the refugees fare quite well and the disparity with
the receiving community is evident. Community-based efforts to
address return are a priority to mitigate potential conflict
resident-returnee.


21. (SBU) UNHCR works with six NGO partners in the sectors of
protection (ASADHO),health (AHA),logistics (GTZ),education
(ADRA),livelihoods-creation (ACTED),and communication (Search for
Common Ground). PRM partner projects in Katanga include livelihoods
promotion (Catholic Relief Services and Food for the Hungry),mental
health (Center for Victims of Torture),and communication (Search
for Common Ground). PRM Desk Officer and poloff visited different
project sites in Moba territory June 15-17. Most activities are
running on schedule, although there have been some delays. It

KINSHASA 00000618 004 OF 004


appears critical that sufficient management training and
distribution of program materials take place earlier in the project
period than is the current practice. As it is, actual income
generating activities are starting late in the project cycle
allowing little time to monitor impact and modify processes
accordingly.


22. (U) Of special note, CRS's non-food item (NFI) fairs using
vouchers appear to have the most concrete impact on the
beneficiaries and receiving communities. Beneficiaries get what
they need and the local economy profits from the direct injection of
cash. CRS's seed and tool fairs have a similar economic impact on
local growers who are able to sell surplus seeds for profit.


22. (SBU) Coordination meetings take place regularly among UNHCR
and non-UNHCR partners. Relations between NGO's and UNHCR are
reportedly good with NGO's grateful for UNHCR support with logistics
on occasion. Relations with territorial authorities are also
reportedly good though it appears NGO's mainly appreciate their lack
of obstruction rather than any sort of productive cooperation.
Although most of the programs UNHCR and PRM support are
accomplishing their short-term objectives, in almost all cases the
lasting impact is questionable as the GDRC and development partners
are doing little to ensure the long-term provision of infrastructure
and social services in the region.


23. (SBU) Comment: The visit confirmed many of the Congolese
refugees' reservations about repatriation as valid. More needs to
be done to assuage the refugees in the camps that UNHCR is indeed
addressing their concerns. It is evident that the refugees' welcome
in Zambia is wearing out as the GRZ becomes more vocal in their
persuasion for refugee return. However, it is encouraging to see
that the GDRC and GRZ are communicating well and have active
participation in the repatriation process via their representatives
in their respective national refugee agencies. The significant
challenge next year will be how the GDRC and GRZ cooperate to
repatriate the remaining refugees in the Zambian camps. End
Comment.


24. (SBU) Embassy Lusaka has/has cleared this cable.

BROCK