US embassy cable - 04MAPUTO547

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000547 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPARTMENT FOR PRM/MLANGE 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, RW, MZ 
SUBJECT: RWANDAN REPATRIATION SET TO BEING THIS SUMMER 
 
REF: A. STATE 73331 
 
B. MAPUTO 7156 
 
1. Econ/pol officer delivered points (ref A) on the 10th 
anniversary of the Rwanda genocide to officials from the 
National Institute to Support Refugees (INAR) and discussed 
the status of the repatriation of Rwandan refugees with local 
UNHCR reps. Both INAR and UNHCR noted that the repatriation 
process is still in the initial phase and that, as a 
voluntary program, large scale repatriation is unlikely in 
the near-term (ref B). According to UNHCR, three Rwandan 
refugees have been voluntarily repatriated since the signing 
of the tripartite agreement in December 2003. UNHCR and INAR 
are currently implementing an information campaign on the 
voluntary repatriation program which will begin in June/July 
of this year. Part of the information campaign will include a 
trip to the Marratane refugee camp in Nampula by a small 
group of recently repatriated Rwandans to talk about their 
experiences. 
 
2. INAR officials are sensitive to the fact that the program 
is voluntary and is working closely with UNHCR on the 
information campaign. However, both UNHCR and INAR 
acknowledge that repatriation may be a hard sell. In many 
cases, the reluctance of Rwandan refugees to be repatriated 
stems from economic rather than security related concerns. A 
number of current Rwandan refugees at Marratane are 
professionals working in Nampula city. A new community center 
and several water/irrigation projects implemented with USG 
funding (septel) have also expanded work opportunities at the 
camp. However, with the camp close to its capacity of 5,000, 
(the camp currently houses over 4,800 refugees, with 100-150 
new arrivals each month, principally from the Great Lakes 
region), successful repatriation of refugees is critical to 
easing the strain on camp resources.? 
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