US embassy cable - 04KINSHASA1468

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001468 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2013 
TAGS: RW, CG, PGOV PREL 
SUBJECT: UNHCR REPATRIATES 283 AS PART OF ONGOING 
REPATRIATION EFFORT 
 
Classified By: Poloff Meghan Moore for Reasons 1.5 B and D 
 
1. (U) Summary: UNHCR repatriated July 26-27 a total of what 
UNHCR believed to be 283 Rwandan refugees from S. Kivu to 
Rwanda as part of an ongoing repatriation effort. Once they 
crossed the border, however, many "refugees" said they were 
really Congolese who wished to stay in the Congo. While these 
individuals might indeed be savvy Congolese using the 
international assistance network to their advantage, they 
also could be pawns in a game designed to embarrass both the 
Congolese government and the UN. End Summary. 
 
2. (C) On July 27, UNHCR Acting Country Representative told 
poloff that July 26-27, UNHCR repatriated a total of what it 
believed to be 283 Rwandan refugees (50 men, 63 women and 170 
children) from S. Kivu to Rwanda as part of an ongoing 
repatriation effort. (Note: From Jan 1-May 30, UNHCR 
repatriated 2544 Rwandans from South Kivu to Rwanda. Due to 
insecurity in Bukavu during June, only 19 were repatriated. 
End note.) 
 
3. (C) The UNHCR rep. said the refugees contacted a local NGO 
in Bunyakiri on July 23 and told the staff they were Rwandan 
refugees who wished to return to Rwanda. On July 24-25, they 
were transported from Bunyakiri to Bukavu for standard UNHCR 
refugee screening and processing. On July 25, the group told 
UNHCR Bukavu Protection Officer that everyone in the group 
was born in the DRC, children of Rwandan immigrants from the 
1930s-1950s. They identified themselves as Rwandan nationals, 
and said they wished to return to Rwanda. On July 26, UNHCR 
Bukavu Protection Officer interviewed the men and women 
separately. The men said that the main reason they left their 
homes outside Bunyakiri was due to clashes on or about July 
16 between the 10th Military Region and Nkunda's troops. They 
said that 10th Military Region troops forced them to leave 
the area and they were forced to go to the UNHCR repatriation 
center at Bunayakiri. The men reported two cases of female 
rape, but the women reported no rapes. Neither group said 
that they had been mistreated by Mabe's soldiers, held in a 
detention facility, or tortured. At the Bukavu transit 
center, each family was interviewed separately and completed 
voluntary repatriation forms. Once they crossed the border, 
however, the Acting Country Rep said they changed their 
story, said they had lied to UNHCR about being Rwandan, were 
really Congolese, and wished to stay in the Congo. In 
response, the S. Kivu governor initially agreed to let them 
to return to the DRC. He then said that they should stay in 
Rwanda while their true status was determined. On July 30, 
the Rwandan government granted asylum to this group and moved 
them to a refugee camp. 
 
4. (C) On July 27, Acting UNHCR Country Representative told 
poloff  he was surprised and disappointed by the extensive 
negative attention this case had received. In his opinion, 
UNHCR staff responded according to their standard procedures, 
did what they thought was appropriate, and were blindsided 
when the group crossed the border and declared they were 
expelled Congolese citizens. On July 30, two MONUC civilian 
officers separately told poloff that the whole story was 
really 'fishy.' MONUC poloff said that this may be related to 
the larger issue of attempting to portray the current Kivus 
conflict as an ethnic one. She said hardline Banyamulenge 
leader Benoit Kadage and the GOR have been working together 
to prevent moderate Banyamulenge refugees from meeting with 
GDRC officials. For example, on July 30, the Minister of 
Social Affairs and S. Kivu Vice Governor (himself a 
Banyamulenge) met with Banyamulenge refugees in Burundi while 
waiting to receive clearance from the GOR to meet with 
Banyamulenge refugees in Cyangugu. As of August 3, MONUC 
Bukavu reported that clearance had not been given, and the 
Minister had not been able to meet with the refugees. In 
addition, 12 moderate Banyamulenge leaders who were invited 
by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)  to 
participate in a reconciliation ceremony in Bukavu  were 
unable to participate because they had been intimidated and 
kept in Cyangugu by Kadage. (Comment: This is not the first 
time that Kadage has been accused of preventing refugees from 
returning or meeting with Congolese officials. He has also 
been accused of helping Nkunda recruit soldiers, including 
child soldiers, from refugee camps in Rwanda. End comment.) 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
5. (C) Clearly, UNHCR had no intention of forcibly expelling 
Congolese citizens.  There also are suspicious elements to 
this story, such as why this particular group assembled in 
Bunyakiri (where other IDPs were not), told at least two 
organizations they were Rwandan, and only changed their story 
when they crossed the border. Maybe they were scared and did 
what they could to move from what they perceived as a 
dangerous location, or maybe they are pawns in a game 
designed to embarrass both the Congolese government and the 
UN. This case clearly illustrates some of the complexities 
surrounding the nationalities issue in the Congo, including 
how individuals within groups identify themselves (i.e., 
Rwandan vice Congolese), and how outsiders, such as UNHCR and 
local Congolese authorities, define groups. 
MEECE