US embassy cable - 04ACCRA2241

UNCLAS ACCRA 002241 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, PHUM, IV, GH, refugees 
SUBJECT:  REFUGEE SITUATION IN GHANA 
 
REF:  STATE 241606 
 
1.  Per reftel, Emboff met with the head of the political 
department at MFA.  GOG officials assured him that Ghana 
would not object if there were to be a flood of Ivorian 
refugees entering Ghana.  Large numbers could cause 
logistical problems, but the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) 
had the lead on this issue.  In a separate conversation, an 
official at the MOI said that Ghana would maintain its "open 
door" policy toward refugees.  The MOI had already 
identified three potential sites near the Ivorian border 
that could be used to house large numbers of refugees 
temporarily. 
 
2.  Partly to assess the situation near the border, Ref 
Coord visited the Krisan refugee camp, located 30 miles east 
of the Ivorian frontier, on November 9.  At that point there 
had been no new admissions of Ivorian refugees.  Thanks to 
active U.S. and Australian resettlement programs, total 
refugee population there had declined from a peak of 3,800 
to less than 1,000, including 500 Togolese, 300 Liberians, 
180 Sudanese, and a smattering of seven other nationalities, 
none of them numbering more than 35.  There was no longer 
any full-time NGO presence at the camp, although a UN 
volunteer continued to provide medical services at the 
clinic. 
 
3.  UNHCR Resettlement Officer Peter Trotter told Ref Coord 
today that 14 busloads of third country nationals had 
entered Ghana from Cote d'Ivoire over the past week.  Mainly 
Malians and Burkinabes, the passengers were all expected to 
proceed to their countries of origin to wait out the 
cessation of hostilities.  Ironically, somewhere between 
1,500 and 5,000 Ivorians had fled into Nimba County, 
Liberia, where many Liberians who had formerly taken refuge 
in Cote d'Ivoire now resided.  Trotter confirmed that UNHCR 
had worked with the GOG on a contingency plan, but noted 
that in 2001 they had planned for up to 120,000 Ivorian 
refugees; the actual number of arrivals ended up being only 
120. 
 
4.  Post will continue to keep addressees apprised of any 
significant movement of refugees. 
 
YATES