US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI1473

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 001473 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF AND AF/E; LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER; 
NAIROBI PLEASE PASS USAID (FESSENDEN) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PREF, DJ, SO 
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI REFUGEE REPATRIATION UPDATE 
 
Classified By: Cons/Pol Andrea K. Lewis 
For reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (U) Summary:  Close to 19,000 people continue to be fed 
in Djibouti's three refugee camps.  The United Nations High 
Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Program 
(WFP) are coordinating efforts to assist with voluntary 
repatriation of refugees back to Somalia.  Their work is 
carried out through the Djiboutian National Office for 
Assistance to Refugees and Disaster Victims (ONARS) 
Difficulties with transportation logistics and conflicting 
interests of organizers hamper repatriation efforts.  End 
summary. 
 
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Repatriations to Northern Somalia (Somaliland) 
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2.  (U) Of the 19,000 refugees in Djibouti, roughly 13,000 
registered as originating from Somaliland, the 
self-proclaimed republic occupying the northernmost province 
of Somalia.  Somaliland is now considered stable enough for 
those refugees to return home after 13 years in Djibouti. 
 
3.  (U) The Somlalilanders are concentrated in the two 
largest refugee camps in Djibouti: Holl Holl and Ali Addeh. 
As of October 7, 2004 (the most recent count) Holl Holl 
harbors and feeds 6,855 individuals and Ali Addeh has 7,466. 
 
4.  (U) Between February and October this year, 7,575 
individuals turned in their ration cards and accepted 
resettlement packages.  Up to 1,200 additional refugees in 
Holl Holl and Ali Addeh have signed up for repatriation and 
are expected to turn in their ration cards by the end of 
2004. 
 
5.  (U) UNHCR and WFP observers verify that despite pressures 
from the Djiboutian Minister of the Interior to empty the 
camps, repatriation continues to be voluntary.  When a 
refugee signs up to return home, they are assigned to a 
convoy to be taken to Hargeisa.  At the time of departure, 
they turn in their ration cards and receive an assistance 
package, which includes a small amount of cash as well as 
nine months of staple foods. 
 
6.  (U) Since February, 13 convoys have departed Djibouti for 
Hargeisa  According to a local UNHCR representative, more 
frequent convoys are not possible because the resettlement 
programs in Hargeisa are struggling to absorb the inflow, 
which also includes refugees returning from camps in 
Ethiopia. Due to food crises in Ethiopia, emptying those 
camps has been a higher priority to WFP and UNHCR. 
 
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Repatriations to the rest of Somalia 
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7.  (U) The transit camp, Aour Aoussa harbors mostly refugees 
from Southern and Central Somalia.  A registration drive 
completed in early November counted 3,395 individuals living 
in Aour Aoussa.  ONARS oversaw the registration process, and 
simultaneously identified 1,342 candidates for voluntary 
repatriation. 
 
8.  (U) Such a high percentage of Aour Aoussa residents 
wanting to return home surprised organizers.  They are now 
grappling with the difficult logistics of the repatriation. 
The individuals come from all over Somalia and multiple 
repatriation destinations must be accommodated. 
Additionally, the mode of transportation is undecided.  One 
UNHCR representative informed ConOff that they are 
discouraging boat transport because of perceived difficulties 
in loading and unloading the available vessels.  However, 
they are balking at the quoted costs of using planes. 
 
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The future of the refugee camps 
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9.  (U) Between 300 and 400 individuals in Holl Holl and Ali 
Addeh are not considered eligible candidates for 
repatriation.  These include refugees from the war between 
Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as Somali individuals awaiting 
visa petitions submitted by relatives in the U.S., Canada or 
the U.K. 
 
10.  (U) UNHCR and WFP hope to encourage all Somalilanders to 
return home by the end of 2006.  The plan then would be to 
move those individuals ineligible for repatriation together 
with anyone who chooses not to repatriate to Central or 
Southern Somalia into one refugee camp, and close the other 
two camps. 
 
11.  (SBU) Between February and October 2004, 7,575 
individuals turned in their ration cards and accepted 
resettlement packages.  However, according to local UNHCR 
representatives, only 20% of those that accepted the package 
actually crossed the border into Somalia.  It is unknown how 
many of the remaining 80% were actually bone fide refugees 
who have chosen to stay illegally in Djibouti, and how many 
were actually Djiboutian citizens who managed to get a ration 
card illicitly.  Some of those may have been staying in the 
camps, while many may have been dwelling and working 
elsewhere, coming to the camps only for the meals. 
 
12.  (C) Comment:  The high number of "repatriation 
candidates" that do not leave Djibouti is worrisome.  Most 
are suspected to be Djiboutian citizens that were simply 
getting free food.  The fraud is particularly egregious since 
most "refugees" have been collecting free meals for close to 
13 years.  However, whether they leave Djibouti or not, the 
number of individuals being fed through refugee aid money is 
decreasing, so involved parties seem to prefer not to 
acknowledge the issue. 
 
13.  (C) Local government officials may also be exerting 
quiet pressure to turn a blind eye to this practice, as it is 
in their interest to have their constituents fed.  ConOff was 
informed that any scheduled repatriations in early 2005 were 
likely to be postponed or canceled as repatriations will be 
an unpopular issue during the campaign season leading to 
elections in March. 
 
14.  (C) The Djiboutian Government has mandated that all 
refugee work by UNHCR, WFP, or any other similar organization 
must be coordinated locally through the National Office for 
Assistance to Refugees and Disaster Victims ONARS. 
Conversations with ONARS officials confirm post suspicions 
that they will have little to do and may lose their funding 
if the total number of refugees in Djibouti drops below 
5,000.  They recognize their vested interest in keeping the 
refugee numbers high.  While they seem to be cooperating for 
now, repatriations may find logistics becoming increasingly 
difficult throughout 2005 as the coordinators attempt to 
extend their employment. End comment. 
RAGSDALE