US embassy cable - 05DARESSALAAM212

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000212 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NAIROBI FOR FFP BACON 
KAMPALA FOR REFCORD 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958:02/01/2015 
TAGS: PREF, PHUM, PGOV, TZ 
SUBJECT: MINISTER ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL: "BURUNDIAN REFUGEES, 
GO HOME" 
 
REF: A) DAR ES SALAAM 156 
 
     B) DAR ES SALAAM 148 
     C) 04 DAR ES SALAAM 2635 
 
Classified by Pol-Econ Officer Jen Peterson for reason 
1.4(b) 
 
1.  (U)  This message contains an action request  lease 
see paragraph 10. 
 
2. (C) Summary:  Minister for Home Affairs Omar Mapuri, who 
is also a dark horse CCM Presidential candidate, campaigned 
in Western Tanzania Jan 23-25. His public remarks were 
marked by strong anti-refugee statements, which included 
blaming refugees for the region's poverty, increases in 
crime, and environmental degradation. He ended one address 
to Burundian refugees by advising them to go home now. End 
Summary. 
 
3. (C) This cable is drawn from field notes provided by 
UNHCR's Dar es Salaam office, articles in a newspaper owned 
by the ruling CCM party, and discussions with the 
UNHCR/Tanzania's Deputy Director Fabrizio Hochschild. 
 
4. (SBU) On January 23, Minister Mapuri made measured 
remarks to Burundian refugees at Kanebwa camp in Kibondo 
district.  He said this was his first visit to a refugee 
camp in this district and that refugees were welcome.  He 
highlighted Tanzania's efforts in peace talks between the 
political parties in Burundi.  He said refugees should 
consider going back voluntarily, even though the peace 
process is going slowly, so that they can be involved in 
building peace and can participate in the Burundian 
national elections.  He added that when the situation in 
Burundi reached a stage whereby refugees have no reason not 
to return, then the GOT will change Burundians' status from 
refugees to illegal immigrants.  He said the Tanzanian 
authorities do not want to reach that stage.  He ended by 
re-affirming the GOT's commitment to hosting the refugees 
until time the refugees can return in safety and dignity. 
In a dinner with the UNHCR head of sub-office, Minister 
Mapuri said that he did not expect refugees repatriations 
to rise significantly, but that the government was 
impatient for them to return. 
 
5. (SBU) The next day when he addressed refugees briefly in 
Mtabila, during heavy rains, his remarks were considerably 
more anti-refugee.  His concluding words were "Tanzania, is 
tired of hosting you, UNHCR, WFP and their partners are 
tired of looking after you, and the international community 
is tired of supporting you.  You should go home now".  The 
majority of his speech was inaudible because of the rains. 
 
6. (C) At a Jan 25 political rally in Kigoma town, where he 
addressed 200-250 people, Minister Mapuri's remarks were 
also stridently anti-refugee.  He began by denouncing 
opposition parties [Note: The ruling party, CCM, lost 
Kigoma region to the largest opposition party, the CUF, in 
the 2000 presidential elections because of the CUF's 
electoral alliance with the opposition CHADEMA. End Note]. 
He then blamed refugees and illegal immigrants for various 
problems.  He said, "Tanzanians have to share our meager 
resources with them, which is why Kigoma is poor and 
developing". He reiterated the standard CCM party line that 
now is the time for Burundian refugees to return so they 
can participate in peace building efforts. 
 
7. (SBU) At the political rally, Mapuri also discussed 
Burundian "old caseload" refugees of 1972.  Minister Mapuri 
said Ministry of Home Affairs was swamped with wrongful 
claims of citizenship from Burundians.  He noted that 
Tanzanian law only permits citizenship for people who have 
at least one Tanzanian parent; furthermore, Tanzanian 
citizenship must be invoked at age 18. He said there was no 
distinction between Burundian refugees who remained in the 
country on a long-term basis and more recent arrivals; both 
groups must return to Burundi.  He ended by decrying the 
presence of illegal immigrants, noting they would be 
subject to deportation proceedings, and requested citizens 
to cooperate with relevant authorities in enforcing the 
law.  He congratulated Congolese refugees for returning 
spontaneously without UNHCR assistance, contrasting 
Congolese repatriation with the disappointingly slow pace 
of the UNHCR-organized Burundian repatriation. 
 
8. (U) On January 26, the CCM-owned newspaper Uhuru carried 
an editorial titled "It's High Time Burundian Refugees 
Returned Home" [See reftel C] covering Minister Mapuri's 
visit.  The editorial blamed refugees for crime and 
environmental degradations.  The editorial ended by noting 
that Mapuri "had given the refugees reasonable notice so 
they can prepare themselves for their return". 
 
9. (C) UNHCR Deputy Director Fabrizio Hochschild said it 
would be useful for foreign Embassies to demarche Minister 
Mapuri, emphasizing the principle of voluntary return and 
noting with concern Mapuri's recent remarks.  Hochschild 
thought that forcible repatriation was not a real and 
present threat.  He thought Mapuri's visit marked the 
politicization of the refugee issue in the run-up to 
Tanzania's October 2005 general -elections.  Hochschild 
also noted that in January 20 GOT/GDRC/UNHCR tri-partite 
discussions, Mapuri had consistently stressed that returns 
had to be voluntary.  Hochschild also noted that Mapuri's 
visit coincided with the January 23 deportation of nine 
Burundian asylum seekers from Kigoma who the UNHCR thought 
had legitimate claims to refugee status. 
 
10. (C) Action Request:  Post suggests the following 
talking points for a possible demarche to Minister Mapuri, 
and would welcome Washington feedback and guidance: 
 
--  Thank you for your government's continued generous 
hospitality hosting refugees. 
--  We commend Tanzania's role in fostering stability in 
Burundi though its leadership in the Regional Peace 
Initiative. 
--  The US is committed to upholding the international 
community's commitment to provide for refugee needs and to 
reduce the burden on the host country. We have provided XXX 
amount of financial support for refugees in Tanzania. 
--  The USG is strongly committed to the principle of 
voluntary return. We believe the Burundian refugees do want 
to return home; the question is when. It would be dangerous 
to regional stability and it could undermine peace progress 
to force large numbers of refugees to return to Burundi 
now. 
--  We congratulate Tanzania for upholding the principle of 
refugee asylum in Great Lakes Summit Communiqui. 
--  Do Minister's Mapuri's remarks urging refugees to go 
home now, and the "Uhuru" article published January 26, 
indicate a shift in refugee policy? 
--  We note with concern the recent deportations of 
refugees and urge continued systematic involvement of UNHCR 
in the screening of new arrivals. 
--  We commend the Ministry of Home Affairs for working to 
develop joint screening procedures with the UNHCR. 
-- We look forward to continued dialogue on refugee issues 
and welcome any suggestions on how USG could work to lessen 
burden of refugee hosting on Tanzania. 
 
11. (C) Comment:  Minister Mapuri reiterated the CCM 
standard party line that now is the time for Burundian 
refugees to return.  Mapuri's public address in Kigoma and 
the Uhuru article, however, added a more ominous threat of 
forcible repatriation if the Burundian refugees do not 
voluntarily return.  In the run-up to the October 2005 
elections, the CCM may campaign against the refugees in 
order to score political points and make refugees a 
scapegoat for crime and poverty in Western Tanzania.  In 
the past, Minister Mapuri was relatively uninvolved and 
fairly balanced on refugee issue.  Perhaps in an effort to 
gain more political credibility and CCM support for his 
candidacy, he is now playing up to anti-refugee sentiments. 
We can probably expect more such rhetoric as the national 
election campaign heats up.  End Comment. 
 
OWEN