US embassy cable - 05ACCRA1450

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 001450 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2015 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, GH, SU, refugees 
SUBJECT: SUDANESE REFUGEES ON THE BRINK OF EXPULSION FROM 
GHANA 
 
 
Classified By: POLCHIEF SCOTT TICKNOR FOR REASONS 1.4 (b/d) 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  A melee that broke out on July 21 at 
Ussher Fort involving Sudanese refugees resulted in a host of 
negative publicity and exposed GOG contingency plans to 
spirit them out of the country.  Both UNHCR Representative 
Thomas Albrecht and Ambassador Yates have appealed for 
careful consideration of next steps.  Albrecht advised that 
UNHCR may refer the 270 Sudanese, all of whom have arrived in 
Ghana during the last six months, for resettlement in the 
U.S. on a priority basis.  The Minister of Interior told the 
Ambassador he would wait at least one week to see if the USG 
can resettle the refugees before taking action against them. 
End Summary. 
 
2.  (U) The ever controversial 270 Sudanese refugees 
sequestered at the former prison known as Ussher Fort have 
generated another wave of unfavorable headlines.  A scuffle 
broke out when two refugees attempted to leave the prison 
about 8 a.m. on July 21 to seek medical treatment.  The 
policeman in charge of security, new to the post and 
unfamiliar with procedures, refused to allow them to exit.  A 
small crowd of refugees soon gathered, tempers soared, and in 
the ensuing fracas, two refugees and two Ghanaians sustained 
minor injuries.  The Sudanese claim they were beaten by 
police, while Ghanaians allege that refugees threw stones, 
smashed one window, and destroyed a walkie-talkie.  Vagrants 
in the neighborhood joined the melee, as about 200 men and 
women penetrated the prison and began overturning pots of 
corn meal mush that were cooking for breakfast.  Some twenty 
policeman arrived shortly thereafter and restored calm. 
 
3.  (SBU) Press coverage of the event in both the print media 
and on radio and television was strongly biased against the 
refugees, who were termed a potential threat to Ghana's 
security.  The pro-government Daily Graphic, for example, 
accused the Sudanese of having "vandalized" the prison and 
"brutalizing" officers.  UNHCR Representative Thomas Albrecht 
called on the Minister of the Interior on July 22 to express 
his concerns, but was shocked to learn that the MOI was 
intent on deporting the Sudanese as quickly as possible. 
Albrecht reminded the MOI of the damage this would cause to 
Ghana's image internationally and of the blow to refugee 
protection rights such an action would represent.  Albrecht 
quietly approached Accra's Refugee Coordinator about the 
possibility of resettling the Sudanese on a priority basis in 
the U.S.  UNHCR subsequently issued a press release, 
reminding refugees of their obligations to the host country 
and thanking Ghana for continuously fulfilling its 
international obligations. 
 
4.  (C) Later on July 22, Ambassador Yates paid a farewell 
call on the Minister of the Interior Papa Owusu-Ankomah, who 
initially maintained his characteristic calm, soft-spoken 
demeanor, extolling the U.S. Embassy for its law enforcement 
cooperation programs.  When the Ambassador asked about the 
Sudanese, the MOI's position stiffened, as he expressed his 
resolve to solve the problems they were causing, including 
the possibility of putting them on a military plane to Chad, 
which he said was the country Ghana could convince to agree 
to accept the refugees.  He opined that they were probably 
economic migrants and repeated the oft heard claim that they 
pose a potential security threat to the Ghanaian people.  The 
Ambassador pointed out that earlier Sudanese refugees now at 
Krisan Camp had not been problematic; perhaps this group 
could be relocated there.  She also mentioned the possibility 
of asking Washington to consider their resettlement in the 
U.S., at which point the MOI agreed to wait at least one week 
before taking any action.  As the Ambassador departed, Chief 
Director Edwin Barnes said the MOI had to take this strong 
stance for political reasons. 
 
5.  (SBU) Amid this backdrop, the Ghana Refugee Board met in 
closed session to adjudicate the claims of another tranche of 
Sudanese refugees, all of which the Board is expected to 
approve.  According to Chairperson A.O. Akiwumi, the Board 
had already approved refugee status for 179 Sudanese, while 
rejecting none, even those that UNHCR had recommended for 
denial because the applicants were not originally from 
Darfur.  Akiwumi was hopeful the Board would wrap up work on 
the remaining Sudanese cases quickly, since some of them had 
arrived in Ghana as early as January. 
 
6.  (C) COMMENT:  The Sudanese and some elements of Ghanaian 
society are losing patience, but for divergent reasons:  the 
Sudanese have tired of waiting in detention for months on end 
as the Refugee Board evaluates their qualifications for 
refugee status, while some Ghanaians resent what they 
perceive as handouts for an undeserving group of young, able 
bodied men with possible ties to radical Islam.  The MOI is 
looking for a quick fix that will bolster his credentials as 
a potential presidential candidate in 2008 and help his party 
to retain a parliamentary seat in the bi-election scheduled 
for next month in the Accra constituency that includes Ussher 
Fort.  When the Ambassador discussed this issue further with 
the Foreign Minister by phone, highlighting potential foreign 
policy ramifications, he acknowledged its sensitivity but 
could not say definitely how the GOG would resolve the 
situation with the Sudanese.  He, too, said that the presence 
of the Sudanese -- as a group of healthy young men -- 
presented serious challenges for the GOG. 
YATES