US embassy cable - 05ACCRA2311

UNCLAS ACCRA 002311 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR PRM/AF CACHANG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: GH, IV, PREF, PREL, TO, refugees 
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE AT GHANA'S KRISAN REFUGEE CAMP 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary:  On November 8, refugees at Krisan camp 
in the Western Region of Ghana torched houses, and destroyed 
offices and vehicles, including from UNHCR.  UNHCR's Senior 
Protection Officer in Ghana told PolChief and visiting 
RefCoord from Abidjan on November 10 that the violence was 
sparked by a few individuals who spread false rumors about 
resettlement and fed on resentment toward recently arrived 
Sudanese refugees.  The extent of the damage is unclear. 
This incident has the potential to sour the climate towards 
refugees in Ghana.  End summary. 
 
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How It All Started 
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2.  (U)  Krisan refugee camp in Western Region has almost 
2,000 refugees of many nationalities, including 577 Togolese 
who have been in the camp for a number of years, and 580 
Sudanese, who were recently moved to Krisan from Accra. 
According to UNHCR Ghana's Senior Protection Officer Jane 
Muigai, Ghanaian Minister of Interior Papa Owusu-Ankomah 
recently told the media that UNHCR promised to resettle the 
Sudanese refugees, causing resentment among the longtime 
Togolese refugees at Krisan.  UNHCR's Acting Rep was in the 
area on November 1 doing contingency planning for a possible 
Cote d'Ivoire refugee influx, when he decided to stop by 
Krisan.  Some fifty Togolese refugees in Krisan got advance 
word of his visit and packed their luggage in the mistaken 
belief that they would be resettled.  Fearing he would be 
accosted by angry Togolese refugees, the UNHCR rep deferred 
his visit.  Several trouble makers (the leaders were 
reportedly Liberian and Ghanaian) then spread rumors that the 
Togolese would be resettled if they went to Cote d'Ivoire. 
They also alleged that vocational training options would 
diminish the resettlement options for Togolese.  They led a 
group of Togolese to the Cote d'Ivoire border but were 
prevented from entering.  They camped out at the border and 
intimidated other Togolese refugees in Krisan to join them. 
 
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Outbreak of Violence 
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3.  (U)  The Ghana police dispatched 200 police to the border 
and, on November 8, forcibly bused some of the refugees back 
to Krisan.  When they arrived at the camp, police were pelted 
with stones, responding with shots fired in the air and tear 
gas.  The returned refugees subsequently attacked those 
Togolese refugees who had not joined them in the trip to the 
border, burning their houses.  They torched a police station, 
the UNHCR office and other buildings, as well as a UNHCR and 
other vehicles.  According to Muigai, the Sudanese refugees 
sought refuge in a mosque and did not participate in the 
violence.  The extent of the damage is unclear at this time. 
 
4.  (U)  According to Muigai, the camp remains tense, 
although there is little information about the current 
situation.  According to UNHCR, the police have rounded up 
six suspected Togolese rioters, but not all the ring leaders. 
 There is a significant police presence in the camp and many 
refugees have fled into neighboring villages and along the 
border for safety.  The perpetrators have also fled to hide 
from police. 
 
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Comment 
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5.  (SBU)  Ghana has a good record of hosting refugees. 
However, some in the GOG and in the general public are 
increasingly frustrated with the refugee presence here.  The 
Minister of Interior would like to see the Sudanese leave 
Ghana.  Muigai noted that there had been a near riot in 
Budumburam camp (near Accra) in April and the GOG seems more 
frustrated with the presence of Togolese refugees.  She has 
detected a growing antagonism toward refugees among Western 
Regional authorities.  The Krisan incident, which made front 
page headlines in the media this week, has the potential to 
further sour the climate in Ghana for refugees. 
BRIDGEWATER