US embassy cable - 05ABIDJAN1871

C O N F I D E N T I A L  ABIDJAN 001871 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT PASS TO PRM/AF CACHANG 
BRUSSELS FOR MMEZNAR 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2015 
TAGS: PREF, PREL, PHUM, TO, GH, BE, Displaced Persons, Civilian Protection 
SUBJECT: TOGO NOT READY FOR REFUGEE RETURNS 
 
REF: A. COTONOU 1084 
     B. LOME 1393 
     C. STATE 198938 
 
Classified By: REFCOORD NICK HILGERT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B/D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  RefCoord met UN and government agencies in 
Lome and Accra from November 8-10 to discuss the Government 
of Togo's proposed National Repatriation Plan (NRP) and the 
UN's 2006 Consolidated Appeal (CAP) for Togo.  UN and EU 
representatives stated security conditions in Togo were not 
yet acceptable to support refugee returns and UNHCR has not 
agreed to participate in organizing returns at this time. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) Abidjan-based RefCoord and Poloffs met with UN and 
government agencies in Lome and Accra on November 8-10 to 
discuss the Government of Togo's proposed National 
Repatriation Plan (NRP) and the UN's 2006 Consolidated Appeal 
(CAP) for Togo.  Poloffs Rona Rathod and Scott Ticknor 
accompanied RefCoord to several meetings.  Meetings in Lome 
included UNDP, WHO, the European Union, and the Government of 
Togo's High Commission for Returnees and Humanitarian Action 
(HCRAH).  RefCoord also met with UNHCR officials in Accra. 
 
SECURITY CONDITIONS FOR RETURN 
------------------------------ 
 
3.  (C) Fidele Sarassoro, UNDP Resident Coordinator in Lome, 
stated that the same military and police officials who had 
engaged in electoral violence were still stationed in the 
same local districts and patrolling the same streets where 
the violence had occurred.  He explained it was essential for 
UNDP to establish 25 Reception Committees outlined in the CAP 
2006 before refugees returned as the main objective of the 
committees was to ensure that returnees would not be targeted 
for violence once in Togo.  He hoped to organize an 
interagency evaluation team in the early part of December 
that would make a statement regarding security conditions in 
Togo. 
 
4.  (C) Gilles Desequelles, Charge d'Affaires at the European 
Union Delegation, stated that two conditions had to be met 
before the EU would support returns: resolution of the 
impunity issue and progress on national dialogue.  He called 
the CAP 2006 document a "shopping list" and explained the EU 
Director for Development was preparing a letter to the Prime 
Minister stating the EU did not have any new money to fund 
returns.  Desequelles was trying to insert language in the 
letter that reflected the two above conditions.  Desequelles 
said he supported UNHCR's decision not to sign tripartite 
agreements with Benin and Ghana at this time as called for in 
the NRP, but did feel the EU would be able to contribute 
small amounts of money to projects from existing budgets 
should returns move forward in the future.  The EU's main 
objective, he explained, was to pave the way for free and 
fair legislative elections, probably in early fall 2006. 
 
GOVERNMENT OF TOGO'S REPATRIATION OFFICE 
---------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (C) Kokou Tcharie, the Government of Togo's 
representative at the High Commission for Returnees and 
Humanitarian Action (HCRAH), believed refugees in Ghana and 
Togo fell into one of four categories:  persons who had 
committed violent acts during the demonstrations, persons 
afraid of more violence, persons who were looking for visas 
to the U.S., and persons who went looking for food.  (Note: 
Desequelles said the Government had adopted a hard line 
regarding its interpretation of refugee motives following the 
release of a critical UN report on human rights abuses in 
Togo.  End Note.) 
 
6.  (C) Tcharie shared a copy of the NRP with RefCoord and 
Poloff and explained the document was developed with the help 
of two UNDP consultants.  He outlined actions taken by the 
Government to promote returns as described in the first part 
of the plan, all of which took place from August 10-28. 
Tcharie said that he had also proposed an amnesty law to the 
Prime Minister but that some objected to an amnesty that 
would protect government and military officials who had 
participated in the violence. 
 
7.  (C) Tcharie confirmed that it would be important to 
establish the 25 Reception Committees called for in the NRP 
before organizing returns.  Although the NRP calls for these 
committees to be in place by September, Tcharie showed 
RefCoord and Poloff a letter he had prepared only now to send 
 
to the Prime Minister requesting approval for the composition 
of the 10-person committees. 
 
WHICH PLAN TO FUND? 
------------------- 
 
8.  (C) RefCoord pointed out to Sarassoro that UNDP was 
submitting the same project under the CAP 2006 (the 25 
Reception Committees) that was in the NRP, but with a 
slightly different budget.  Sarassoro replied that it was the 
same project.  However, Tcharie stated that he was seeking 
direct funding to the NRP, that the Committees would respond 
directly to him, and that he reported directly to the Prime 
Minister.  He did not identify any particular role for UNDP 
and even suggested that direct funding to the NRP, rather 
than contributing to international organizations, would help 
ensure HCRAH's independence within the government. 
 
UNHCR GHANA 
----------- 
 
9.  (U) RefCoord and PolChief Scott Ticknor met Daniel 
Kamphuis and Jane Muigai, Protection/Resettlement Officers 
for UNHCR in Accra, on November 10.  UNHCR estimates there 
are approximately 15,500 Togolese refugees in Ghana, 
primarily located in villages in the Volta region with 
smaller numbers residing in Accra or at Krisan refugee camp. 
Another 25,000 refugees are in Benin.  Kamphuis pointed out 
that UNHCR would support returns when conditions were 
satisfactory in Togo, but that the decision as to the overall 
security situation in Togo did not rest with UNHCR.  UNHCR 
Accra officials stated they had not yet made any plans in 
Ghana to organize returns in cooperation with UN agencies in 
Togo. 
 
10.  (C) UNHCR Accra claimed that HCRAH had "staged" 25 
returns from Benin and broadcast statements from the false 
returnees on the poor conditions in Benin and the stable 
situation in Togo.  They also stated that Ghanaian police had 
arrested four Togolese individuals posing as journalists 
trying to meet with the refugees. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
11.  (C) Agencies seem to have put the cart before the horse 
in Togo.  The NRP, under normal circumstances, might be 
workable.  The missing element in the plan so far is the 
clear participation of UNHCR, not to mention an expressed 
desire on the part of refugees to return, and neither the EU 
nor the UNDP stated that security conditions in Togo are 
ready for organized returns.  Although an amnesty law might 
be useful, refugees will probably not return to Togo unless 
they believe the terms of all security guarantees will be 
respected. 
 
This cable has been cleared with Embassies Lome and Accra. 
Valle