US embassy cable - 05SANAA3460

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SANAA 003460 
 
SIPDIS 
 
CAIRO PLEASE PASS TO GERALD CHEYNE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2015 
TAGS: PREF, PHUM, YM, SO, GTIP 
SUBJECT: SOMALI REFUGEES PROTEST UNHCR TREATMENT 
 
REF: A. SANAA 2600 
     B. SANAA 1836 
     C. SANAA 1854 
 
Classified By: DCM Nabeel Khoury for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 12. 
 
2. (U) Summary.  Since November 9, over 500 Somali refugees 
have been protesting in front of the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) HQ in Sanaa.  Encouraged by 
rumors that the USG soon will accept 70,000 Somali refugees 
for resettlement, the protestors have demanded immediate 
registration and better treatment by the UN agency.  Thus 
far, negotiations have proved futile and there are no signs 
of the protest ending, perhaps indicating that life for some 
of the estimated 100,000 Somali refugees is becoming less and 
less tenable. End Summary. 
 
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Protest Mostly Not Violent 
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3. (U) For the second time in two years, Somali refugees are 
staging a continuous strike in front of the United Nations 
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) HQ in Sanaa.  The 
protestors, who began their vigil on November 9, are 
demanding better treatment and immediate registration by the 
UNHCR.  Citing security concerns, UNDP officials closed the 
Sanaa office on December 1. 
 
4. (U) Since the sit-in began, there have been fewer than a 
half-dozen incidents of violence.  The worst incident 
occurred on November 21, when some of the over 500 protestors 
threw rocks at MOI security forces who had cordoned off the 
area where they were camped.  A bullet shot in the air to 
disperse the crowd injured one woman.  An MOI spokesperson 
later acknowledged the incident as an accident. 
 
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No Sign Of Relief 
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5. (C) UNHCR lead Protection Officer, Saado Quol, who is 
involved in negotiations with the protestors, said that 
dialogue thus far has been futile.  "Every time we come to a 
peaceful resolution with their chosen representative, the 
protestors overthrow that person," he noted, "and we start 
over."  UNHCR officials have met with protesters on six 
occasions to date. 
 
6. (U) Promises by the UNHCR that six refugee reception 
centers will open across the country also have failed to stop 
the protest (ref a).  The centers, to be run jointly by the 
UNHCR and MOI, will allow refugees to register with the 
UNHCR, assuring protection under Yemeni law and UNHCR 
protocols.  Some centers will provide temporary housing and 
skills training. 
 
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Protest Sparked by Frustration and Rumor 
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7. (U) Refugee leaders repeatedly have stated that the 
protest is aimed specifically at the UNHCR.  The protestors' 
complaints include the UNHCR's delays in registering Somalis, 
unwillingness to communicate with refugee leaders, and lack 
of initiative either to resettle Somalis to third countries 
or to provide them with subsidies.  On November 26, the 
government-controlled Yemen Observer newspaper quoted 
Abdullah Adam, a Somali community leader, as attributing the 
protests to the arrest of several undocumented refugees in 
Al-Safya, a Sanaa neighborhood populated by Somalis.  In the 
past year, post has received increased reports of 
undocumented Somali refugees being arrested. 
 
8. (C) Quol, however, attributes the protests to a Somali 
website that announced USG plans to re-settle 70,000 Somali 
refugees.  "It comes up every time we negotiate with them," 
he said. "They are insisting that we register them because 
without their documents, they are afraid that they will be 
left behind." 
 
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Refugees Outstaying Their Welcome? 
---------------------------------- 
 
9. (U) There are approximately 68,000 registered and 50,000 
undocumented Somali refugees in Yemen.  The ROYG continues to 
grant prima facie refugee status to Somali refugees who 
arrive in the country, allowing them the right to live and 
work anywhere they like.  In reality, most Somali refugees 
live in Aden, port cites, or ghettos throughout the country 
and are relegated to jobs that Yemenis will not take (such as 
working on the Sanaa sewage system). 
10. (C) In the past year there have been signs that the 
ROYG's attitude might be changing.  UNHCR sources reported 
considerable initial MOI opposition to the new reception 
centers, coupled with a secret report suggesting a harsher 
ROYG stance towards refugees (ref a).  Furthermore, ROYG 
officials, including Minister of Human Rights Amat al-Alim 
al-Soswa, have repeatedly warned emboffs that Yemen cannot 
keep supporting Somali refugees (refs b, c). 
 
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Comment and Action Request 
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11. (C) Currently, there are no indications of the protest 
abating.  Although the website announcement may have sparked 
the protest, it is the other refugee complaints (not without 
warrant) that are fueling it.  Yemeni and foreign embassy 
colleagues had in the past viewed the UNHCR Sanaa office, 
unlike its Aden counterpart, as being poorly managed and 
difficult to deal with.  Many point to the large numbers of 
unregistered refugees (which the UNHCR attributes to the 
ROYG's resistance to opening the new refugee centers) as 
evidence of this.  This perception, however, has been slowly 
changing since a new staff took charge of operations in 
November 2004. 
 
12. (C) Action Request: Although the protest is expected to 
subside sometime in late December once the UNHCR begins to 
implement its oft-stated plan to register all of Yemen's 
Somali refugees, post would appreciate Department's guidance 
on the website's announcement to pass to involved parties and 
help alleviate the situation.  End Comment and Action Request. 
Krajeski