Citation
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ORIGIN RP-10
STATE 090600 062322Z
RELEASED IN PART
B6
INFO LOG-00 OASY-00 OIG0-01 TEDE-00 ADS-00 ONY-00 SR-00
/012R
SSO-00 RPE-01
DRAFTED BY: RP/AAA: MMLANGE
APPROVED BY: RP/AAA: MJMCKELVEY
38D28F 062324Z /38
P 062324Z APR 94
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE STATE 090600
FOR REFCOORD THOMAS-GREEN FROM RP/AAA
E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: AMGT
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL - INFORMAL
1. LINDA - WE'RE HAPPY TO LEARN THAT YOU HAVE FINALLY
BEEN ABLE TO SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT TO RWANDA, BURUNDI AND
TANZANIA. WE HAD MEANT TO SEND YOU THE FOLLOWING
ILLUSTRATIVE LIST OF ISSUES/CONCERNS/QUESTIONS PRIOR TO
YOUR LEAVING AND APOLOGIZE FOR NOT DOING SO. WE HOPE
THAT THIS WILL PROVE USEFUL FOR THE REMAINDER OF YOUR
TRIP AND WILL GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE AS YOU PREPARE
REPORTING CABLES.
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2. CONDITIONS IN REFUGEE CAMPS/SETTLEMENTS: OUR
IMPRESSION HERE IS THAT CONDITIONS IN CAMPS IN RWANDA
HAVE IMPROVED. WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT
CONDITIONS IN REFUGEE CAMPS AND SETTLEMENTS IN BOTH
RWANDA AND TANZANIA? WHAT ASSISTANCE IS NOW AVAILABLE
(WATER, FOOD, HEALTH, SANITATION, ETC.) AND WHAT IS
LACKING? ARE UNHCR PROGRAMS FOR REFUGEES AND RETURNEES
TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE NEEDS OF WOMEN AND
CHILDREN? REGARDING MORBIDITY/MORTALITY, THE LAST DEATH
RATES REPORTED WERE UNDER 1/10,000/DAY IN RWANDA. DOES
THIS STILL HOLD TRUE? IF SO, WHAT FACTORS HAVE LED TO
THIS MORE ACCEPTABLE RATE, I.E., IS IT A REFLECTION OF
IMPROVED ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS (MEDICAL CARE, SANITATION,
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: WILLIAM E LANDFAIR
DATE/CASE ID: 19 JAN 2005 200401096
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WATER), LESS CROWDED CONDITIONS, OR SIMPLY THAT THE
WEAKEST HAVE ALREADY DIED?
3. FOOD PIPELINE AND DISTRIBUTION: WFP REPORTED TO US
THAT MAJOR PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN
ADDRESSED AND THE FOOD PROGRAM IS RUNNING MORE SMOOTHLY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS FOOD REACHING THE
CAMPS/SETTLEMENTS, AND IS IT BEING DISTRIBUTED, ON A
REGULAR AND TIMELY BASIS? WHAT DOES THE CURRENT RATION
CONSIST OF IN TERMS OF BOTH COMMODITIES AND
KILOCALORIES? ARE REFUGEES ACTUALLY RECEIVING THE
PLANNED/APPROVED RATION? IS THE QUALITY OF FOOD STILL A
PROBLEM? (WE HEARD SEVERAL REPORTS OF ROTTEN MAIZE MEAL
BEING DISTRIBUTED.) WHAT DOES WFP'S PIPELINE LOOK LIKE?
IS WFP ADEQUATELY STAFFED TO DELIVER AND MONITOR FOOD
PROGRAMS? WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE COMPETENCE AND
RELIABILITY OF LOCAL RED CROSS SOCIETIES DISTRIBUTING
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FOOD?
STATE 090600 062322Z
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NEED FOR FOOD AID:
REPORTED TWO WEEKS AGO THAT WHILE THERE WAS
A CLEAR NEED FOR FOOD AID AMONG REFUGEES, HE DID NOT FEEL
THAT DISPLACED PERSONS IN BURUNDI HAD THE SAME LEVEL OF
NEED. HE SAID THAT MANY DISPLACED STILL HAD ACCESS TO
THEIR FARMS OR COULD FIND FOOD BY FORAGING IN THE HILLS.
HE ARGUED AGAINST A LARGE-SCALE FEEDING PROGRAM IN
BURUNDI. THIS CLEARLY RUNS CONTRARY TO WHAT THE USAID
MISSION IN BUJUMBURA HAS BEEN REPORTING. YOUR INSIGHTS
ON THIS WOULD BE HELPFUL.
4.
5. REPATRIATION: IN TRACKING REFUGEE NUMBERS, IT
APPEARS TO US THAT REPATRIATION HAS SLOWED IN THE PAST
MONTH. WHAT ARE THE LATEST OFFICIAL REFUGEE NUMBERS?
WHAT ARE THE BEST GUESSES ABOUT THE REAL NUMBER OF
REFUGEES? IS UNHCR/BURUNDI REGISTERING RETURNEES, AND IF
SO, WHAT IS THE NUMBER BEING USED? IF REPATRIATION IS
STILL CONTINUING, WHAT ARE THE REASONS GIVEN BY
REFUGEES/RETURNEES FOR RETURN (I.E., PLANTING SEASON,
INCREASED SECURITY, POOR CONDITIONS IN ASYLUM COUNTRIES,
ETC.)? IF REPATRIATION HAS STALLED, WHAT ARE THE
REASONS/EXPLANATIONS GIVEN?
6. NEW AND OLD REFUGEES: REPATRIATION OF THE OLD
BURUNDI REFUGEES WAS UNDERWAY WHEN THE PRESIDENT WAS
ASSASSINATED AND THE LATEST ROUNDS OF VIOLENCE BEGAN.
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SOME BELIEVE THAT REPATRIATION OF THE OLD REFUGEES EVEN
PRODUCED THE SPARK FOR THE LATEST UPHEAVAL (RETURNING
HUTUS TO LAND PROMISED TO TUTSI MILITARY). WHAT IS THE
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STATE OF PLAY/THINKING ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE OLD
REFUGEES' TO THE NEW, VIS A VIS REPATRIATION. SHOULD THE
NEWEST REPATRIATE FIRST AS THEY PRESUMABLY HAVE A MORE
MORE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE CLAIM TO THEIR LAND? OR IS IT
MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE OLDER REFUGEES TO RETURN, AS THEY
HAVE BEEN WAITING LONGER, MAY BE MORE FRUSTRATED, AND MAY
BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE INFLUENCE OF RADICAL GROUPS?
7. RETURNEE INTEGRATION: WHAT IS UNHCR/BURUNDI DOING TO
ASSIST RETURNEES FROM BOTH THE OLD AND NEW REFUGEE
POPULATIONS (I.E., TYPES OF PROGRAMS, NUMBERS BEING
ASSISTED, ETC.)? IS IT DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN RETURNEES
AND DISPLACED AND IF SO, HOW? ARE RETURNEES SETTLING IN
THEIR FORMER VILLAGES OR ON THEIR FORMER LAND? (NOTE.
USAID/BURUNDI DIRECTOR MENTIONED IN HIS RECENT VISIT TO
WASHINGTON THAT A SORT OF ETHNIC SEPARATION WAS OCCURING,
I.E., THAT PEOPLE WERE NOT RETURNING TO THEIR FORMER
HOMES BUT INSTEAD WERE GROUPING ON ON ETHNIC BASIS IN
RURAL AREAS. END NOTE). ARE THERE CONTINUING DISPUTES
OVER LAND TENURE, AND HOW EXPLOSIVE OF AN ISSUE IS THIS
LIKELY TO BE AS MORE REFUGEES RETURN?
8. RELIEF COORDINATION - BOTH IN COUNTRIES OF ASYLUM AND
IN BURUNDI, ARE UN ORGANIZATIONS, NGOS AND DONORS
COORDINATING THEIR ACTIVITIES? WHAT ARE THE MECHANISMS
SET UP TO ENSURE COORDINATION? ARE THERE PROBLEMS THAT
HAVE OCCURED OR ARE CONTINUING TO OCCUR DUE TO LACK OF
COORDINATION?
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9. NATIONAL RECONCILIATION: WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN
YOUR OBSERVATIONS ON THE LEVEL OF ETHNIC TENSION AMONG
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TUTSI AND HUTU REFUGEES AND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS IN
BURUNDI. WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL,
TO FOSTER ETHNIC RECONCILIATION? WHAT IS THE RELIEF
COMMUNITY DOING TO ENSURE THAT RELIEF PROGRAMS DO NOT
EXACCERBATE TENSION?
10. PALIPEHUTU: TO WHAT DEGREE ARE THE PALIPEHUTU
ACTIVE IN REFUGEE CAMPS? IS THE DEGREE OF ACTIVITY THE
SAME AMONG OLDER AND NEWER REFUGEES? WHAT STEPS ARE
UNHCR AND THE GOR/GOT TAKING TO PROTECT REFUGEES FROM
RECRUITMENT?
11. FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS: WE HOPE YOU HAVE RECEIVED
STATE 90078 SENT 4/6/94. THIS SUMMARIZES APPEALS AND
PROPOSALS FOR BURUNDI REFUGEE ASSISTANCE THAT RP HAS
RECEIVED FROM UNHCR, WFP, MSF/F, msr/B AND IRC WHICH WE
HOPE TO REVIEW NEXT WEEK. IT ALSO ASKS FOR YOUR
ASSESSMENT (AS WELL AS POSTS') OF PROGRAMS AND YOUR
RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING FUNDING.
11. HAVE A SAFE AND PRODUCTIVE TRIP. WE LOOK FORWARD TO
HEARING ALL ABOUT IT. MARGARET AND MARY.
CHRISTOPHER
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