VZCZCXRO2665
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHAB #0838/01 2091521
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 281521Z JUL 06 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1673
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABIDJAN 000838 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PRM/AF/CCHANG 
DAKAR FOR USAID/OFDA/RDAVIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2016 
TAGS: REF PHUM PREL IV
SUBJECT: NEW UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE TAKES UP DUTIES IN COTE 
D'IVOIRE 
 
 
ABIDJAN 00000838  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: REFUGEE COORDINATOR NICHOLAS HILGERT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) 
 AND (D). 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary:  Saber Azam, UNHCR's new Representative to 
Cote d'Ivoire, met with Ambassador Hooks on July 21.  Azam 
stated his main objective will be to complete the Liberian 
repatriation process by June 2007.  Ambassador Hooks affirmed 
U.S. support for the humanitarian community in Cote d'Ivoire 
and expressed concern for the security of the refugee and IDP 
populations currently residing in camps in Guiglo.  Azam's 
first big challenge in Cote d'Ivoire will be the successful 
closure of the Nicla refugee camp in Guiglo by the end of 
December 2006.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Saber Azam, UNHCR's new Representative to Cote 
d'Ivoire, made an introductory visit with Ambassador Hooks on 
July 21.  Azam was Head of Office for UNHCR in Tabou in 
1994-97 and was present when the refugee camp for Liberians 
in Guiglo was established.  Azam stated his main objective 
will be to complete the Liberian repatriation process by June 
¶2007.  To help accomplish this, UNHCR has already closed the 
Transit Center (TC) in Tabou and plans to close the refugee 
camp in Guiglo by the end of 2006.  Other priorities for 
UNHCR will be to establish their lead in the Protection 
Cluster in Cote d'Ivoire and to look more closely at the 
problem of statelessness.  Azam also said his office would 
reexamine their management of resettlement referrals and 
promised close cooperation with PRM's implementing partner 
for resettlement, OPE, based in Accra. 
 
UNHCR PLANS TO OPEN OFFICE IN BOUAKE 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (U) UN estimates on the number of internally displaced 
persons (IDPs) in Cote d'Ivoire range from 500,000-700,000 
persons. Azam said he plans to open a field office in Bouake, 
north of the confidence zone (ZOC) to help UNHCR meet their 
lead protection role for IDPs.  Azam also hopes to establish 
two Junior Professional Officer (JPO) positions, one in 
Abidjan and one in Bouake, and encouraged the U.S. 
government, via PRM, to fill these slots.  Azam expressed 
gratitude to the U.S. for its strong support to UNHCR and 
stated the U.S. would be his "priviledged partner" for all 
activities in Cote d'Ivoire.  He requested the U.S. to 
maintain Cote d'Ivoire as a priority country for UNHCR 
funding. 
 
CONCERN FOR SECURITY SITUATION IN THE WEST 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (C) Ambassador Hooks affirmed U.S. support for the 
humanitarian community in Cote d'Ivoire and acknowledged the 
difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances in which the 
agencies work, specifically referring to attacks against 
UNHCR's offices in Guiglo during anti-UN violence in January. 
 The Ambassador expressed his deep concern for the security 
of the refugee and IDP populations residing in two separate 
camps in Guiglo, explaining that Liberians had been recruited 
to fight in Cote d'Ivoire in the past and that locals 
associated the Burkinabe population living in the IDP camp 
with rebel forces controlling the northern half of Cote 
d'Ivoire.  As a result, both camps were vulnerable to attack 
from groups intent on "sending a signal" should the security 
situation suddenly deteriorate.  This is especially true, he 
explained, in the west where violence over land tenure 
disputes is common and ethnic tensions run high.  Ambassador 
Hooks encouraged UNHCR to set specific deadlines for the 
refugees to return to Liberia and to move forward with local 
integration for those individuals who wish to remain in Cote 
d'Ivoire. 
 
¶5.  (C) Azam confirmed that UNHCR intends to close the Nicla 
camp by the end of 2006 and that they had already started to 
restrict WFP food distribution to only the most vulnerable 
groups.  He said UNHCR was very concerned about security and 
stability in Liberia and that they would follow closely all 
issues related to Liberians in western Cote d'Ivoire.  Azam 
promised to look into the problem of the IDPs in Guiglo 
together with the International Organization for Migration 
(IOM) who manages the IDP camp. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Azam arrives in his position at a difficult time for 
UNHCR in Cote d'Ivoire.  UNHCR has been criticized for a lack 
of transparency in its operations and poor cooperation with 
their offices in Liberia on refugee repatriation.  Moreover, 
UNHCR still owes the Ivoirian government's refugee office, 
 
ABIDJAN 00000838  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
SAARA, part of its budget for the last several months of 
¶2005.  The first challenge will come as UNHCR moves to close 
down the Nicla refugee camp in Guiglo.  Success will require 
responding to the government's interest in improving their 
working relationship with UNHCR and communicating a clear and 
convincing message to refugees on return and local 
integration opportunities - refugees whose main interest up 
to now has been focused on resettlement in the U.S. 
Hooks