VZCZCXRO8965
OO RUEHPA
DE RUEHJL #0526 2351718
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 231718Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6915
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANJUL 000526 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016 
TAGS: MOPS PREF PHUM PINS SG PU PREL GA
SUBJECT: REFUGEES FROM SENEGAL'S CASAMANCE REGION STREAMING 
INTO THE GAMBIA 
 
REF: A. DAKAR 2012 
 
     ¶B. DAKAR 1932 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: Classified By: TDY Poloff Shaye Brown for reasons 1.4 (b 
) and (d). 
 
--------------------------------- 
NUMBER OF REFUGEES GROWING DAILY 
--------------------------------- 
¶1. (C) As reported in ref A, the fighting that erupted 
between Senegal's military and MFDC rebels in Senegal's 
Casamance region has resulted in a large influx of refugees 
into The Gambia.  According to our sources, the estimated 
number of refugees ranges from 2500 to 4500, with the latter 
being more probable.  As of Sunday, August 20, The Gambia's 
country director of Concern Universal estimated the number of 
refugees at approximately 2500.  The Secretary General of the 
Gambian Red Cross Society (GRCS) estimated the number of 
refugees at approximately 3500 as of Sunday.  As of Monday 
night, The United Nation's High Commission for Refugees 
(UNHCR) estimated the number at closer to 4500 refugees with 
still more arriving daily.  The refugees are mainly in the 
towns of Gifanga, Kusambai, Siwol, and Tambakunda. 
 
------------------------------------- 
LOCAL COMMUNITIES FEELING THE IMPACT 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) In the past refugees from the Casamance have stayed 
with friends or family members, but this time the number of 
refugees in some of the villages is larger than the local 
population and is straining the resources of host 
communities. One group of refugees has been housed in a 
primary school in Tambakunda and in Gifanga refugees are 
being housed in a skills training center.  The schools 
housing the overflow refugees are scheduled to resume 
instructions in three weeks, on September 11.  The refugees 
have flatly refused UNHCR's offer to relocate further inland. 
 They say they are worried about the loss of their 
properties, livestock, and farms.  Many of the refugees 
reported to UNHCR that their only reason for fleeing was 
because the Senegalese military placed heavy armor in the 
middle of their compounds. 
 
---------------------------- 
BULLETS CROSSING THE BORDER 
---------------------------- 
¶3. (C) There have been incidences of bullets straying into 
Gambian villages.  To date, no human casualties have been 
reported as a result of these stray rounds but some livestock 
have been lost.  There have also been reports of villagers 
delivering spent ammunition cartridges to the District Chief 
in Kusambai. The Gambian Armed Forces deployed at least two 
heavily armed platoons that are actively patrolling the 
border area.  COMMENT.  With President Jammeh on vacation in 
his home border village of Kanalai the deployment may be 
meant as a deterrent to cross-border excursions or may simply 
be to provide a sense of security to Gambian residents along 
the border. END COMMENT  Reportedly, some Gambian compounds 
located very close to the border have been or are currently 
being "evacuated," to avoid stray fire. 
 
--------------------------- 
UN AND RED CROSS RESPONDING 
--------------------------- 
¶4. (C) We understand that the UNHCR is sending an emergency 
response team from Geneva to assess the situation and provide 
further assistance.  A team from the various agencies at the 
Gambian UNDP office will join the emergency response team. 
The UNHCR in The Gambia reported that there is currently a 
critical shortage of food in the affected villages and they 
plan to tap emergency reserve funds to help alleviate the 
impact on the refugees and the local populations.  The 
Secretary General of the GRCS reported that the International 
 
SIPDIS 
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is fielding a 5-man mission 
from their offices in Dakar and Ziguinchor that is expected 
to arrive in country by August 22, 2006.  Efforts by the GRCS 
are hampered because they currently have no vehicles of their 
own and were not prepared to handle this sudden influx of 
such a large number of refugees.  For now, it appears that 
UNHCR and ICRC has the situation under control.  Despite the 
food shortage, which is aggravated by the fact that we are 
currently in the middle of the rainy season and the new crop 
has just been planted, they have made no official appeal for 
emergency assistance and promised to inform us should the 
situation escalate further. 
ALSUP