VZCZCXRO1818
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLG #0802/01 3020856
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290856Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4739
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 6709
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI 0004

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LILONGWE 000802 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PRM - MARY LANGE, AF/S - ELIZABETH PELLATREAU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PREL MI
SUBJECT: MALAWI: RWANDAN REFUGEES UNDER THREAT, OR 
MISINFORMATION 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Since the September visit of Rwandan 
President Paul Kagame to Malawi, a press report and letters 
from Rwandan refugees claim that the government of Rwanda 
(GOR) has made threats against the lives of refugees 
currently in Malawi. While Rwandan overseas opposition 
parties have used the situation to condemn Kagame and the 
current government, the GOR is seeking to begin tripartite 
talks with the government of Malawi (GOM) and the United 
Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) about the 
repatriation of the 4000 Rwandan refugees in Malawi.  The GOM 
is a willing participant due to both refugee fatigue and 
increasing complaints about Rwandan refugees successfully 
competing against local businesses.  While no threats of 
violence against Rwandan refugees in Malawi could be 
verified, the refugees have a legitimate fear that 
intergovernmental negotiations may leave them with the 
limited choice of repatriation or fleeing again. End Summary. 
 
Overseas Opposition Parties Seize Attack as Opportunity 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On October 9, a Rwandan opposition party coalition 
called UDF-Inkingi put out a press release alleging that Dr. 
Jean Marie Vianney Rwabukwisi, a Rwandan refugee in Lilongwe, 
was attacked in his home by several undercover Rwandan 
Patriotic Front (RPF) intelligence operatives.  Since 
Rwabukwisi is a physician, he is allowed to live and work 
outside of the refugee camp and has been working in a clinic 
in Lilongwe for eight years.  Emboff discussed the attack 
with Rwabukwisi who confirmed that one or two shots were 
fired into his home on October 1 while he was out of the 
house.  He stated that his wife and son were at home at the 
time of the shots, but were unharmed.  Countering claims in 
the press release of multiple men entering the house and 
destroying belongings, Malawi police reports and Rwabukwisi's 
own statements show no one entered the house.  It is believed 
the shots were fired from outside a security wall surrounding 
his home.  Police, while still investigating, have no leads 
or suspects.  Rwabukwisi has been in Lilongwe since 1998 and 
is a Malawi permanent resident with no plans to return to 
Rwanda.  He claimed no political affiliations or motivation 
and stated that outside of interactions with Rwandan patients 
from the refugee camp who sought him out due to language 
difficulties, he had little interaction with other refugees. 
Rwabukwisi, while fearful of another attack and while not 
entirely ruling out Rwandan involvement in the first attack, 
said UDF-Inkingi is just using his misfortune to promote its 
own agenda. 
 
Kagame Visit Triggers Rwandan Refugee Response 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶3. (SBU) Since the three-day visit of Rwandan President Paul 
Kagame to Malawi in early September, Rwandan refugees at the 
Dzaleka refugee camp have written letters to UNHCR and 
several embassies claiming harassment and threats from RPF 
officials.  During his visit, Kagame was scheduled to meet 
with a group of refugees to discuss their concerns about 
returning to Rwanda.  Before the meeting, the group of 
refugees presented a list of concerns in writing including 
anti-Hutu bias in the Gacaca courts, the lack of a Hutu day 
of mourning, differing levels of assistance to Hutu widows 
and orphans, and inequitable distribution of land to 
returning refugees.  While the list was presented to the 
Rwandan delegation, the planned meeting with President Kagame 
never occurred. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Rwandan refugees make up approximately 40% of 
Malawi's approximately 10,000 person refugee population.  As 
of August 31, 3581 Rwandans lived in refugee camps while an 
estimated 1000 more have moved into various cities and 
villages in the country.  Lilian Ng'oma, GOM Commissioner for 
Poverty and Disaster Management Affairs who oversees refugee 
issues in Malawi, told Emboff that the GOR has tried to 
encourage refugees to return voluntarily to Rwanda, but the 
refugee population will not trust the GOR.  Of the few who 
have attempted to return voluntarily, most have come back to 
the refugee camp and encouraged the rest to not attempt a 
return.  The GOM is battling increasing displeasure from 
locals who claim Rwandan refugees are opening stores and 
undercutting local businesses.  Ng'oma stated Rwandans are 
often better capitalized because they sold their possessions 
before leaving Rwanda and had cash to invest.  A UNHCR staff 
member admitted to Emboff that Rwandan refugees at the camp 
were able to grow cash crops instead of staples since they 
were provided food rations and that some had formed 
co-operatives and sold tomatoes, onions, and potatoes to 
 
LILONGWE 00000802  002 OF 002 
 
 
local restaurants and hotels.  Ng'oma confirmed that the GOM 
and GOR both sought to begin tripartite talks including UNHCR 
on the possible repatriation of Rwandan refugees but, both 
Ng'oma and UNHCR expressed pessimism given current levels of 
distrust between the refugees and GOR.  To help facilitate a 
possible repatriation, Commissioner Ng'oma said the GOM will 
propose that the GOR send down former refugees from Tanzania 
and Uganda to discuss current conditions in Rwanda, rather 
than GOR representatives. 
 
Xenophobia and Political Agendas Abound 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment: Malawians, who were willing hosts to over 1 
million Mozambican refugees in the 1990s and are currently 
very tolerant of Zimbabweans mixing into the local 
population, clearly have a separate standard for 
non-neighbors.  Over 90% of refugees in camps in Malawi are 
from Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the 
Congo (DRC) and these refugees are viewed as outsiders. 
Complaints abound from both private and public sources about 
the need to close loopholes in the laws that let Rwandan 
refugees compete against local Malawians in business. 
Moreover, the GOM appears willing to accept the GOR's 
statements about current conditions in Rwanda at face value 
if it can help lead to the repatriation of over 4000 refugees 
from Malawi.  The refugee camps undoubtedly are fertile 
fields for opposition parties to sow their version of 
information about the current situation in Rwanda.  As seen 
with Dr. Rwabukwisi story, the opposition versions can be 
fraught with misinformation.  Still, all Rwandan refugees in 
Malawi are fearful of forced return if there is an agreement 
between the GOM and the GOR. 
EASTHAM