VZCZCXRO1450
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0188 0501535
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191535Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0043
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS DAKAR 000188 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL AND INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREF PREL PINS KDEM PHUM ECON SG
SUBJECT: SENEGAL: HESITANT REFUGEES RETURN TO MAURITANIA 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  On January 29, a group of 101 Mauritanian 
refugees returned home voluntarily under the auspices of the United 
Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).  These refugees have 
been living in Senegal since being deported in 1989 by the 
Government of Mauritania.  While some refugee leaders have 
criticized the repatriation as "precipitated," it seems that both 
governments are looking for a definitive settlement of this 
difficult issue.  End summary. 
 
Precipitated Return 
------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The first group of Mauritanians to return came from the 
Dagana and Thiabakh refugee camps in Senegal and they used town of 
Rosso as their crossing point.  However, Mamadou Wane, a member of 
the Directorate of Mauritanian Refugees, has criticized the 
repatriation operation as being precipitated and without guarantees 
for those returning home.  Yet, not all groups agree with this 
assessment as Wane failed to obtain the support of the leading 
Senegalese human rights NGO Raddho (African Rally for Human Rights) 
whose leaders told Embassy that they prefer to watch the evolution 
of the repatriation process before making any judgment.  Moustapha 
Toure, spokesperson of CARESMA (Coordination of Associations of 
Mauritanian Refugees in Senegal and Mali) alleged that Wane is a 
member of the FLAM (African Mauritanian Liberation Front) who tried 
unsuccessfully to get the refugees to boycott the repatriation 
program. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In a February 8 meeting with Poloff, the UNHCR 
representative in Senegal expressed optimism, indicating nine 
hundred people are already in line for the next repatriation and 
that fifteen thousand have agreed to participate in the program. 
She regrets however, that the process is slow due to the Mauritanian 
authorities' insistence on organizing the returns based on the 
region of origin of the returnees.  She indicated that the 
Mauritanian authorities have identified Braknar as the next area to 
be settled by returnees and an evaluation meeting in Mauritania on 
February 19 will be a "lessons learned" from the first repatriation. 
She hopes that the repatriation will be concluded this year so that 
a reintegration program can begin. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) A Senegalese journalist based in the River Valley area told 
Embassy "many refugees are hesitant, and generally worried about 
what the economic future holds for them in Mauritania."  This may 
prevent a massive return in the early stages of the process. 
However, Senegalese authorities are accompanying the process with 
diplomatic support and Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade has 
already indicated that those who do not wish to return to Mauritania 
would be granted Senegalese nationality. 
SMITH