VZCZCXRO7167
PP RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDJ #0569/01 1830940
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 010940Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9362
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000569 
 
STATE FOR AF/E, PRM/AFR, S/CRS AND USAID 
ADDIS ABABA FOR REFCOORD 
NAIROBI FOR RDRAPCHO AND REFCOORD 
 
GENEVA FOR KPERKINS 
CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF SMIG EAID SO ET DJ XA
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI FACES NEW REFUGEEE INFLUX CHALLENGES 
 
REF: A) DJIBOUTI 550 
     B) DJIBOUTI 442 
     C) DJIBOUTI 439 
     D) DJIBOUTI 437 
     E) DJIBOUTI 425 (NOTAL) 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: The Chargee and the Refugee Officer met 
with representatives from the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the National 
Office of Assistance to Refugees and Disaster Stricken 
People (ONARS) to discuss the challenges Djibouti 
faces associated with the recent Djibouti-Eritrea 
border conflict as it continues to struggle in 
addressing the South/Central Somali refugee influx. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. On June 15, Chargee and the Refugee Officer met 
with Ann Encontre, Representative for the United 
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and 
Hassan Omar, Secretary General of Interior and the 
Director of ONARS.  ONARS is the National Office of 
Assistance to Refugees and Disaster Stricken People, 
which is the Government of Djibouti (GoDJ) office in 
charge of refugee affairs.  They discussed the 
challenges Djibouti continues to face with the Somalia 
refugee influx from South and Central Somalia, and the 
recent Eritrea/Djibouti border conflictQs affect on 
refugees. 
 
 
MIGRANTS CAUGHT IN CROSS FIRE 
----------------------------- 
 
¶3.  Migrants from Somalia reportedly continue to 
transit through Djibouti in an effort to make their 
way to Yemen via the northern territory of Djibouti. 
Hassan Omar reported that, on June 10, during the 
Djibouti-Eritrea clash, 72 terrified migrants from 
South Somalia sought refuge near the Djiboutian army. 
The migrants were reportedly hiding nearby waiting for 
an opportunity to cross the sea to Yemen.  The GoDJ 
transferred the migrants to Obock in the care of 
ObockQs Commissioner. 
 
FEARED IMPACT OF THE BORDER DISPUTE ON REFUGEE INFLUX 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶4.  Hassan Omar and Representative Encontre both 
stated that the Government of Eritrea ordered UNHCR to 
leave the country by the end of 2008.  However, a USG 
source has confirmed that UNHCR will remain in 
Eritrea.  Nevertheless, if UNHCR departs Eritrea, both 
representatives fear the possibility of an estimated 
5,000 to 8,000 South Somali refugees may begin a 
massive movement towards Djibouti, seeking refugee. 
Hassan Omar reported that the GoDJ has failed to begin 
planning for this possibility of new refugees from 
Eritrea's refugee camp. 
 
¶5.  Another feared possibility of a new influx comes 
from the Afar people, who live along the shore of 
southeastern Eritrea.  People from this tribe also 
live in northeastern Djibouti.  Even though they live 
in separate countries, they share the same Sultan, who 
lives on the Djiboutian side of the border.  The Afar 
population living on the Eritrean side of the border 
traditionally preferred to purchase basic commodities 
in Djiboutian villages, due to the distance of larger 
Eritrean cities and villages.  If fighting between 
Djibouti and Eritrea resumes, Hassan Omar expects this 
population to also seek refuge in Djibouti. 
 
¶6.  The GoDJ reportedly evacuated 352 people from the 
area around Moulhoule, a small town in Djibouti near 
the border dispute.  These internally displaced 
persons (IDP) have received temporary shelter in the 
town of Khor-Angar, 230 km northeast from 
Djiboutiville.  ONARS and UNHCR are working together 
to provide limited assistance to this displaced 
population.  The GoDJ, taken by surprise, had not made 
any plans for an internal population movement, and 
ONARS fears more people from the region may become 
IDPs if the fighting resumes. 
 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000569  002 OF 002 
 
 
SOMALIA'S INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  Hassan Omar also reported on a newly encountered 
situation ONARS faces where South/Central Somali 
refugees, who have been in Somaliland for the past two 
years or less, have begun seeking refuge in Djibouti. 
This new influx of refugees has claimed that UNHCR in 
Hargeisa refused to recognize their refugee status 
(COMMENT: UNHCR in Hargeisa can only identify these 
individuals as IDPs because Somaliland is 
internationally recognized as part of Somalia. END 
COMMENT).  Hassan Omar believes many of these people 
come to Djibouti with the hope of being resettled to a 
western country.  Upon hearing this, Encontre stated 
that UNHCR Djibouti does not give priority for 
resettlement to Somalis. 
 
REFUGEE RECEPTION AT THE BORDER DISCONTINUED 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  Currently, there is an estimated 2,500 registered 
new arrivals from South Somalia.  (COMMENT: An 
estimated 8,500 refugees reside at the Ali Addeh camp. 
END COMMENT).  An estimated 6,000 unregistered 
migrants roam Djiboutiville waiting for assistance 
from the GoDJ.  Since UNCHR has yet to establish a 
presence to register incoming refugees at the Loyada 
border, ONARS discontinued its daily refugee pick-ups 
at the border.  Nevertheless, reception, screening, 
and registration of refugees continues at ONARSQ 
office in Djiboutiville, a venue not originally 
designed to receive or hold the large numbers of 
people it currently serves. 
 
¶9.  Representative Encontre stated that even though 
the Ministry of Interior provided permission to 
construct the reception in the no mans land between 
Djibouti and Somaliland, the Ministry of Defense 
objected to the construction.  When she returns from a 
regional meeting in Nairobi next week, EnContre plans 
to seek an explanation of the rejection from the 
Ministry of Defense. 
 
UNHCR'S SUPPLIES REDISTRIBUTED TO DISATER STRICKEN 
COUNTRIES 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
------ 
 
¶10.  EnContre reported that UNHCR Djibouti received a 
portion of its long awaited supplies (non-food items, 
vehicles, etc.) ordered under last yearQs contingency 
plan, which had been set up to face the refugee influx 
from Southern Somalia and a possible war between 
Ethiopia and Eritrea.  The goods intended for the 
latter arrived in Dubai, but were redistributed to 
assist Myanmar and China with their recent disasters. 
UNHCR must now wait for an additional 8-10 months 
before the supplies are available again.  Encontre 
thanked the U.S. Government for the USD 100,000 
contribution that has helped finance the supplies. 
 
¶11.  COMMENT: The volatile situation in the Horn of 
Africa, further confirmed by this latest conflict 
between Eritrea and Djibouti, has started to affect 
Djibouti.  If threats continue to materialize, more 
serious impacts on DjiboutiQs refugee handling are to 
be expected.  Post closely monitors UNHCR and ONARS 
preparedness and responses to address the issues, both 
present and future. END COMMENT 
 
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