VZCZCXRO1671
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHKI #0064/01 0211642
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211642Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9067
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000064 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PGOV PREL KPKO CG CF TZ UG ZA UN
SUBJECT: DR CONGO QUARTERLY REFUGEE REPORT, DECEMBER 2008 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Continued attacks from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) 
have displaced thousands of citizens in the DRC.  UNHCR estimates 
that there are currently over 104,000 internally displaced people 
(IDPs) in Dungu Territory.  In 2008, UNHCR reported that it assisted 
with the return of over 39,000 refugees back to the DRC.  By the end 
of 2008, there are over 339,000 Congolese refugees in neighboring 
countries.  Repatriations from the Republic of Congo have ended. 
Repatriations from Zambia have been temporarily suspended due to the 
rainy season.  A final tripartite agreement between Uganda, DRC, and 
UNHCR has yet to be signed.  The Internal Displacement Monitoring 
Center estimates that there are currently over 1.4 million IDPs in 
the DRC.  The current security situation in the East threatens to 
reverse the progress from 2008.  End Summary. 
 
 
Refugees Displaced by the LRA 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The LRA has continued to attack local villages and, 
according to UNHCR estimates, has displaced over 104,000 people in 
Dungu Territory, Province Orientale.  Following the start of joint 
military operations against the LRA in mid-December by Ugandan, 
Congolese, and southern Sudanese military forces, the rebel group 
launched a series of attacks on civilians.  The NGO Caritas 
estimated that over 400 civilians were killed between December 25 
and 29.  OCHA reported that the largest LRA attack occurred in 
Faradje the evening of December 25 with a death toll of 129, 225 
people kidnapped, including 160 children, and 80 women raped. 
 
 
Return of DR Refugees 
--------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) As of December 21, UNHCR had assisted 39,607 refugees to 
return to the DRC, of which 13,300 returned to Equateur Province, 
14,743 to South Kivu Province, 11,064 to Katanga Province, and 500 
to other areas in the DRC during 2008.  There were no estimates 
available of non-assisted returns during the year. 
 
 
DRC Refugees in Other African Countries 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) UNHCR estimates 339,754 Congolese refugees are currently in 
other African countries.  Over the last quarter of 2008, this 
estimate has increased by approximately 23,000 as many Congolese 
have fled to Uganda to escape recent fighting in North Kivu. 
Tanzania still has the largest share with an estimated 79,171. 
Zambia hosts 46,015, Rwanda 54,583, Uganda 69,950, Burundi 22,135, 
the Republic of Congo 13,516, and the Central African Republic 
1,325.  An additional 50,164 are located in other countries. 
 
Refugees hosted by DRC 
---------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) According to UNHCR estimates, as of December 15, the DRC 
hosted 155,831 refugees from other countries, a decrease of 3,000 
from the previous quarter.  The largest number was from Angola with 
an estimated 112,203.  22,641 are from Rwanda, 17,602 from Burundi, 
2,511 from Sudan, 759 from the Republic of Congo, 40 from the 
Central African Republic, 15 from Uganda, and 60 from other 
countries. 
 
 
Repatriation From Zambia 
------------------------ 
 
¶6. (U) UNHCR reported that the repatriation of Congolese refugees in 
Zambia back to Pweto, Moba, and Kalemie, in Katanga Province 
finished, on schedule, with the arrival of the 27th convoy on 
December 12.  Through December 15, UNHCR reported that during 2008, 
it facilitated the return of 11,064 Congolese from Zambia via this 
route.  UNHCR has now temporarily suspended repatriation activities 
from Zambia due to the rainy season.  It plans to resume in Spring 
¶2009. 
 
 
Repatriation From Tanzania 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) Repatriation of Congolese refugees from Tanzania has 
continued slowly, but steadily.  The last convoy of 2008 arrived in 
 
KINSHASA 00000064  002 OF 002 
 
 
Baraka in mid-December, according to UNHCR.  During 2008, UNHCR 
repatriated 15,551 Congolese refugees in Tanzania to the DRC via 
Uvira and Baraka. 
 
 
Repatriation From the Republic of Congo 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) UNHCR surpassed its 2008 goal of repatriating 12,000 
Congolese from the Republic of Congo, with the repatriation of 
13,300 people through December 15.  UNHCR reported that virtually 
all of the returning refugees have chosen to return to Equateur 
Province.  The repatriation phase has terminated and the reinsertion 
and livelihoods phase begins this year, according to UNHCR. 
 
 
Repatriation From Uganda 
------------------------ 
 
¶9.  (U) UNHCR's External Relations Officer told post that the 
DRC-Uganda-UNHCR Tripartite Technical Working Group continued to 
meet since its inception in June 2008.  As of the end of December 
2008, a final agreement has yet to be reached. 
 
 
IDP Estimates 
------------- 
 
¶10.  (U) The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center estimates that 
there are currently over 1.4 million IDPs in the DRC.  The vast 
majority, approximately one million, are located in North Kivu. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The recent LRA attacks in Dungu Territory, in reprisal 
for the joint Ugandan, Congolese, and Sudanese offensive, has 
exacerbated the humanitarian situation in the East.  This variable, 
coupled with continued insecurity in the Kivus, threatens to reverse 
the 2008 gains in the net inflow of Congolese returnees. 
 
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