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DE RUEHC #5074/01 2562314
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 132253Z SEP 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 4883
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1427
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 8179
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 1273
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 8248
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 4795
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 6345
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 3078
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 8998
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 STATE 095074 
 
SIPDIS 
NDJAMENA 
ADDIS 
ACCRA 
KAMPALA 
NAIROBI FOR REFCOORDS 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
USEU FOR BTHOMAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF CD CM CT SU
SUBJECT: NDJAMENA REGIONAL REFUGEE COORDINATOR DUTIES AND 
         RESPONSIBILITIES 
 
¶1.  The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) 
would like to thank outgoing Regional Refugee Coordinator 
(RefCoord) Perlita Muiruri and welcome Michael Zorick who has 
taken up duties as Regional RefCoord for Chad, Darfur, the 
Central African Republic, and Cameroon.  This message 
outlines the key responsibilities  and priorities for PRM 
RefCoords generally and for the Ndjamena-based RefCoord 
specifically in programming and monitoring U.S. Government 
humanitarian assistance managed by the State Department.  PRM 
appreciates posts, ongoing support and collaboration with 
RefCoord Zorick as we address the challenging humanitarian 
issues confronting the region. 
 
------------- 
REFCOORD ROLE 
------------- 
¶2.  PRM currently has RefCoords deployed in nineteen (19) 
posts around the world.  Most have regional responsibilities 
while some focus on a specific country or a complex 
humanitarian emergency.  The majority of our RefCoords work 
on issues related to protection and assistance for refugees 
and conflict victims (including internally displaced 
people-IDPs) and voluntary repatriation and reintegration in 
post-conflict situations, while some others work mainly on 
issues related to resettlement of refugees to the United 
States.  They have responsibility for input into PRM -- and 
USG -- humanitarian strategies; overseeing implementation of 
USG policies and implementing partner programs for refugees, 
conflict victims, stateless persons, and other vulnerable 
migrants; liaising with governmental authorities to help 
resolve spot problems with protection and assistance 
programs; and helping represent the USG -- for example to 
explain humanitarian policies/strategies.   Their work with 
other donor countries and our key implementing partners from 
UN agencies, Red Cross, other international organizations and 
non-governmental organizations (IOs and NGOs) is essential to 
the work of PRM and our management of a budget which has been 
over $1.8 billion in FY09 (including over $350 million for 
Africa).   RefCoords also serve as a resource for 
Embassy-designated "refugee officers", providing guidance and 
back-up as requested in responding to refugee issues, 
including Embassy-supported programs via PRM,s Taft Refugee 
Fund. 
 
¶3.  PRM,s RefCoord in Ndjamena is the field focal point for 
the PRM role in the protection and assistance for some 3.2 
million refugees, IDPs, and conflict victims in Cameroon, the 
Central African Republic, Chad, and Darfur.   Given the 
inherently cross-border character of refugee flows, he will 
also coordinate closely with the Horn (Addis-based) and Great 
Lakes (Kampala-based) Regional RefCoords as well as the 
Refugee Admissions RefCoords in Nairobi and Accra.  We hope 
Ambassadors will consider RefCoord Zorick as a key member of 
each of your country teams. 
 
--------------------------------- 
KEY CHAD/CAR/DARFUR ISSUES/TOPICS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶4. The primary issues to be covered by the RefCoord on a 
regular basis -- and to be reported on both formally through 
cable traffic and less formally through the Weekly Report of 
Activities (WRA) as "recurrent issues" --  include the 
general status of refugee and conflict victim populations in 
the region, including treatment of refugees in host 
countries; factors influencing protection, assistance, and 
security issues; institutional performance of the IOs and 
NGOs; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 
protection and assistance programs for refugees, IDPs, and 
any stateless populations; UNHCR resettlement procedures (in 
cooperation with our Accra-based Admissions RefCoord); 
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) protection 
 
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and assistance programs for conflict victims; World Food 
Program (WFP) feeding programs for refugees and air 
operations (UNHAS); gender-based violence (GBV), sexual 
exploitation and abuse (SEA), and HIV/AIDS issues related to 
refugees; civil-military coordination between the 
humanitarian community and the UN peacekeeping mission in the 
Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), including the 
Chadian Detachement Integre de Securite (DIS); NGO monitoring 
and evaluation (M&E); coordination among USG agencies, 
including especially with USAID on IDP issues; upcoming 
RefCoord travel and other activities of interest. 
 
¶5.  The Chad/CAR/Darfur situation has been dubbed a "complex 
regional protracted emergency."  With the conflicts in Chad, 
the CAR, and Darfur far from being resolved despite a number 
of peace agreements (particularly in the case of the CAR and 
Chad), PRM focus in the region in the coming year will 
continue to be on preparedness for new refugee flows, 
emergency response, maintaining minimum standards of 
protection and assistance, such self-reliance measures as may 
be possible particularly with CAR refugees, and ensuring that 
the humanitarian response architecture is well coordinated 
and free of any sexual exploitation and abuse.  Difficult 
challenges over the coming year will include shrinking 
humanitarian space owing to insecurity and/or to governments 
being unable or unwilling to support humanitarian efforts, 
security and neutrality of refugee and IDP camps, 
coordination between a growing military and humanitarian 
presence in eastern Chad, the carrying capacity of eastern 
Chad, and the growing threat from the Lord,s Resistance Army 
in the CAR in particular.  We expect public interest in the 
Darfur situation to remain high, resulting in multiple 
VIP-type visits to Chad, including CODELs for which RefCoord 
Zorick will likely have some control officer 
responsibilities. 
 
¶6.   Key situations of interest include: 
¶A.  Sudanese Refugees in Chad 
-- Protection, especially of children, from recruitment into 
fighting forces. 
-- Preventing militarization of camps, including through 
relocation. 
-- Maintaining protection and assistance standards, including 
in treatment of vulnerable children and women and a reliable 
food aid pipeline, in what has become a protracted refugee 
situation. 
-- Possible solutions to fuel wood and water depletion. 
-- Impact of refugees on affected Chadians. 
-- Coordinated security measures among the many implementing 
partners in eastern Chad. 
-- MINURCAT:  Deployment of the MINURCAT-trained Chadian 
police (DIS) to enhance refugee and IDP security and general 
civil-military coordination. 
-- Contingency planning for additional refugee inflows. 
-- Referral of appropriate vulnerable cases to the U.S. 
Refugee Admissions Program. 
 
¶B.  Sudanese Refugees in the CAR 
-- Protection, especially of children, from recruitment into 
fighting forces. 
-- Reaching and maintaining protection and assistance 
standards, including in treatment of vulnerable children and 
women and a reliable food aid pipeline. 
-- Contingency planning for additional refugee inflows. 
-- MINURCAT: civil-military coordination. 
-- Displacement due to LRA activity in SE CAR. 
 
¶C.  Chadian IDPs 
-- Improved and coordinated UN and ICRC attention to 
IDPs/conflict victims, particularly with regard to IDP 
returns; monitoring UNHCR,s coordination role 
in addressing IDP protection/camp coordination-camp 
management/shelter needs; monitoring OCHA,s role. 
-- Ensuring complementarity of USAID and PRM programming. 
 
¶D.  Chadian Refugees in Darfur and Cameroon 
-- Protection of Chadian refugees in Darfur from possible 
 
STATE 00095074  003 OF 005 
 
 
manipulation in the Darfur conflict; ensuring that return to 
Chad is not foreclosed by land redistribution in Chad. 
-- Reaching and maintaining protection and assistance 
standards, including in treatment of vulnerable children and 
women and a reliable food aid pipeline for Chadian refugees 
in Darfur and in Cameroon. 
-- Appropriate measures to shape repatriation from Cameroon. 
 
¶E.  CAR Refugees in Chad and Cameroon (and Darfur) 
-- Reaching and maintaining protection and assistance 
standards, including in treatment of vulnerable children and 
women among the CAR refugees, in refugee camps in Chad and in 
Cameroon where refugees are not encamped. 
-- Self-reliance strategies for CAR refugees with access to 
land for farming and grazing. 
-- Addressing conflict between Peulh refugees and local 
populations. 
-- The situation of CAR refugees who have sought safety in 
Darfur. 
-- Referral of appropriate vulnerable cases in southern Chad 
to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. 
 
¶F.  CAR IDPs 
-- Role of rebel and FACA forces in displacement. 
-- UN and ICRC attention to IDPs/conflict victims; monitoring 
UNHCR,s coordination role in addressing IDP protection/camp 
coordination-camp management/shelter needs; monitoring 
OCHA,s role. 
-- Ensuring complementarity of USAID and PRM programming. 
 
¶G.  Darfur conflict victims and IDPs 
-- Monitoring UNHCR,s coordination role in addressing IDP 
protection/camp coordination-camp management; evaluation of 
"protection through presence" programming, following 
prospects for UNHCR,s expansion into North and South Darfur. 
-- Camp security/neutrality. 
-- ICRC,s protection and assistance efforts for conflict 
victims (including IDPs, the Gereida IDP Camp in particular) 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
KEY SKILLS AND RESPONSIBILITIES (REPORT, ANALYZE, 
TROUBLESHOOT, SOLVE PROBLEMS) 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
¶7.   The information that RefCoords gather and analyze helps 
PRM enhance the operational capacity and efficiency of our 
partners, and is therefore the key to the Department,s 
accountability to both beneficiaries and U.S. taxpayers. 
With performance increasingly tied to resources, monitoring 
and evaluation continue to play a critical role in justifying 
budget requests.  RefCoord/Ndjamena should also approach 
refugee issues in the region from a holistic standpoint with 
an eye towards highlighting both humanitarian and USG foreign 
policy implications and possible courses of action for PRM 
and the Department.  He should not only collect information, 
but also critically analyze it and offer options for action. 
Ideas of how PRM as a bureau (and AFR as an office) might 
work more efficiently towards its performance goals 
(including better M&E practices) would be highly valued. 
 
¶8.  RefCoord,s activities, including input for the various 
Mission Strategic Plans, should promote key PRM objectives 
and indicators, as outlined in PRM,s Bureau Strategic Plan, 
the OMB Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART)s, the Annual 
Framework Agreement with UNHCR, and in the Operational Plans 
(both country and global) and Country Assistance Strategies 
developed with guidance from the Director for Foreign 
Assistance (F).  (Note that, given the contingency and 
regional nature of PRM programming, PRM funds are part of the 
global operational planning rather than country plans in the 
F framework.) 
 
¶9.  RefCoord should cultivate relationships with key members 
of the following groups: 
-UNHCR (both national and local offices) 
-ICRC 
-Other IOs (mainly WFP, UNICEF, OCHA, and IOM) 
-NGOs working in refugee support (Implementing and 
 
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Non-Implementing Partners of UNHCR) 
-Governmental Authorities (primarily in Ndjamena and Bangui) 
-Embassy and USAID Mission contacts in all embassies, as well 
as appropriate other USG personnel such as Defense Attaches, 
CDC staff working on HIV/AIDS and malaria, DHS. 
-PRM Missions and Colleagues (Washington, Geneva, Brussels, 
Addis, Kampala, Accra and Nairobi) 
 
--------------------------------------- 
MONITORING AND REPORTING ON UNHCR, ICRC, 
 and OTHER IOs 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees 
(UNHCR), which has the international lead on all refugee 
situations in Africa (and generally in the world apart from 
the Palestinian refugees in the Middle East) is PRM's largest 
financial partner, receiving over 40% of PRM,s overseas 
assistance funds, and is the agency with which we have the 
broadest and deepest relationship.  Humanitarian reform in 
the United Nations has also given UNHCR additional 
responsibilities with respect to IDPs under the "cluster 
approach".  The International Committee of the Red Cross 
(ICRC), which is similarly present in almost every conflict 
situation, is second with approximately 20%.  Support for 
other IOs varies from situation to situation.  In general, 
USG food aid for refugees through WFP is provided in kind by 
the Food for Peace Program managed by USAID.  PRM may provide 
some cash support to WFP to fill critical gaps in the refugee 
food pipeline.  RefCoords are tasked with coordinating with 
USAID to report on refugee feeding activities by WFP and to 
report on any coming food shortages and pipeline breaks. 
 
¶11.  RefCoords are to report regularly on the performance of 
UNHCR and ICRC in each country, against the objectives laid 
out in their annual appeal documents. Findings are used not 
only at the field level in terms of pressing UNHCR to make 
changes that the USG might deem useful/necessary and/or in 
encouraging other donors to join in support of a particular 
program approach; they are also used in the USG engagement on 
the Executive Committee of the UNHCR which meets in plenary 
once a year and in Standing Committee at least three times a 
year.  Findings on ICRC,s performance are used primarily at 
the field and HQ levels in pressing for any program changes 
that the USG might deem useful/necessary and/or in 
encouraging other donors to join in support of a particular 
program approach.  The ICRC does not have a multinational 
governing board as UN agencies do, but there is a Donor 
Support Group mechanism in which the USG participates and the 
USG is a full member in the quadripartite Red Cross Movement 
(ICRC, the International Federation of Red Cross/Crescent 
Societies, the National RC Societies, and the National 
Governments). 
 
¶12.  In addition, in an effort to monitor UNHCR efforts in 
support of USG priorities and increase U.S. input into and 
knowledge of UNHCR's planning process, RefCoords are annually 
requested to perform two specific UNHCR monitoring duties, in 
addition to generally monitoring UNHCR activities.  One, 
RefCoords are asked to meet with UNHCR at the country level 
to discuss its Country Operation Plan (COP) for the current 
and coming year.   Discussions will need to be held in late 
winter/early spring, typically sometime in February or March, 
as UNHCR offices are putting together their plans for the 
coming year (details regarding the consultation will be 
provided in an action cable).  Two, PRM and UNHCR annually 
negotiate a Framework for Cooperation, which lays out shared 
expectations for the year.  Once finalized, the Framework is 
shared with RefCoords who are asked to refer to it throughout 
the year in monitoring UNHCR.  These two requests and 
associated guidance will be provided to RefCoords by cable 
early in the calendar year. 
 
¶13.  PRM makes significant unearmarked contributions to ICRC 
for the Africa region.  Special attention should be paid to 
ICRC activities in the region.  Front-channel reporting on 
ICRC programs, presence, and activities is helpful several 
 
STATE 00095074  005 OF 005 
 
 
times during the year as the PRM Financial Plan for a given 
fiscal year is reviewed and adjusted quarterly.  Updates on 
PRM,s earmarked contributions to ICRC and/or other 
International Organizations such as UNICEF and IOM are also 
needed regularly, particularly if continued funding is 
anticipated. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
MONITORING AND REPORTING ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL 
 ORGANIZATIONS (NGOs) 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶14.  PRM has cooperative agreements with a number of NGOs in 
the region to complement and/or to fill gaps in UNHCR 
programming in particular.  RefCoord responsibilities with 
regard to the NGOs that we fund includes at least two site 
visits and one M&E cable reporting specifically on the 
indicators agreed upon in the cooperative agreement, and 
others as written in the NGO final proposal.  RefCoords will 
receive notification from PRM,s Comptroller that an 
agreement has been awarded, along with an electronic version 
of the cooperative agreement.  Notification will 
identify/highlight areas for review and establish a date for 
formal reports to be submitted to Washington.  In addition, 
the PRM "nine Core Questions" should serve as a general 
outline for evaluating programs.  The deadline date for M&E 
reports is generally ninety days prior to the expiration of 
the agreement.   Washington relies on the RefCoords, feedback 
in making funding decisions for future NGO programs. 
RefCoords should be familiar with programs, goals, objectives 
and indicators, as required in NGO cooperative agreements, 
and should work with PRM program officers to report on 
objectives and indicators in Interim Performance Evaluations 
(IPEs).  A monitoring and evaluation report must be written 
for each PRM-funded NGO program.  The M&E reports should also 
report on changes in expected funding from UNHCR (from the 
planning figures given initially in the project proposal). 
In most situations there are multiple NGOs operating in a 
specific locale.  RefCoords should make sure that PRM funding 
for NGOs is balanced with respect to varying needs throughout 
a geographic region. 
 
¶15.  HIV/AIDS:  RefCoords with responsibilities in countries 
that have/will have Partnership Framework should become 
active participants in the PEPFAR inter-agency country teams 
to advocate for the inclusion of refugees in proposals for 
PEPFAR funding.  While none of the countries covered by 
RefCoord Ndjamena is currently a 
PEPFAR-focus country, he, as all RefCoords, should review the 
availability and adequacy of HIV/AIDS interventions on 
monitoring trips to identify program gaps that our NGO or IO 
partners could address.  Active RefCoord involvement has 
resulted in increased PEPFAR funding for refugees in recent 
years to fill critical programming gaps. 
 
¶16.  WEEKLY REPORTS:  RefCoords should send Weekly Reports on 
Activities (WRAs) to PRM highlighting points related to key 
issues above.  WRAs serve to disseminate important regional 
information throughout the Bureau. 
 
¶17.  MANAGEMENT OF POST ALLOTMENT/ICASS PARTICIPATION: 
RefCoords should alert PRM-Washington of immediate issues of 
concern and recommend appropriate responses. 
CLINTON