P 061242Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5422
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000581 
 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL PGOV GV IV
SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR GUINEAN REFUGEES 
 
REF: A. STATE 103110 
     ¶B. SALSETH-PRM EMAIL 10/6/09 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  On October 6, Poloff spoke to representatives from 
the Ivoirian government agency for refugees (SAARA), the UN 
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the UN Office for 
the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) about possible 
repercussions of the crisis in Guinea.  All three 
organizations think it is highly unlikely that Guinean 
refugees will cross over into Cote d'Ivoire.  In the event 
that there is widespread migration to Cote d'Ivoire, however, 
OCHA is the only organization with an updated contingency 
plan specifically developed for Guinea (Ref B). 
 
¶2.  (U) SAARA representative Giahouan Jean Cyriaque said his 
organization is not expecting to receive Guinean refugees at 
this time.  The likelihood of refugees crossing into Cote 
d'Ivoire is slim, he said, given that the events in Conakry 
are taking place quite far from the Ivoirian border.  Even if 
the situation worsens, Cyriaque said SAARA expects no more 
than 1,000 refugees.  (Note: Although SAARA actively monitors 
the western border with Liberia through an office in Guiglo, 
it has no office or representatives based in northern Cote 
d'Ivoire as a result of the crisis.) 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  UNHCR Country Representative Eusebe Hounsokou also 
believed it was highly unlikely that Cote d'Ivoire would be 
affected by recent events in Guinea.  In the event of a 
crisis, Hounsokou said UNHCR headquarters would probably fly 
a team in from Geneva to assist, as there are only 8 officers 
and 12 local staff working for UNHCR-Cote d'Ivoire. 
Hounsokou said the UNCHR contingency plan for Guinea needs to 
be updated, but this would be carried out by his replacement, 
who is currently in the process of being confirmed for the 
position.  Hounsokou retires this month. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  OCHA Head of Office Julie Belanger provided Poloff 
with the latest OCHA contingency plan for Guinea (Ref B). 
The plan takes into account migration flows of up to 50,000 
people, though Belanger said she also finds it unlikely that 
Guinean refugees will come to Cote d'Ivoire as a result of 
the current situation.  If they do, she said that the 
Ivoirian government will not allow camps to be created, as it 
prefers to house refugees with local communities. 
 
 
STANLEY