VZCZCXRO1916
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHDR #0882/01 3551337
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211337Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9164
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 3053
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 0021
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI 1524
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0349
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 1486
RUEHDS/USMISSION USAU ADDIS ABABA
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0522

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000882 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E JTREADWELL, PRM WHENNING, INR FEHRENREICH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PREF TZ
SUBJECT: REFUGEE UPDATE: MTABILA BURUNDI RESIST RETURN; UNHCR ON 
TANZANIA'S RETURN OF CONGOLESE 
 
REF: A. DAR ES SALAAM 758, B. DAR ES SALAAM 829 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Despite UNHCR's increased efforts to encourage 
refugees in the Mtabila camp to return to Burundi, there has been 
little movement.  UNHCR suspects camp leaders are conducting 
intimidation campaigns to discourage repatriation.  Following 
UNHCR's protest of the Tanzania's return of a group of new arrivals 
from DR Congo without proper screening, the GOT has committed to 
following proper procedures in future.  GOT progress on planning for 
the local integration of the naturalized 1972 Burundian population 
remains slow.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Mtabila Camp: Refugees Holding Tight 
------------------------------------ 
¶2. (SBU) UNHCR Acting Representative Indrika Ratwatte told donors on 
December 11 that Burundian refugees in Mtabila camp continued to 
resist repatriation.  However, only 35 percent of the refugees cited 
security concerns as the reason for their reluctance to return to 
Burundi, according to a population profile completed in October 
¶2009.  UNHCR therefore had decided to increase incentives for a 
period of six weeks, in hopes of substantially decreasing the camp's 
population.  The new repatriation package, announced December 7, 
includes USD150 per person, a new bike for each family, a six month 
ration of food and non-food items, and assistance in reclaiming or 
identifying land for settlement.  Although UNHCR was hopeful it 
would see an immediate response from the refugees, these 
enhancements have not increased voluntary repatriation.  UNHCR 
suspects camp leaders are conducting intimidation campaigns to limit 
repatriation. 
 
¶3. (SBU) UNHCR will continue to offer the package through January 
15, after which it will ask the GOT for additional time to encourage 
voluntary repatriation.  However, Ratwatte said the regional 
authorities in the Kigoma region are losing patience.  In 
particular, Ratwatte noted their concerns about Tanzania playing 
host to a Hutu group, suspected to support former FNL rebel Pasteur 
Habimana, as the July 2010 Burundi elections approach(ref a and b). 
 
 
Return of Unscreened Congolese: UNHCR Protests 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶4. (SBU) On November 11 and 12, 72 Congolese who arrived by boat on 
November 8 were returned by the regional authorities in Kigoma 
despite UNHCR's interventions with the local authorities and the 
Ministry of Home Affairs.  According to UNHCR, these Congolese 
claimed to be fleeing hostilities between Mai Mai insurgents and 
Congolese army forces in the Fizi Territory of South Kivu.  However, 
Ratwatte said GOT officials suspected these individuals to be 
relatives of soldiers, seeking safe shelter for their families in 
advance of renewed fighting.  (Note: This is consistent with what we 
heard from GOT sources (ref b). End Note.)  UNHCR lodged a protest 
with the Ministry of Home Affairs about this action, emphasizing the 
need for GOT to allow UNHCR to evaluate claims to refugee status 
before individuals are returned. Ratwatte said he received 
assurances from the GOT that in future UNHCR would be permitted to 
evaluate all claims of refugee status. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Following the significant number of new arrivals in 
September and October, Ratwatte reported there were no new arrivals 
from DRC between mid-November and mid-December.  He noted that the 
National Eligibility Commission reviewed 376 asylum claims for 784 
persons who arrived between May and November 2009.  (Note: The 
Commission is headed by the Director of Public Prosecution and 
comprises representatives from the Office of the President, the 
Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs, Office of 
the Inspector General of Police, Office of the Zanzibar Chief 
Minister, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and UNHCR/UNICEF (as 
observers only). End Note.)  The Commission rejected all but 15 
because they did not come from conflict zones within DR Congo. 
Those whose applications were rejected, however, have been granted a 
temporary right to remain in Tanzania because UNHCR will not return 
any individuals to DR Congo until the situation stabilizes. 
 
Local Integration of 1972 Burundi 
--------------------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) The GOT's plans to "integrate" the naturalized 1972 Burundi 
population remain nascent (Note: The GOT continues to insist that 
the former refugees will be dispersed around Tanzania and away from 
the settlements. End Note.).  On December 7, The Prime Minister's 
Office of Regional Administration and Local Governance (PMO-RALG) 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000882  002 OF 002 
 
 
convened its first meeting with eight Regional Commissioners and 
UNHCR to discuss local integration plans.  Ratwatte commented that 
Minister of State Celina Kombani was not engaged on the issue and 
had been poorly prepared by her senior advisors.  The GOT had not 
coordinated in advance on the process of integration or the roles 
and responsibilities of local authorities.  Thus, little progress 
was made.  PMO-RALG plans to hold an internal meeting in January to 
identify the "modalities" for local integration before re-engaging 
UNHCR on the issue. 
 
Global Appeal 
------------- 
¶7. (U) Although there were only two donor representatives present at 
this pre-holiday meeting, Ratwatte presented the outline of the 2010 
Global Appeal.  UNHCR is seeking USD32 million for refugee programs 
and an additional USD13 million for local integration projects in 
Tanzania.  Some expenses related to the local integration effort are 
embedded in the USD32 million for refugee programs.  (Note: Ratwatte 
told PolOff and PRM's Wendy Henning in October that the cost of 
local integration would be more than USD20 million per year for two 
years. (ref a)) 
 
LENHARDT