Cablegate: Unhcr Donors Visit South Kivu

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KINSHASA 000457

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

FOR PRM, ALSO PLEASE PASS TO USAID FOR GHD FOCAL POINT
POSTS FOR REFCOORDS. USUN FOR MALY AND POLSEC

E.O. 12958; NA
TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV CG
SUBJECT: UNHCR DONORS VISIT SOUTH KIVU

REF: A. KINSHASA 00224
B. GENEVA 00589

1. (SBU) SUMMARY: UNHCR hosted a field mission for
donors to South Kivu February 14-16. This mission gave
donors an opportunity to view firsthand the current
state of affairs, infrastructure, political climate and
security concerns surrounding processing of refugees in
South Kivu. The mission also afforded the delegation
the opportunity to meet with South Kivu UNHCR, other UN
agencies, provincial and territorial officials,
relevant partners and contractor personnel.

The Delegation
--------------
2. (SBU) The group traveling to South Kivu consisted
of representatives from the French and Danish foreign
ministries, the German and Swedish permanent missions
to Geneva, the Belgian and U.S. Embassies in Kinshasa,
the Swiss Ambassador to the DRC, ECHO-DRC, the
USAID/DRC Director, the UNHCR Representative to the DRC
and the UNHCR/DRC External Relations Officer, in
addition to a staff member from UNHCR-Geneva.

The Mission
-----------
3. (SBU) Following a January 20, 2005 tripartite
agreement between the DRC, Tanzania and UNHCR,(REF A)
MONUC, other UN agencies, partners and donors began to
measure needs prior to the scheduled return of
approximately 150,000 refugees from Tanzania. Local
UNHCR staff piloted the delegation in South Kivu. The
group visited Bukavu, Uvira, Baraka and Fizi, and
concentrated on regional security issues, refugees
leaving South Kivu for Rwanda and Burundi, Congolese
returnees, and issues of food, housing, education and
health.

South Kivu Security
-------------------
4. (SBU) While peace is slowly returning to South
Kivu, it is fragile and security issues limit UNHCR
activities in the province. A wide variety of
Congolese armed groups and Rwandan and Burundian rebels
continue to operate in South Kivu. The insurrection in
May/June 2004 was a major setback for UNHCR and
humanitarian efforts in general, and the GDRC's failure
to provide regular pay to military personnel has
provoked renewed incidents of armed robbery in towns,
and ambushes followed by looting of vehicles in the
field. Thousands of government soldiers (FARDC) and
dependents have been sent to the Kivus without pay,
food or support leading many to prey upon the civilian
population. The delegation had an opportunity to meet
with the commanding officer of the 10th Military
Region, General Mabe, who was candid regarding his
limited ability to bring security to the region. He
reported that he was without material and means to
enforce peace and stability in the province.

Repatriation of Rwandan and Burundian Refugees
--------------------------------------------- -
5. (SBU) UNHCR manages ten assembly points in the rural
areas of South Kivu which feed voluntary returnees to a
transit center in Bukavu. Returnees normally stay for
2-3 days in each facility and are provided with basic
assistance including health care. The delegation met
with 53 Rwandan refugees, mostly young women, children
and infants who were being repatriated. UNHCR reported
that each week 100 or more Rwandans voluntarily return
with their assistance, and are transferred from Bukavu
to the Nyagatare (Cyangugu) transit center in Rwanda.
The refugees are then transported by UNHCR Rwanda to
their prefecture of origin. UNHCR Bukavu estimates
that they will facilitate the return of 14,000 Rwandan
refugees this year. From January 1, 2000 until the
end of 2004, UNHCR Sub Office Bukavu has facilitated or
promoted the voluntary repatriation of 73,340 Rwandan
refugees and estimates there are 86,317 remaining.
Because of the instability in Burundi, UNHCR expects
few of the estimated 19,252 Burundian refugees in the
DRC will return this year.
Returning Congolese Refugees
----------------------------
6. (SBU) UNHCR estimates that between 30,000 and
50,000 Congolese have voluntarily repatriated from
Tanzania since the beginning of 2003, and that a
further 150,000 refugees are registered in camps in
Tanzania. In addition, an unknown number are not
registered or in camps. UNHCR reports that there are
several elements that are encouraging refugees to come
back to the DRC, some of which are referred to as "push
factors." These include reduced rations, official
Tanzanian encouragement to return home, and lack of
land, employment or opportunity. There are "pull
factors" also at work, such as reports of peace in the
DRC, the requirement that would-be voters must be on
Congolese soil to vote in upcoming DRC elections, and
the actions of DRC political figures such as the
governor of South Kivu, who is actively encouraging
returns. Spontaneous returns from Tanzania generally
arrive on the shore of Lake Tanganyika between Uvira
and Baraka. Most refugees currently in Tanzania will
return to this region, however, much of the
infrastructure, housing and economy that they remember
was destroyed in the war.

Food, Housing, Education and Health
---------------------------------
7. (SBU) FOOD - Although the Kivus were once the
breadbasket of the DRC, conflict beginning in 1996 has
decimated agriculture, including small-plot subsistence
farming. In addition, the rapidly-spreading Cassava
Mosaic Virus and the Banana/Plantain Wilt threaten to
wipe out the staple items of the local diet as well as
large contributors to the local economy. The mission
to South Kivu visited a USAID/FAO project near Bukavu
that is propagating Mosaic-resistant cassava. (Comment:
This disease is a potential disaster, and could wipe
out the main source of starch and greens in the region.
End Comment.)

HOUSING - Following the Rwandan military pullout from
South Kivu in 2002, the front between the former rebel
RCD-G forces and Mai Mai forces see-sawed back and
forth across the province. Villages were burned and
housing was destroyed. Only since June 2004 has there
been relative quiet, however, residents outside of
Bukavu and Uvira have not spent what little resources
they have left to rebuild housing units. Many are
living in partially destroyed huts. Those with UNHCR
tarps on the roof have some ability to keep out the
rain. Families hosting returning relatives are out of
room and resources. As more and more refugees return
to the area, there will be no suitable housing.

EDUCATION - In Bukavu and Uvira, education is available
to those who can afford it. The delegation visited a
school in the territorial capital of Fizi. It, as with
most of the infrastructure, was nearly totally
destroyed. Although it has walls it has no roof, desks
or benches, paper, pencils or books. Portions of the
walls have been painted black for blackboards, but
there is no chalk. Children bring dried cassava root
to take the place of chalk. Nearly all students are
boys. As is the case in the rest of the DRC, school is
not free and parents with any resources at all prefer
to educate their boys.

HEALTH - UNHCR and their partners have been able to
provide health care to refugees in Bukavu and Uvira.
There are international and local NGOs providing health
care in these cities, however, the remainder of South
Kivu is nearly without access. The delegation visited
the shell of the hospital in Fizi. In May/June 2004
renegade RCD-G forces led by General Nkunda stripped
the hospital of every piece of equipment and materials
down to copper wire and electric switches. The only
bit of equipment remaining was the frame of an
examination table that was too heavy to lift. Doctors
Without Borders - Netherlands has established a basic
clinic in what was until as recently as June a working
regional hospital. The clinic consists of one medical
professional. The delegation viewed two cots and two
mattresses on the floor. There was an examination
table in the "maternity facility" and there were two IV
poles. This is the only medical facility in the
territory with a population soon to be swelled by
150,000 returning refugees. UNHCR estimates 200 per
week are now returning.

COMMENT
----------
8. (SBU) Since the June 2004 insurrection that required
UNHCR to withdraw to Goma for security reasons, it has
been working with its partners and other UN agencies to
rebuild its presence in South Kivu. The Sub Office
(SO) in Bukavu is working well and is fully staffed.
UNHCR is readying an SO for Uvira and they are staffing
up and supporting partners and contractors. Elsewhere
in the province, assembly points in Shabunda, Baraka
and Fizi have not been built as originally planned
because of insecurity. In coming months, as elections
come increasingly to the fore, increasing numbers of
spontaneous returnees likely will overburden the
resources available. Although UNHCR is attempting to
support community-based capacity, they must do so
without seeming to encourage returns until the
government and local and international organizations
can provide security and resources necessary to support
returnees. End Comment.
MEECE

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