TNAG-1542-FCO40-2106-United-Nations-High-Commissioner-for-Refugees-(UNHCR)-Execut-1986 — Page 167

Excellent

cc Mus Wyeth

Enter and

CONFIDENTIAL

BRITISH EMBASSY KINSHASA

Ro, for thankyou letter.

P W Chandley Esq

CAFD

FCO

02 September 1986

ZAIRE

cc. Mr. Trevan, UND

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Dear lever,

на

UNHCR 37TH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MELTING, 6-16 OCTOBER 1986

Thank you for your letter of 28 July to which I have been asked to reply. That said, I find myself unable to assist immediately on the refugee situation in Rwanda and Burundi and am, in this letter at least, restricting myself to dealing with Zaire. I am continuing to seek up-to-date data on the other two countries in our parish but am having to do this locally since I shall not be able to visit those areas before your deadline. I shall, of course, write again if I am able to come up with anything useful.

So, to deal with Zaire, I would offer the following answers to Mrs Wyeth's questions:

(1) refugees largely fall into category (i), ie. mandatory; there

are no refugees here from categories (ii) to (iv). The Govern- ment of Zaire (GoZ) offers full refugee status with all the rights and facilities offered to Zairean citizens.

(2) (i) Needs are assessed according to international standards

for maintenance and subsistence by UNHCR in conjuction with implementing agencies.

(ii) The refugee groups appoint their own leaders to speak to

UNHCR who, in turn, represent the refugees to the GoZ.

(iii) UNHCR field officers have daily contact with refugee

groups.

(iv) Yes.

(v) Yes and Yes.

(3) (i) There has been some criticism of the criteria upon which

some UNHCR staff are selected based on the view that a number of field officers are neither of the appropriate calibre nor do they have the requisite experience (ie. appointments are sometimes made for purely "political" Reasons).

(ii) In general, yes.

.../ (iii) On

CONFIDENTIAL