U.S. Committee for Refugees World Refugee Survey 1997 - Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire hosted approximately 320,000 refugees from Liberia at the end of 1996. Pre-1996 Events Liberians began fleeing to Côte d'Ivoire in 1990 to escape civil war in their own country. During the first half of the 1990s, some refugee families repatriated to Liberia and fled back to Côte d'Ivoire several times as Liberia's violence diminished or intensified from year to year. Government policies were generally hospitable to the refugees and encouraged them to settle into border towns, villages, and rural areas rather than in camps. The majority settled along the border with Liberia, though an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 migrated toward urban centers such as the capital, Abidjan. Since they did not live in typical refugee camps, refugees in Côte d'Ivoire were expected to become partially self-sufficient through farming, small businesses, and local employment. A USCR site visit to Côte d'Ivoire in late 1995 found that large numbers of Liberians were struggling to afford rent, schooling, medical care, and other costs imposed on them by daily life. As the refugee population grew and their stay became prolonged, relations between locals and refugees became more strained. Protection Issues in 1996 War in Liberia persisted during 1996, pushing an estimated 25,000 new refugees into Côte d'Ivoire. Many of the new arrivals had repatriated from Côte d'Ivoire in previous years in the mistaken belief that Liberia had become safe. Liberia's violence spilled across the border at times, endangering refugees and Ivorians alike. Four Ivorians were killed and two refugees were wounded when Liberian combatants raided a refugee area in the southwest corner of Côte d'Ivoire. In June, an attack across the border by a Liberian faction left eight to 14 refugees dead, according to varying reports. "Côte d'Ivoire refuses to be a victim of its hospitality and its profound aspiration to cultivate peace," an Ivorian official stated in reaction to the violence. Authorities responded by deploying additional Ivorian troops in the border zone. USCR conducted a site visit to Côte d'Ivoire in late 1996 in part to examine refugee protection issues in border areas. Although many Ivorian troops were disciplined and courteous, some soldiers viewed the refugees themselves as a security threat. A small number of new refugees were in fact ex-combatants whose arrival in Côte d'Ivoire brought increased crime, according to reliable sources. Soldiers reportedly burned about 60 refugee houses in one border town, forcing several hundred refugees to seek different shelters. Since refugees lacked official legal status under Ivorian law and did not have identity cards, they were at times subjected to abuse by local authorities. The government was on the verge of approving the issuance of new identity cards to the refugee population as the year ended – a step advocated by UNHCR. UNHCR officials told USCR in late 1996 that they planned to improve UNHCR's monitoring of refugee protection problems. Côte d'Ivoire officials denied entry to a boat, the Bulk Challenge, carrying several thousand Liberian refugees. Officials allowed women and children to disembark the overcrowded ship temporarily for food and medical assistance while the vessel underwent repairs. Authorities ordered all passengers back on the boat, but up to 200 refugees ignored the order and made their way by land to refuge in neighboring Ghana. Ivorian officials forced the unseaworthy vessel and its remaining passengers back to sea. The boat eventually landed in Ghana. Government officials justified their decision to deny entry to the Bulk Challenge by claiming that it contained 2,000 Liberian combatants who were not legitimate refugees. "It is shocking that West African countries with long traditions of generosity toward Liberian refugees are shutting the door in the most inhumane way," USCR publicly stated in response to the episode. USCR investigated the Bulk Challenge incident during a mid-year site visit to Côte d'Ivoire, and interviewed former passengers of the boat. The plight of the Liberian boat people "is a dramatic example of the refoulement that will likely continue in the region if a comprehensive solution to the Liberian refugee crisis is not found," stated a joint report by USCR and three other NGOs. Humanitarian Conditions Most of the 320,000 Liberian refugees in Côte d'Ivoire lived a relatively healthy but precarious existence. During two USCR site visits in 1996, refugees expressed gratitude for their asylum but were concerned about cuts in relief food. UNHCR and WFP initiated the first phase of a new targeted feeding program in 1996 that effectively cut about one third of the refugee population from regular food relief. UNHCR and the Ivorian government originally opposed the new feeding program, but acquiesced under pressure from WFP and international donors, including U.S. relief officials. Donors believed that many refugees, particularly those who arrived in Côte d'Ivoire prior to mid-1994, were self-sufficient or would rapidly become self-sufficient if forced to fend for themselves. The new targeted feeding program was intended to reduce waste and theft of relief food by targeting distributions to the most needy refugees. Plans to cut food distributions even more drastically in 1997 prompted UNHCR to place greater emphasis on agricultural and small business projects in hopes of making more refugee households self-reliant. UNHCR warned, however, that its previous efforts to promote income-generating projects among Liberian refugees had largely failed. Despite concerns about the long-term impact of reduced food distributions, overall malnutrition rates among Liberian refugees were reportedly less than 5 percent in late 1996. UNHCR's care and maintenance programs in Côte d'Ivoire cost $8.7 million during the year. During USCR's site visit in late 1996, Liberian refugees told USCR that they were struggling to cope with the cost of living in Côte d'Ivoire. Many indicated that they were in despair about conditions in Liberia and would not repatriate to their homes until warring factions there disarmed.