Tuesday 19 November 2002

Press Briefing Notes
Tuesday 19 November 2002
Spokesperson: Jean Philippe Chauzy

CÔTE D'IVOIRE - First Resettlement to the United States Since Attempted Coup
ANGOLA - Sample Survey of Demobilised Combatants
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA - Former Soldiers Trained as Deminers
CHILE - Conference on International Migration





CÔTE D'IVOIRE - First Resettlement to the United States Since Attempted Coup - A first group of 26 Liberian refugees scheduled for resettlement in the
United States is due to leave today. On Friday, the group left Danané refugee camp on the Liberian border for Abidjan, some 600 kilometres away.

The refugees, who were scheduled to depart for the US on 23 September, were prevented from leaving Côte d'Ivoire because of the widespread insecurity following the 19 September coup attempt. Another reason for their delay was the cancellation of all flights out of the country.

The IOM-organized convoy stopped for the night in Toumodi, a town between Abidjan and Yamoussoukro, before arriving in the economic capital Abidjan. Over the weekend, the refugees were housed at the IOM Transit Centre, Deux Plateaux.

This is the first movement of US bound refugees from camps in Western Cote d'Ivoire since 19 September.

David Coomber, IOM's chief of mission in Abidjan says that some 1,900 US bound refugees are currently in Côte d'Ivoire awaiting resettlement.

ANGOLA - Sample Survey of Demobilized Combatants - IOM has carried out a survey amongst 4,731 demobilized UNITA soldiers currently living with their dependants in eight gathering areas in the provinces Benguela, Bié, Huambo, northern Huila, and Kuanza Sul.

The IOM survey sample represents 11% of the total number of UNITA demobilized soldiers gathered in the four provinces where some 49% of the estimated 84,600 demobilized UNITA soldiers in Angola are currently gathered.

From this group, the government will take 5,000 former UNITA soldiers to incorporate into the Angolan Armed Forces, while reducing their own forces by at least 33,000 troops.

The results of the survey will help the government and the international community identify the magnitude of the displacement, demographic and socio-economic characteristics, age and gender groups, the composition of the households, health profiles, the level of awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS; their level of vulnerability, educational background, and their expectations regarding reintegration.

Mike Pillinger, of IOM's Emergency and Post Conflict Unit oversaw the survey, "The counselling and registration process is trying to find out their needs and concerns, and what they will do when they go back to civilian life. This survey will help the combatants and the peace process so that things can get back to normal in Angola."

Domingos Jaime, a demobilized UNITA soldier told IOM, "We want the peace process to help us get back on the right track so we can live better, work and rebuild our country."

But another demobilized soldier, Justino Camela, told IOM, "But what I need at this very moment is to work during the day and study at night."

UNOCHA describes the current humanitarian situation in Angola as "one of the worst in the world". Angola has up to four million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), one million of them depend on emergency relief for survival. Coupled with internal displacement, some 400,000 Angolans are living as refugees in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Namibia.

Some of the survey findings:

99% of those interviewed are male
The average length of service with UNITA was 5 to 7 years
The majority of the soldiers and their spouses were born in Huambo province
85% said they would like to return to their area of origin
Almost 50% had an agricultural farm prior to joining UNITA and want to return to farming
Only 25% had a house before joining UNITA
Their level of education ranges from 1st to 4th grades. A small number had professional training
Although many were injured in battle, they say they are able to engage in gainful employment
Some 65% of the demobilized soldiers interviewed claimed to be aware of HIV/AIDS
Almost 50% of those of school age would like to continue their studies
Those over 25 would like to work in the public sector (health care, education, or transportation)
Most say they need money/loans to return to their previous activities
50% would welcome professional training to do better in the previous job or to change profession





IOM carried out this survey with support from USAID and UNOCHA. Since 1993, over 300,000 demobilized soldiers/former combatants and some 1.1 million
dependants have benefited from IOM demobilization and reintegration assistance programmes. To date, IOM has put in place programmes totalling US$115.5 million in 15 countries.

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA - Former Soldiers Trained as Deminers -Through its "Transitional Assistance for Discharged Soldiers" programme, IOM has trained 18 former soldiers as professional deminers and has purchased equipment for another 11 former soldiers, now professional deminers. All 29 former soldiers are now employed full-time in demining activities in BiH.

Twenty-four of these former soldiers are currently employed by Protiv Minska Akcija (Action Against Mine "PMA"), a humanitarian demining organization based in Mostar. IOM funded a training course for former soldiers approved by the UN Mine Action Centre (MAC), and purchased demining equipment for these individuals.

This arrangement offered an excellent opportunity for IOM, as many former soldiers applying to IOM's programme were expressing interest in working as deminers. Many candidates had undertaken similar jobs during the war and recognized that these skills would continue to be of use after their demobilization.

Although there are approximately 50 local and international demining organizations currently working in BiH, and an ongoing demand exists for professional deminers. PMA estimates that there is still up to 10 years of full-time work to demine BiH.

IOM Sarajevo is also working with the British NGO Operation Florian to provide training and equipment to some 200 former soldiers to help them become fire- fighters in their communities.

This programme is part of a large IOM initiative providing transitional assistance to soldiers discharged from the armed forces of BiH to help them re-integrate into civilian life. IOM provides assistance with employment-seeking, one-on-one educational and career counselling, business and agricultural advice, combined with consulting and planning and tool kits for those who can engage in sustainable employment.

IOM has received start-up funding from USAID, and the British and Polish Governments. For more information, please contact Jennifer Brown, IOM Sarajevo, Tel: 387.33.648 204 jbrown@iom.int

CHILE-Conference on International Migration - IOM and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) are organising a three day conference on human rights and human trafficking in the Americas.

This conference will open on 20 November at the ECLAC headquarters, in Santiago and will bring together high level representatives from ECLAC member countries, experts from international organizations, the academic world and from civil society institutions involved in this issue.

The main objective of the meeting is to strengthen cooperation among governments in the area of international migration and identify mechanisms that contribute to protecting and promoting the human rights of migrants, and fighting and preventing trafficking in persons.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the OAS, UNHCHR, UNFPA, UNICEF, ILO, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Latin American Economic System (Sistema Económico Latinoamericano, SELA) will also attend.

Some 20 million people from Latin America and the Caribbean live outside their countries. Half of these persons emigrated during the 1990s, especially to the United States. One of every ten of the 175 million international migrants was born in a Latin American or Caribbean country.

For more information, Pedro Hernández González Tel: 56.2.274.6713 iomsantiag@iom.int