In a letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen raised concerns over the status of Camp Ashraf residents in northern Iraq.
Excerpts of this letter are as follows:
“As you know, on December 25, 2011, the United Nations and the Government of Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the temporary relocation and eventual resettlement of the residents of Camp Ashraf. The agreement set forth that the residents of Camp Ashraf will be relocated within Iraqi to a temporary location, Camp Liberty, where the UN High Commissioner for Refugees will commence a process to determine the residents’ refugee status and thereby facilitate their eventual resettlement.
“At the time of the MOU’s signing, your Special Representative for Iraq, Martin Kobler, stated that ‘The MOU respects the sovereignty of Iraq and its international humanitarian and human rights obligations and protects the security and rights of the camp’s residents… this [MOU] is about voluntary relocation and its implementation is based firmly on all sides acting peacefully and in good faith.’ While I was and remain skeptical regarding whether the MOU would be implemented properly, I was encouraged by your spokesperson’s statement on December 26th that:
“The Secretary-General welcomes the signing [of the MOU]… He believes the agreement lays the foundation for a peaceful and durable solution to the situation, respecting both the sovereignty of Iraq and its international humanitarian and human rights obligations… As reflected in the [MOU], the Government of Iraq has a clear and exclusive responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the residents… The Secretary-General reminds all concerned that any violence or attempts at a forcible solution would be unacceptable.”
“However, recent reports have reinforced my concern regarding the implementation of this MOU, the willingness of the UN and the Government of Iraq to uphold its obligations under the MOU, and the state of the humanitarian protections to which the residents of Camp Ashraf are entitled.
“Therefore, Mr. Secretary-General, I would greatly appreciate if you could provide clarification regarding the implementation of the MOU, as well as your assistance in ensuring that: the MOU is implemented properly, humanitarian protections for the residents of Camp Ashraf are upheld; Ashraf residents are only relocated voluntarily; and the safety and security of Ashraf residents guaranteed—both at their current location, as well as their forthcoming temporary relocation in Camp Liberty.”