Update on Darfur Security and Humanitarian

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001044

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR D, AF/FO, AF/RSA, AND AF/SPG
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV MOPS KPKO PREF UN AU SU
SUBJECT: Update on Darfur Security and Humanitarian
Access - May 3, 2006

Ref: Khartoum 01033 and previous


1. (SBU) Summary: Three Save the Children - U.S. staff
were car-jacked on May 2 near El Geneina; they were
released unharmed in a remote area. A suspected April 30
ambush on SAF left at least two dead and five wounded.
Arab militia abducted 15 individuals from Dagama, South
Darfur. Thousands participated in a peaceful
demonstration in the Kalma camp for protection and
against their perceived marginalization in the Darfur
peace talks. End summary.


2. (SBU) Security Update:


A. Three Save the Children - U.S. staff (one expat, two
nationals) were traveling by vehicle on the outskirts of
Ardamata IDP camp on the periphery of El Geneina on May 2
when the vehicle was stopped in the early afternoon by
armed individuals who proceeded to car-jack the vehicle
with the staff still inside still. The vehicle was
forced to drive north of El Geneina to an area the staff
had never seen before; the armed individuals forced the
SC-US staff out of the vehicle in the middle of nowhere
around 72 km from El Geneina. The staff were forced to
make their own way back to El Geneina by foot and donkey
and were able to reach SC-US offices safely in El Geneina
by nightfall. All were reported to be in good condition.
(Note: This is the second example of an assault against
aid workers in El Geneina town in broad daylight in the
past week. End note.)



B. Report of Attack on GoS Military: On April 30
suspected SLA rebels attached Sudanese Armed Forces
returning from Adilla, 108 km south of Ed Daein. At
least two military officers were killed and five
seriously wounded; the wounded may be flown to Khartoum
for further treatment.


C. Geraida: The Umda of Geraida complained that on May
1 Arab militias from Dito village abducted 15 people from
Dagama village - 8 women, 6 men, and a baby. He also
alleged that the attackers took away a Land Rover. AMIS
will conduct a verification patrol to Dito on May 3. The
security situation was reported to be calm.


3. (SBU) Humanitarian Update:


A. Kalma: On May 2 at about 0945 hours the internally
displaced persons (IDPs) at the Kalma camp organized a
peaceful demonstration. The demonstrators, numbering
about 2500, were led by their sheikhs and community
leaders. They later converged in front of the AMIS
Civilian Police Office, where the head sheikh, Ali
Abdulrahman, presented a petition written in Arabic to
Humanitarian Officer of OCHA Umeag Haj. During a meeting
with AMIS officers, the sheikhs stated that they had been
sidelined in the Abuja negotiations and expressed their
unhappiness about it. The demonstrators dispersed
peacefully at 1150 hours. No incident was recorded.
Some of the placards of the demonstrators read as
follows:

-- No, No to Rape and Genocide;

-- No, No to for GoS attacking IDPs and civilians;

-- Take action to save Darfur;

-- We Request Red Coat to Protect Us;

-- We Need Protection, We Have No Freedom;

-- Yes, Yes for Our Remunerations;

-- We Required International Forces to Protect Us; and

-- We Need Food, Water, and Other Amenities.


B. El-Salaam: On May 2, a group of new internally
displaced persons from Geraida and Donkey Dereissa made
up of 228 families were evacuated to the El-Salaam camp.
HAC is providing humanitarian assistance to the new
arrivals.


C. Nyala: AMIS escorted Samaritan's Purse trucks for
food distribution within the sector. At Jebra, the patrol
was stopped by about 50 Arab nomads armed with AK-47

KHARTOUM 00001044 002 OF 002


rifles. The patrol interacted with the leader of the
nomads, Sheikh Omar Mohammed Ali, who stated the area had
been attacked by armed men from the Fur tribe, killing one
person and looting 135 camels. He accused AMIS of
supporting the rebels, and refused them further passage
through their area. The team tried to convince the Arab
nomads to no avail; they returned to the group site,
leaving the Samaritan's Purse NGO trucks at Mershing.
STEINFELD