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