Update on Darfur Security and Humanitarian

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001104 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR D, AF/FO, AF/RSA, AND AF/SPG DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/EA AND DCHA SUDAN GROUP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV MOPS KPKO PREF UN AU SU SUBJECT: Update on Darfur Security and Humanitarian Access - May 10, 2006 Ref: A. Khartoum 01094, B. Khartoum 01098 and previous ¶1. Summary: The AU reports that its patrols saw jet fighters near the border with Chad, including the apparent use of ordnance. Arab militias attacked Labado, killing 10 and injuring scores more. The AU and USAID also obtained further details on the May 8 incidents at the Kalma and Zalingei IDP camps. On May 9, the South Darfur Wali urged NGOs and international organization representatives to prepare for the return of IDPs from camps to their homes and address tribal rivalries through conflict resolution activities as a part of Darfur Peace Agreement implementation. End summary. ¶2. Security Update: ¶A. On May 8, MGS El Geneina conducted a confidence building patrol to Jak Jake village. The team observed two military jet fighters (of unknown origin) flying near the border town of Adre. One of the fighters was seen dropping ordnance. The population of the village is about 250 families and 100 Chadian refugees. The security situation was reported to be calm. ¶B. On May 8, MGS Labado reported that Arab militia attacked Labado, 60 km east of Nyala. About 1500 locals of Labado village fled to the team site with their animals for protection. The team site confirmed 35 civilians were injured, 6 of them were in critical condition. 10 others apparently died in the attack. The seriously injured were evacuated to Muhajeria MSF clinic. ¶C. Further Details on Kalma IDP Camp Riot: On May 8, the following took place between the hours of 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.: -- UN U/S General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland and his delegation visited Kalma camp; large crowds gathered to witness the visit. -- An OXFAM translator interpreting a conversation between OXFAM staff and IDPs in Kalma made a statement that appears to have been misinterpreted by the crowd and created some degree of hostility towards the translator. -- They started to pursue the OXFAM translator after the meeting. The OXFAM translator ran from the crowd and sought shelter in a nearby vehicle carrying CNN journalists and their crew. The crowd began to smash the windows of the CNN vehicle trying to get the OXFAM translator. The CNN vehicle sped off as the attack intensified and made its way to Nyala. -- The mob moved to the African Union Civilian Police Station. Elements of the AU CIVPOL tried to calm the crowd down. The mob then attacked the station with stones, sticks, spears, small axes, knives, and other implements. After resisting the attack over an hour, the mob finally broke into the office container, dragged out the Language Assistant, and beat him to death. Eight Civpol officers received various degrees of injuries, two remain under treatment at the AU clinic, while six were treated and discharged. -- The AU civilian police called for help. 30 minutes later some AU armored personnel carriers arrived to rescue the remaining AU staff. The crowd dispersed, but not before looting the AU compound and destroying what remained. Two Civpol vehicles - a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Toyota pick-up - were vandalized, while the container office was stripped bare. -- During the melee rioters stoned some UN vehicles at Kalma camp, smashing windows. No UN staff were reported to be injured. Egeland ordered the chief of OCHA/Sudan to remain behind in Nyala to develop a strategy and action to deal with the day's violence. -- NGO representatives have expressed concern that the Sudanese Government may use this disturbance to reinsert military and police in Kalma camp to restore order. Rather than restoring order, they believe this could lead to greater unrest and violence due to the animosity exhibited by the IDPs towards the GOS police and military, which the UN and NGOs desperately want to avoid. The UN and NGOs are working on a plan to increase security in Kalma camp in such a way that both the IDPs and the Government feel their needs for security in the camp are met. KHARTOUM 00001104 002 OF 002 ¶D. Further Details on Zalingei Riots: On May 8, at about 11:45 a.m., roughly one thousand IDPs from the nearby Hamadiya IDP camp demonstrated outside the AMIS base. They became violent and burned down some structures belonging to the Sudanese near the GOS check point. The GOS police nearby responded by shooting at them; two youths, aged 14 and 16, were shot. Both subsequently died while undergoing treatment at the AMIS clinic. ¶3. Humanitarian Access Update: Readout of South Darfur Wali's Meeting - On May 9, the Wali of South Darfur called an ad hoc meeting with the directors of U.N. agencies and NGOs operating in South Darfur to discuss the recently signed Darfur Peace Agreement and formulate a plan of action for its implementation. (Note: Local AMIS representatives were not invited to this meeting. End note.) The Wali noted that the implementation plan would include security and humanitarian arrangements, and should focus on returning IDPs to their places of origin in a very short time frame. The Wali also stated that most violence in Darfur is rooted in ethnic conflict, and that reconciliation would need to take place at the tribal level for the agreement to succeed. Looking forward, he called for the humanitarian community to focus initial efforts on voluntary IDP returns from camps and stressed the need to negotiate with all tribes to secure peace at all levels of society. Finally, he cautioned the audience of the need to differentiate between militia and jinjaweed groups by being very clear in the use of terminology used to describe these populations. The international humanitarian community in Nyala is developing a response to this challenge from the Wali. HUME