DARFUR: RAPE CASES AT KALMA SPIKED IN JULY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001912

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
AIDAC
SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
NAIROBI FOR SFO
NSC FOR JBRAUSE, NSC/AFRICA FOR TSHORTLEY
USUN FOR TMALY
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI SU AU
SUBJECT: DARFUR: RAPE CASES AT KALMA SPIKED IN JULY

REF: A) Khartoum 1625, B) Khartoum 1514

KHARTOUM 00001912 001.2 OF 002



1. (SBU) Summary: Security around the Kalma internally displaced
persons (IDP) camp in South Darfur deteriorated rapidly in July,
following a sharp rise in rape, harassment, and looting by Arab
militias in the area. Camp coordinators from the Norwegian Refugee
Council (NRC) report that 80 women were raped from July 15 to July
27 while collecting firewood. In respose, the African Union (AU)
agreed to resume firewood patrols around Kalma on July 29. USAID's
Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) is also leading an effort to
fund income-generation alternatives to firewood collection, while
U.N. and AU officials have pressed the local government to take
action. The AU will now lead weekly firewood patrols around Kalma,
but IDP requests to patrol the camp perimeter were rebuffed. Still,
the AU could -- and should -- do more. End summary.

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Rapes around Kalma Spiked in Late July
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2. (SBU) The security situation in Kalma camp has been precarious
since January 2006, but camp coordinator NRC reported increased
looting of non-governmental organization (NGO) property, as well as
the systematic rape, harassment, and looting of IDPs and their
property by Arab militia inside the camp from April to July 2006.
The militias claim they are responding to the theft of their camels
and horses by IDPs from the camp.


3. (SBU) Kalma camp coordinator NRC and IDP sheikhs in the camp
estimate 80 IDP women were raped near the camp from July 15 to July

27. This includes cases reported to IDP sheikhs, health clinics,
and psychosocial service providers in the camp. Of these cases, 40
-- primarily those in which women visited a health clinic -- were
referred to the U.N. Mission in Sudan-Human Rights (UNMIS-HR) for
follow-up.


4. (SBU) According to UNMIS-HR, 22 armed, uniformed men on camelback
raped 6 women -- including an elderly woman and two pregnant women
-- outside Kalma camp on July 15, while the women were collecting
firewood. The women had been encouraged to travel in groups to
reduce the risk of rape. On the same day, 5 armed militiamen also
beat and assaulted 20 women who were collecting grass and firewood.



5. (SBU) On July 23, 300 armed, uniformed militiamen raped 21 women
north of Kalma camp, while the women were collecting firewood,
according to UNMIS-HR. The women had set out in a large group as a
safety measure. When some of the women resisted, the men shot their
guns in the air and referred to them as "black slaves." The militia
also tied one man in the group to a camel, dragged him through the
sand, beat him, and later tied him against a tree. The following
day a large group of Arab militia beat, flogged, raped, and verbally
abused 15 Fur women, north of Kalma camp. They called the women
"Tora Bora" or "rebel women."

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Police Refuse to Open Cases, Victims Reluctant
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6. (SBU) According to the U.N. Development Program (UNDP),IDP
sheikhs reported some of the rapes to the Sudanese government police
station in Bileel, two kilometers from Kalma. The police did not
open cases to investigate the crimes. All 40 rape victims
interviewed by UNMIS-HR declined to take legal action because they
feared that they would become targets of "security agents."


7. (SBU) According to UNMIS-HR, AU troops used to patrol the area
around Kalma camp approximately twice a week, though only for short
periods of time; AU CIVPOL, accompanied by Force Protection, also
used to patrol the inside of the camp approximately once a week, but
did not remain in the camp for extended periods of time. The AU
stopped these firewood patrols after anti-Darfur Peace Agreement
(DPA) demonstrators looted the AU compound and killed an AU
translator on May 8. However, in response to the recent spike in
violence around Kalma, the AU agreed to resume firewood patrols
starting July 29. However no women participated in the first
patrol, because they were unaware it had been scheduled, and another
firewood patrol scheduled for July 31 was cancelled after AU troops
did not report for duty.

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KHARTOUM 00001912 002.2 OF 002


Income-Generation Projects and Other Alternatives
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8. (SBU) USAID/OTI is leading a new multi-partner pilot project to
provide IDP women with business skills to start and maintain
income-generation projects, as an alternative to collecting
firewood. However, there will always be a need for firewood.
Previous attempts to provide firewood directly to camps have proved
unworkable. These efforts decrease IDP women's vulnerability but do
not increase their protection, while freeing the AU and Sudanese
government from their responsibility to protect IDP women. They
also introduce new factors into the economy, increasing women's
vulnerability in the camps. A combination of firewood patrols and
income-generation activities remains the most viable strategy to
protect women.


9. (SBU) According to UNMIS-HR, the U.N. Country Team in South
Darfur, including Sudanese Government representatives, the State
Committee for Gender Based Violence, U.N. SYGSR Pronk, and AU Force
Commander (FC) Ikehere are focused on rape and general insecurity in
the area. The U.N. Country Team met with the South Darfur Governor
(wali) on August 3 to address the security situation and its adverse
impact on women. He agreed to consider recommendations from the
Wali's Committee to Combat Gender-Based Violence, or from the joint
AU, Sudan, UNMIS, and UNDP Demilitarization Committee. (Note: The
State Committee, formed in December 2005, has met since May 20).
SYGSR Pronk has also spoken about rape security with AU FC Ihekire,
and has requested additional troops for Kalma camp.

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Building Confidence Between AU and IDPs
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10. (SBU) According to NRC, the AU has made some positive overtures
in response to the insecurity in Kalma camp, including the
resumption of regular firewood patrols every Saturday, and an AU
commitment to meet with Kalma IDPs every Wednesday to discuss the
routing of firewood patrols. The AU has also invited IDPs to attend
weekly meetings to discuss security issues. IDPs have also
requested that AU forces patrol the perimeter of the camp on all
three patrol days and demonstrate a stronger presence north and
northeast of the camp, to deter potential attackers. However, the
AU replied that it needed special authorization, as well as
additional resources, to deviate from the current patrol route.

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Comment: The AU Could -- and Should -- Do More
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11. (SBU) The AU has taken some initiative in South Darfur to
improve security at Kalma. There are many ways to continue this
process; sticking by commitments it made to Kalma IDPs would be a
good start. In light of the AU's role in implementing the DPA,
regular firewood patrols and regular meetings with IDPs would not
only help the AU fulfill its mandate, but also reinforce the AU's
position as neutral body ready to protect all civilians, including
IDP women, regardless of their support for the DPA.

HUME