DARFUR: AMIS/EU INVESTIGATIVE TEAM DETAINED,

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 002844

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2016
TAGS: PGOV MOPS PINR PREL AU EU SU
SUBJECT: DARFUR: AMIS/EU INVESTIGATIVE TEAM DETAINED,
THREATENED


Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief E. Whitaker, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and
(d)


1. (C) On December 9, unidentified armed men attacked a
commercial truck convoy near Sirba, West Darfur, killing 22
people and injuring 10 others. The same day, a combined
AMIS/EU team of two military observers and six protection
force personnel flew, in an MI-8 helicopter, from El Geneina
to Sirba, to investigate the incident. Upon arrival, locals
escorted the members of the team to the scene. After
completion of their work, however, the large crowd grew
hostile and detained the team. According to one of the EU
Military Observers (Mil Obs),an armed man who appeared to be
intoxicated, approached the UK Mil Obs and demanded he carry
back to El Geneina the head of one of the dead from the
attack to prove the atrocity had happened. When the Mil Obs
refused, the armed man threatened that if he did not, then he
would be killed. On several occasions, the armed man placed
the barrel of his weapon under the protective vest of the Mil
Obs, threatening to shoot him. The Mil Obs, afraid for his
life, relented to the demand and carried the head around in a
bag throughout the ordeal.


2. (C) Sudanese police arrived thereafter and intervened to
extract the team from the situation. The police took the
team to the Sirba police station, where they spent the night.
In the morning, the police, National Redemption Front (NRF)
representatives, and local leaders persuaded the armed group
to let the team return to El Geneina via their helicopter.
They returned minus their weapons and some equipment, which
included five AK-47 assault rifles, an unspecified amount of
ammunition, one Thuraya cellular phone, one medical pack, and
three helmets with night vision goggles.


3. (C) Comment: The series of hostilities involving AMIS
over the past week -- an assault on a sector base resulting
in two civilian deaths by AMIS in self-defense and the
unsolved hijacking of an AMIS vehicle/kidnapping of two AMIS
personnel -- represent a new threshold, a serious decline in
respect for the ceasefire monitoring body and its members.
Discontent with the inability of AMIS to protect civilians
and the growing perception of AMIS as a soft target leave
Military Observers -- including those from the U.S. -- and
others in Darfur at greater risk. In fact, U.S. and UK Mil
Obs are becoming a target.
HUME