SUDAN/DARFUR: FM LAM AKOL ON EGELAND, UNPKO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000840

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR D AND AF/SPG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL SU
SUBJECT: SUDAN/DARFUR: FM LAM AKOL ON EGELAND, UNPKO
ASSESSMENT

Classified By: Charge Andrew Steinfeld for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Charge had a brief pull-aside meeting with FM Lam
Akol on the margins of the April 6 Assessment and Evaluation
Commission meeting. He expressed Washington's considerable
dismay over the cancellation of UN U/SYG Egeland's visit to
Darfur and Khartoum, and over the expulsion of the Norwegian
Refugee Council from Kalma IDP camp. Charge handed the FM a
non-paper drawn from Department guidance (see para 4),which
Akol said he would pass to President Bashir at a meeting
later in the day.


2. (C) On Egeland, Akol was clearly embarrassed, noting
that it was not proper to cancel such a visit at the last
moment. He confirmed that he had met with Egeland both in
NYC recently and in Rumbek, and expected the visit to
Khartoum and Darfur to proceed. He laid the decision at the
feet of the local Wali, and mentioned the Prophet's birthday
and Egeland being a Norwegian as reasons for the trip's
cancellation. (Note: This was clearly not the case. UN
Deputy SRSG Manuel DaSilva told us April 5 that the
cancellation of Egeland's visit was certainly decided at the
highest levels of the GNU, as the Sudanese perm rep in NY
officially communicated the cancellation to the UN there.)

UNPKO assessment: Awaiting consultations, and word from Bashir
-------------- --------------


3. (C) Charge also noted that the UNPKO assessment team
urgently needed to travel to Darfur, but we understood Sudan
was not willing to provide the green light. Akol said that
the GNU was awaiting "political consultations" on the matter.
To Charge's question as to whether Akol planned to travel to
NYC for these consultations on the basis of U/SYG Gambari's
recent invitation, Akol confirmed that he had in fact been
invited, that President Bashir had accepted Akol's invitation
in a meeting with Gambari, but that Bashir "has not yet told
me to go."


4. (SBU) Non-paper passed to FM Akol:

Jan Egeland Barred From Khartoum and Darfur
--------------

-- The U.S. is deeply disturbed that Sudan,s Government of
National Unity denied UN Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan
Egeland permission to travel to Khartoum and Darfur, as well
as over-flight authorization en route to neighboring Chad.

-- Mr. Egeland and the humanitarian community are engaged in
the desperately needed mission of ensuring assistance to more
than 3.5 million people in Darfur and neighboring Chad.
These people are struggling and dying from displacement,
hunger, and sickness, as well as the constant threat of
violence. We support the efforts of those organizations
working there in such adverse conditions.

-- We call on the Sudanese government to allow Mr. Egeland
immediate access to all areas of Sudan and over-flight rights
to facilitate his travel to other affected regions nearby so
that he can fulfill his lifesaving responsibilities. Instead
of blocking international help, the Sudanese government
should be seeking every available avenue of humanitarian
assistance to stop its people,s suffering and dying. The
Sudanese government,s action sends a disturbing and ominous
signal to the international community.

-- The U.S. is discussing this matter with our partners at
the UN.

Norwegian Refugee Council
--------------

-- We understand that the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
has pulled out of Kalma camp as its camp coordination
agreement with the Sudanese government has expired and has
not been renewed despite exhaustive efforts by the UN and the
humanitarian community.

-- The U.S. is very concerned about this situation since the
NRC is camp coordinator of Kalma camp, the largest internally
displaced persons camp in Darfur and home to approximately
90,000 people.

-- The departure of the NRC will affect the monitoring and
coordination of food, health, and sanitation services, as
well as monitoring protection in Kalma camp.


KHARTOUM 00000840 002 OF 002


-- The U.S. is greatly concerned about the HAC,s actions in
the past, including its closure of Sudan Social Development
Organization offices in West Darfur several weeks ago. We
continue to call on the Sudanese government to stop
obstructing delivery of humanitarian assistance across the
country so as to ease the suffering of the Sudanese people.

-- We call on the Sudanese government to address immediately
all obstacles to delivery of humanitarian assistance and
provide protection for civilians and aide workers in the
affected areas. This includes ending intrusive inspections
of humanitarian vehicles, and exorbitant administrative fees
and delays in the receipt of travel permits. In this regard,
the U.S. urges the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the
HAC to extend the moratorium on restrictions on humanitarian
activities for Darfur to ensure unfettered access by these
organizations.
STEINFELD