CHAD: BORDER SITREP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 001028 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/C, AF/SPG, D, DRL, DS/IP/ITA, DS/IP/AF, H, INR, INR/GGI, PRM, USAID/OTI AND USAID/W FOR DARFURRMT; LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICAWATCHERS; GENEVA FOR CAMPBELL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF ASEC CD SU SUBJECT: CHAD: BORDER SITREP NDJAMENA 00001028 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: While the onset of the rainy season has greatly reduced vehicule movements, Chadian military forces appear to be beefing up their presence along the eastern border. On the other side of the border, Chadian rebels are reported to be reorganizing their leadership structure. Ethnic tensions in the town of Guereda have caused some humanitarian organizations in the area to raise concerns of a possible violent conflict between ethnic groups in the local communities and refugee camps. Even though NGO groups in other camps have noted greater cooperation on security matters with local authorities, they highlight the continued lack of a strong gendarme presence to protect the refugee camps. END SUMMARY. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SECURITY ON THE EASTERN BORDER - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (SBU) For the moment, the situation along the Chad-Sudan border remains calm, but along the Chadian side, there are indications of re-grouping of Chadian military elements. UNHCR has recently reported that Chadian troops are arriving periodically in the eastern town of Abeche in large numbers, and are immediately seen being deployed to the eastern front. Field Security officers affiliated with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and other Embassy contacts have also noted the increased troop and military vehicle presence in the border towns of Tine, Adre, and Tissi. According to Embassy contacts, President Deby has established a stronger information-gathering network to keep tabs on the rebel movement. ¶3. (SBU) Embassy contacts with links to the rebel movement have stated that opposition groups continue to try to re-organize their units to launch another attack, despite the onset of the rainy season. According to these contacts, members of the United Force for Change (FUC) movement are losing confidence in Chadian rebel leader Mahamat Nour. A contact told Economic/Consular officer on August 3 that former Chadian Minister of Defense Mahamat Nouri was recently asked by members of the FUC to be its new leader, on the grounds that Nouri will be able to lead a more coordinated rebel effort against the Deby regime. - - - - - - - - - - - - - TENSE SITUATION IN GUEREDA - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (SBU) Humanitarian organizations continue to be extremely concerned with the level of tensions in the town of Guereda (sites of the Mile and Kounougou refugee camps) between the members of the local community, who are mostly of Tama origin, and members of the refugee community, who are of Zaghawa and Goran origin. International Medical Corps Director Fredrick Royce told RSO and Economic/Consular officer on July 31 that a recent dispute between family members of Tama and Zaghawa ethnic groups sparked retribution killings that resulted in the deaths of over 20 Tama villagers and an unknown number of Zaghawas. ¶5. (SBU) The situation is complicated by the departure of the areas' local prefect, and the lack of an authoritative government presence in the region. UNHCR recently noted that Tama villagers have been reported to be fleeing Sudan, in fear of a planned attack by the Zaghawa and Goran groups targeting the Tama population. UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations have speculated that Chadian authorities may be actively allowing this violence to continue by not sending gendarme elements to deter further violence. During a meeting with Ambassador Wall in late-July, Haroun Tchong-Tchong, representative for Guereda in the Chadian National Assembly, said that while ethnic altercations have NDJAMENA 00001028 002.2 OF 002 taken place in the past in Guereda, the current level of violence was disturbing, and was difficult to stop with the limited number of gendarmes in the area. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OVERALL REFUGEE CAMP SECURITY - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (SBU) Elsewhere, UNHCR and its partner organizations have indicated that Chadian authorities are becoming more receptive to their calls for greater gendarme security. International Rescue Committee Country Director Julie Dargis told Ambassador Wall on July 26 that following a hostage-taking of an IRC staff member by local youth in the Oure Cassoni camp in Bahai, Chadian authorities implemented a number of measures to improve camp security, including removing Bahai's Secretary General who was implicated in instigating the youth in the July 26 incident, and educating the local population on the humanitarian organization's activities in the area. ¶7. (SBU) UNHCR country representative Serge Malle told DCM on August 3 that Minister of Territorial Administration Mahamat Ali Abdullah had expressed to Malle a direct concern for improving refugee camp protection, and was prepared to participate in a meeting with other humanitarian organizations operating in eastern Chad to discuss their security concerns. However, according to Malle, the Minister admitted that resource constraints negatively impacted the GOC's ability to protect humanitarian workers in the refugee camps. Malle pointed out that continued car-jackings of humanitarian vehicles (totalling 34 following the theft of an NGO vehicle in Guereda in early July) demonstrated that Chadian authorities lacked the capacity to protect humanitarian organization assets in Eastern Chad. If this trend continued, Malle argued that the international community needed to take more effective action to ensure that humanitarian assistance efforts were not impeded by security constraints. - - - - COMMENT - - - - ¶8. (SBU) While GOC authorities are taking some concrete measures to improve the security situation in refugee camps, incidents in Guereda and concerns elsewhere continue to demonstrate the GOC lacks the means and, at least in the case of Guereda, the will to actively protect humanitarian activities. ¶9. (U) Minimize considered. WALL