DARFUR - THE HAC AND WALI DISCUSS KALMA ISSUES AND THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001795 SIPDIS AIDAC SIPDIS SENSETIVE STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, DCHA/OFDA, AND AFR/SP NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, USAID/SFO AND FAS GENEVA FOR NKYLOH NSC FOR PMARCHAM AND MMAGAN USUN FOR TMALY BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU SUBJECT: DARFUR - THE HAC AND WALI DISCUSS KALMA ISSUES AND THE EXPULSION OF OCHA STAFF REF: A) KHARTOUM 1659 B) KHARTOUM 1680 KHARTOUM 00001795 001.2 OF 002 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (U) On November 10, the Charge d'Affaires Fernandez, the USAID Mission Director, and the USAID Darfur Team Leader met with the Government of National Unity (GNU) Humanitarian Aid Commissioner and the Governor (Wali) of South Darfur to discuss the current state of affairs with Kalma internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the expulsion of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs's (OCHA) South Darfur representative, Wael al-Haj Ibrahim. The Sudanese government officials expounded on their reasons behind Ibrahim being thrown out of South Darfur and agreed to work with the USG and humanitarian community on the issue of Kalma. End Summary. -------------- -- Kalma, Camp Coordination, and Forced Relocation -------------- -- ¶2. (U) The November 10 meeting was the latest in a series of meetings the Charge has recently had with the Sudanese government to discuss the situation in Kalma (REFTELS). This meeting came on the heels of the expulsion of the OCHA South Darfur head of office, Wael al-Haj Ibrahim. The GNU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner General Hassabo Abdel Rahman requested the November 10 meeting as a follow-up to the November 7 meeting in which the Charge, USAID/Sudan Mission Director, and USAID Darfur Team Leader discussed possible ways forward on the Kalma camp issue with Hassabo. ¶3. (U) CDA opened the meeting by stating that the USG had come in the spirit of cooperation to discuss a way forward for the displaced populations in Darfur, in order to do the best we can for the IDPs in cooperation with the GNU, humanitarian community, UN agencies, and donors. CDA expressed the USG's concerns over movement of IDPs and the lack of proper camp management in Darfur, specifically Kalma. CDA reiterated the importance of letting the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) into South Darfur to fulfill their mandated role as camp coordinators. CDA noted that the USG shares the Sudanese government's concerns over the proliferation of weapons in Kalma camp and agreed that something needed to be done. CDA also asked the GNU officials how we can assist in making the situation better. ¶4. (U) CDA raised three key points: recommending that the issue of Kalma be discussed at the next high-level committee meeting; stating that UNHCR must be allowed to fulfill their mandated role in camp coordination; and reiterating that any movement of IDPs from Kalma, or any other location, must be done in cooperation and coordination with non-governmental organizations (NGOs),donors, and UN agencies. ¶5. (U) While agreeing that the humanitarian community needed to "get off dead center" in Darfur, the group also debated what steps could be taken in the coming weeks and months to change the plight of Kalma IDPs. USAID made it clear that while the needs in Darfur are real, security must be in place before any assistance can be provided in areas of return and called upon the Sudanese government to assist in maintaining security. USAID also stressed the need for returns to be on a voluntary basis and the importance of giving the IDPs the opportunity to choose when and where they return. USAID recited the list of difficulties NGOs have operating in Darfur -- carjackings, office raids, staff abduction, administrative obstacles, and staff intimidation -- and made it clear that NGOs will not operate in areas, or provide assistance for returns, if security conditions were not permissive and IDPs were not returning voluntarily. ¶6. (U) The GNU officials reaffirmed their desire to work with the humanitarian community on addressing the issues in Kalma. The Wali of South Darfur forcefully explained that the government had nothing to do with the violence in Kalma. These were ethnic/political clashes between Fur/Dajo versus Zaghawa/Masalit. The expelled IDPs fled to various sites, including Otash IDP camp. That camp didn't want them and the government did indeed force them to move. "Yes, we pushed them and moved them," noted the Wali; "we would have preferred not to, but no one was hurt and much worse has happened in Darfur." The Wali extended an invitation to USAID to come to Nyala and meet with the Sudanese government and other stakeholders to map KHARTOUM 00001795 002.2 OF 002 out a way forward. -------------- OCHA Staff Expulsion -------------- ¶7. (SBU) On the expulsion of the OCHA head of office in South Darfur, the GNU officials offered a lengthy explanation. The Wali explained that Ibrahim had been warned a number of times by the Wali's office to stop meddling in what they consider to be strictly political affairs. Among many other accusations, the officials blamed the OCHA staff member of organizing women and children to conduct anti-government demonstrations in the camps, having secret meetings with Sheiks and IDPs in the camps, encouraging suspicion and opposition to the goverlment, and peblirxing ujfowndedQiNforoAtil gn x(u intupmw abosT fvcueQ~%lmQauQm{. Xes c`g*u@eQKQgerQioaj=GwNQBvQ@k*a{"Q}f[sOG$ewcil idHHbbvk6YX>wQ`ty[QQeQz8XjvBfgD)db>`DQOQI2{5l Qy !dQH{Q< Qq *\d-aQ#W"b*M&M~Qhe UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Sudan, Ameerah Haq, and the head of OCHA to discuss the incident. In this meeting, the GNU officials asked the UN for a written explanation of OCHA's role and mandate in order to better understand their role, specifically in Darfur. End Note.) At a later meeting with the international community, Haq said that the UN was trying to treat the issue in a low-key manner in order to see if they could place Ibrahim in a position in North Darfur state. -------------- Comments -------------- ¶8. (U) The USG sees responding to humanitarian needs in Darfur as a partnership involving the GNU, donors, UN agencies, NGOs, and the people of Darfur. Working together, stakeholders can turn around the current negative situation. Gaining agreement on humanitarian activities and policies can be key to opening the door to resolving wider issues in Darfur. All stakeholders need to work together to develop a common plan on the Kalma situation and the wider Darfur IDP situation. We face the challenge of needing GNU acquiescence but mistrusting their motives and actions, in order to get the life-saving work done. FERNANDEZ