WEST DARFUR: SAF AND JEM CLASHES WORSEN ALREADY FRAGILE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000269 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, PRM, AF SE WILLIAMSON ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN, 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 PMARCHAM, MMAGAN, AND BPITTMAN USUN FOR FSHANKS BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU SUBJECT: WEST DARFUR: SAF AND JEM CLASHES WORSEN ALREADY FRAGILE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REFERENCE: (A) KHARTOUM 266 B) KHARTOUM 251 (C)KHARTOUM 219 (D)KHARTOUM 158 (E)07 KHARTOUM 2017 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Since December 2007, renewed clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in areas north of El Geneina, West Darfur, have increased insecurity, limited humanitarian access to the area, and displaced at least 56,000 residents, according to UN estimates. The humanitarian community continues to pressure the U.N.-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to deploy troops to the affected areas in order to provide an escort for assessment missions and facilitate humanitarian access to newly displaced and isolated civilians in villages north of El Geneina. On February 20, Government of National Unity (GNU) Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) cancelled all previously authorized humanitarian flights in West Darfur, significantly limiting NGOs access and ability to respond to humanitarian needs. End summary. -------------- SAF AND JEM CLASHES -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On February 8, SAF and militia forces attacked the rebel-held villages of Abu Surug, Sirba, and Silea, according to UN reports. The villages had been taken by the Chadian-supported JEM rebel movement in late December and January. Locally hired humanitarian aid workers, who constitute the majority of the relief workers in the area, have reportedly fled into Chad. During the attack on Silea, a national staff member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was killed. Other aid agencies in the area reported that bandits looted or destroyed non-governmental organization (NGO) compounds and clinics. [Comment: Before the clashes, Abu Surug and Silea were considered safe havens for displaced populations from Seraf Jidad. All 14,000 residents of Seraf Jidad village fled to Armankul, Tandulti, Abu Surug and El Geneina during attacks on January 24. The village is now empty. End comment.] ¶3. (SBU) According to UN reports, on February 18, SAF and militia forces continued attacks on villages north of El Geneina with the bombing of Aro Shorou, 10 km north of Silea. On February 18, three SAF MiG fighter aircraft, three Mi-24 attack helicopters, and two Antonov aircraft also bombed the area of Jebel Moon in pursuit of fleeing rebel forces. Based on IDP reports, militias and SAF ground forces attacked the area from the south, north, and west. ¶4. (SBU) On February 18, the UN reported that 25 Land Cruisers fitted with machine guns, 12 heavy trucks with personnel and equipment, and tankers with fuel departed El Fasher via Nyala, passing Zalingei en route to El Geneina. The convoy was reportedly charged with securing the border with Chad near El Geneina. On February 20, the UN reported that a large military convoy of more than 200 vehicles left El Fasher in the direction of South Darfur. Banditry and Looting -------------- ¶5. (SBU) On February 8, a group of unknown armed persons ambushed a convoy of 156 UN-contracted trucks in west Jebel Marra, between Nertiti and Khorumla, according to the UN. Despite the presence of a 10-vehicle GNU Central Reserve Police escort, the assailants used two or three vehicles to attack two trucks and abduct the drivers. After the attack, the armed bandits allowed the remaining trucks to proceed. The UN reported that the two stolen trucks were sold across the border in Chad, and that a portion of the proceeds was used to purchase two Toyota Land Cruisers (presumably for rebel or bandit use). The whereabouts of the two contracted drivers remain unknown. ¶6. (SBU) On February 11, the Medair and CRS compounds in Abu Surug were looted and burned. A Village HEALTH Committee member who took refuge in the Medair compound was killed inside the compound, along with a Medair guard. Two Medair vehicles parked in the compound were taken. KHARTOUM 00000269 002 OF 003 ¶7. (SBU) Early on the morning of February 19, six armed men stormed the Save the Children (US) compound in For Baranga town. The group fired ten shots in the air and forced the guard to relinquish the keys for ONE NGO vehicle. The bandits then drove away in the vehicle, kidnapping the guard. According to the UN, the guard was safely released on February 20, and claimed that the bandits were Chadian and Sudanese. Newly Displaced Persons -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The clashes in areas north of El Geneina have displaced at least 56,000 individuals and caused an estimated 12,000 refugees to flee to eastern Chad, according to the UN (ref C). According to UN assessment team reports, clashes caused entire village populations to flee, leaving Hajaleija, Aro Shorou, and Gosmino completely empty. On February 21, the UN confirmed that between 10,000 to 13,000 individuals from Silea, Hajaleija, Gosmino, and Aro Shorou had fled to the Jebel Moon area. With the addition of the newly displaced population, the Jebel Moon area population is currently estimated to be around 20,000. The inhabitants are located near confirmed SAF and militia aerial bombings and ground attacks that occurred on February 19. ¶9. (SBU) The UN estimates that up to 12,000 new refugees from Darfur are scattered in the Birak and Koruk areas in Chad. According to the UN, Chadian armed groups were reportedly blocking Sudanese refugees from boarding U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) trucks in the Birak area of eastern Chad. Chad Insecurity -------------- ¶10. (SBU) On January 31, Tearfund reported that, on January 29, two bombs exploded in the vicinity of Beida and Arara areas across the border in Chad, triggering mandatory staff relocation as a precautionary measure. On February 15, Chadian armed opposition groups assembled across the wadi from Beida, Chad, near the Chad-Sudan border. In consultation with UN security officials and NGOs in the area, the February 16 UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flight to Beida, Arara, and Kongo Haraza was cancelled. ¶11. (SBU) On February 21, International NGOs IMC and OXFAM reported that some families, after seeking shelter at Tissi, Chad had returned to the Umra area, south of Um Dukhun. An OXFAM assessment team identified 10-12 families that had returned for farming purposes, while IMC reported that the Chadian military are in Tissi and that the area is calm. Humanitarian Assessments -------------- ¶12. (SBU) On February 11, relief agencies participated in a UNAMID-escorted joint mission to Abu Surug, Sirba, and Silea, following the SAF attack on February 8 and 9. The assessment team found 15 percent of the shelters in Sirba and 60 to 70 percent of the shelters in Abu Surug were burned. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) raised concerns that unconfirmed numbers of children between the ages of 12 and 18 are missing from the area (ref A). According to field reports, many UN agencies joined the assessment mission, but had limited time on the ground to evaluate the situation. The UN planned follow-up missions for the week of February 18. ¶13. (SBU) A joint humanitarian assessment mission visited Armankul on February 13 and found that 90 to 95 percent of the Seraf Jidad IDPs had moved to Armankul. The assessment determined that 315 Chadian refugee households are also in Armankul, as well as approximately 50 to 100 households from Abu Surug who fled the Abu Surug attacks on February 8. The assessment team recommended beginning a general food distribution to all groups, estimated at 2,365 households, or 10,695 individuals, and a distribution of relief commodities, including soap, plastic sheeting, blankets, jerry cans, and chlorine tablets for water treatment, beginning on February 14. The IDPs plan to return to villages of origin provided that the militia attacks cease. The UN reports that protection issues remain a concern for the displaced populations. KHARTOUM 00000269 003 OF 003 ¶14. (SBU) Since February 20, GNU authorities in West Darfur have cancelled all previously authorized humanitarian flights to the north of El Geneina. Although UNAMID has escorted some UN agencies to Abu Surug, Sirba, and Silea, most partners cannot access the affected area, and the UN has postponed all planned follow-up assessments to the affected communities. Humanitarian agencies continue to push for unrestricted humanitarian access to West Darfur, including the corridor from El Geneina to Kulbus. ¶15. (SBU) The UN reported that humanitarian partners are providing food, non-food items and medicine to 11,825 IDPs in Armankul, 5,000 IDPs in Abu Surug, 500 IDPs in Silea, 60,000 IDPs in Kulbus and 5,900 IDPs in Sirba. In addition, the HAC has provided tents and food aid to IDPs in Sirba and Abu Surug. The humanitarian community is pressuring the GNU to allow humanitarian missions to the Jebel Moon area (CDA Fernandez raised this issue with MFA on 24 February - see reftel A),where an estimated 11,000-13,000 IDPs from the Silea area are residing, and where reported attacks occurred on February ¶18. Additionally, Embassy and international community are calling for a UNAMID presence in Silea to allow for safe passage of thousands of IDPs currently trapped in Jebel Moon (reftel A). The ongoing attacks have hampered relief efforts in West Darfur and impacted humanitarian operations in neighboring Chad. ¶16. (SBU) UNAMID's ability to act decisively to support humanitarian effort could be the acid test for the international community. If so, it comes at bad time as for the next few days UNAMID this will be essentially leaderless. Force Commander General M.L Agwai will be traveling to Nigeria and the Deputy Force Commander MG Karenze is just returning. Special Joint Representative (JSR) Adada has been traveling in and out of El Fasher and Sudan and we understand he plans trips to Paris and Addis within the next couple weeks. ¶17. (SBU) Comment: The fighting in West Darfur has placed the reality of the region in sharp relief: a cynical rebel offensive in a relatively peaceful area provokes a massive GOS counter-offensive causing the suffering and dislocation of thousands of Darfuri civilians. This current phase of the conflict also underscores the challenges facing UNAMID - it could have played a more prominent role in monitoring and mitigating suffering and has mostly failed to do so. End comment. FERNANDEZ