DETERMINED UNHCR ENGAGES EXIGENT GNU

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000648 SIPDIS AIDAC SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, PRM, AF SE WILLIAMSON DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SP, USAID/W DCHA SUDAN NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS GENEVA FOR NKYLOH NAIROBI FOR SFO NSC FOR PMARCHAM, MMAGAN, AND BPITTMAN ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU NEW YORK FOR FSHANKS BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN USMISSION UN ROME FOR RNEWBERG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU SUBJECT: DETERMINED UNHCR ENGAGES EXIGENT GNU REFS: (A) 08 KHARTOUM 505 (B) 07 KHARTOUM 1669 (C) 07 KHARTOUM 1602 (D) 07 KHARTOUM 897 (E) 07 KHARTOUM 798 (F) 07 KHARTOUM 767 KHARTOUM 00000648 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Recent meetings between USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) officials and USAID/OFDA partner U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officials in Khartoum and Nyala reveal that the Government of National Unity (GNU) has methodically challenged UNHCR in its efforts to lead camp management and protection activities throughout Darfur. Despite these challenges, UNHCR remains determined to both fulfill its mandate in all three Darfur states and compel the GNU to view UNHCR as a partner. Our ongoing bilateral discussions with the GOS as part of an ongoing dialogue must help solve this issue. End Summary. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. (U) In a series of discussions with USAID/OFDA officials, the UNHCR Country Representative (CR),Deputy Country Representative, Senior Darfur Manager (SDM),and Acting Officer in Charge-Nyala (OIC) have made considerable efforts to clarify and provide details about UNHCR's work to assume responsibility for camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) and protection activities in North and South Darfur. ¶3. (U) UNHCR has been leading CCCM and protection in West Darfur since October 1, 2007. Early on, UNHCR secured participation of the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) in West Darfur sector coordination meetings in an attempt to keep the government fully engaged and informed on UNHCR activities. When GNU HAC in Khartoum raised questions about UNHCR's work in West Darfur, UNHCR responded with extensive work behind the scenes, according to the Deputy CR. Eventually, GNU HAC officials and UNHCR conducted a joint assessment of UNHCR activities in West Darfur, and the assessment team issued a report in December 2007. ¶4. (U) In a March 5, 2008, two-page letter to the GNU HAC Commissioner in Khartoum, the UNHCR Country Representative outlined UNHCR's work to scale up programs in Darfur in accordance with its mandate from UN leadership in Sudan. The intended message was to update the GNU HAC rather than request permission. Consistent with UNHCR's approach to demonstrate transparency and collaboration, the Country Representative cited various examples of consensus that UNHCR and the GNU have reached with regard to UNHCR's role. UNHCR did so in such a manner as to help substantiate and validate UNHCR's future plans as logical next steps, for example, including information about the Joint Assessment in West Darfur and agreements between UN leadership and the GNU HAC. The letter is deliberately not detailed, because highly contentious issues, such as the definition of protection and the scope of camp coordination, remain unresolved, according to the Deputy CR. -------------- THE UNHCR APPROACH -------------- ¶5. (U) UNHCR is focused on establishing a good partnership with the GNU. According to the Deputy CR, if the GNU has strong objections to UNHCR assuming a lead role in CCCM and protection, the GNU could make operations very difficult for UNHCR. UNHCR officials frequently remark that UNHCR wants the GNU to view UNHCR as "supporting the government's responsibility to protect its citizens." UNHCR presents its work as within the framework of UN coordination overall; further, it is within that framework that former UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) Manuel da Silva asked UNHCR in December 2006 to assume a KHARTOUM 00000648 002.2 OF 003 lead role in CCCM and protection throughout Darfur. ¶6. (U) According to UNHCR officials, local/repeat local government authorities have been exceptionally supportive of UNHCR's role in all three Darfur states. For example, in North Darfur, UNHCR met with Commissioners from six of the seven localities and received strong expressions of support. In Nyala, the HAC Commissioner told UNHCR that UNHCR should "consider this your own country," according to the Nyala Officer in Charge. In West Darfur, at the invitation of UNHCR, the HAC is a full and enthusiastic participant in sector coordination meetings. Comment: UNHCR appears to be approaching the Sudanese government as it approaches any government in the country where UNHCR is providing assistance, namely as a partner. In Darfur, UNHCR is especially conscious of the GNU's sensitivity to any person or institution challenging government sovereignty. For example, the March 5 letter discussed UNHCR's considerable global expertise in protection and coordination, emphasizing that UNHCR not only applies this expertise to its work in Darfur, but also to supporting the government's responsibility to protect its citizens. The letter mentioned that one way that UNHCR supports government responsibility is to offer training. End comment. -------------- NORTH DARFUR -------------- ¶7. (U) In El Fasher, North Darfur, UNHCR secured facilities in November 2007 and opened the office in February 2008. Recently, local HAC and ministry officials invited UNHCR to attend all sector meetings, and UNHCR views the invitation as a big step forward in practical, as well as strategic, terms because the GNU invited UNHCR rather than UNHCR requesting an invitation of the GNU. UNHCR plans to assume responsibility from the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) for protection coordination meetings. To date, USAID staff remain uncertain whether or not similar coordination meetings take place for CCCM. UNHCR is poised to open an office in Kutum, and the SDM reported that he has instructed staff to open the office "even if only six refugees show up." UNHCR is considering posting a senior UNHCR official in Darfur, probably in El Fasher. -------------- SOUTH DARFUR -------------- ¶8. (U) On March 17 in Nyala, South Darfur, the UNHCR Deputy CR, SCM, and the Acting OIC had very positive meetings with the Wali (or governor),the Wali's Director General of International Organizations, the HAC/Nyala Secretary General, who is the second-in-command and formerly worked for a non-governmental organization (NGO),and the newly-appointed State Minister, who is the former South Darfur Minister of Health and has a good reputation. According to UNHCR officials, the local officials expressed interest in UNHCR beginning to increase and reinforce its presence in Nyala as soon as possible. Again, UNHCR views this as the desired strategic position because the GNU is inviting UNHCR rather than UNHCR having to ask permission. As of early April, the Acting OIC is now based in Nyala, and UNHCR is deploying two additional international staff from its West Darfur office and three UN Volunteers. According to the Acting OIC, UNHCR has a target date of July 1, 2008, to assume full responsibility for CCCM and protection in South Darfur. In addition, UNHCR plans to open an office in Kass. -------------- OBSTACLES AND PROBLEMS -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The central government in Khartoum, namely the GNU HAC Commissioner (who is himself from South Darfur),is the main impediment for UNHCR. The GNU HAC has sent explicit and implicit messages of dissent to UN leadership and UNHCR. The aforementioned KHARTOUM 00000648 003.2 OF 003 UNHCR and HAC joint assessment of UNHCR's activities in West Darfur was submitted to the GNU HAC commissioner in December 2007, but the GNU HAC Commissioner has not yet commented on the December report, either negatively or positively. In addition, while the GNU HAC required this assessment before "allowing" UNHCR to "expand" in North and South Darfur, the terminology is elusive because confusion remains over the GNU HAC's position about UNHCR in North and South Darfur, and the authorization to work with UNHCR that various local GNU officials do or do not need from the HAC in Khartoum. ¶10. (SBU) Since receiving UNHCR's March 5 letter, the GNU HAC Commissioner has cancelled at least three scheduled meetings with the Country Representative. He has also dodged CDA Fernandez's efforts to meet on this and related issues for weeks. On March 30, the Commissioner cancelled the meeting and sent the Deputy Commissioner to advise UNHCR that the Commissioner did not like UNHCR's plan to expand in Darfur. ¶11. (SBU) On April 2, the current DSRSG met with the GNU HAC Commissioner to discuss a number of Darfur issues, including, among other things, food, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) incident (ref tel A),the International Organization for Migration (IOM) rural assessment, and the UNHCR expansion. The Commissioner told the DSRSG that he had concerns regarding UNHCR leading on CCCM and protection in all three Darfur states. Although the DSRSG pressed the Commissioner to explain, the Commissioner stated that he was conducting bilateral discussions with UNHCR's CR, and that the Commissioner preferred to address the matter with the CR rather than with the DSRSG. The Commissioner also stated that he desired to proceed with a roundtable on protection to clarify for all parties what is meant by the term. As of April 20, the Commissioner has not yet met with the CR. -------------- COMMENTS -------------- ¶12. (SBU) UNHCR officials are highly motivated, energetic, and committed to their work in Darfur, as well as interested and able to think strategically. UNHCR's enthusiasm and commitment are combined with solid knowledge of and experience in Darfur. UNHCR is charged with addressing two of the most volatile humanitarian issues in Darfur - protection and CCCM. The failure of the GNU to provide protection to its citizens is arguably the reason why the international community intervened in 2004 and why Darfur remains the world's largest humanitarian crisis five years later. CCCM is primarily about internally displaced person (IDP) camps, which the GNU wants to disband. UNHCR appears to be taking the right approach to achieve sustainable and successful intervention. USAID/OFDA recommends continued support to UNHCR and close monitoring of UNHCR progress while remaining alert to opportunities where the USG could engage on UNHCR's behalf. ¶13. (SBU) According to the Deputy CR, UNHCR's work in Darfur is "less than ideal." UNHCR is most comfortable in an operational role and has recently released an appeal asking for a significantly larger budget in order to be more operational. US Embassy will continue to push the GNU to allow UNHCR to meet its mandated role in Darfur. Most recently, US Special Envoy Williamson raised USG's concerns over the GNU interfering with UNCHR's engagement in Darfur, asking the GNU to expeditiously authorize UNHCR to expand its operations into North and South Darfur in order to meet the growing protection and CCCM needs. The GOS agreed to this during the discussions in Rome, so continued engagement with the Sudanese should help solve this issue once and for all. FERNANDEZ