JEM-CHAD UPDATE FROM DARFUR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000924 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF/SPG, AF/C, S/CRS, SE WILLIAMSON, NSC FOR BPITTMAN AND CHUDSON DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU CD SUBJECT: JEM-CHAD UPDATE FROM DARFUR REF: KHARTOUM 908 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel group has been active over the past week in Darfur, as well as in eastern Chad supporting the GOC. The United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has attempted to confirm reports of cross-border military movements between Sudan and Chad but has not been proactive enough in fulfilling its mandate under UNSCR 1769 to monitor these movements. More initiative on the part of UNAMID commanders and additional dialogue with the rebel groups in the region could go a long way toward breaking the current cycle of Chad-Sudan violence and improve the credibility of both UNAMID and the international community. END SUMMARY. JEM SAYS JULY WILL SEE NEW RUN ON KHARTOUM -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Over the course of the week of June 15, JEM rebel military commanders were on the move across North Darfur to re-supply before returning to the western border with Chad. One commander told FieldOff via satellite phone that the reason Government of Sudan (GoS) helicopter gunships were circling El Fasher at this time was due to their intelligence that JEM was in Kutum and Tawilla, both within relatively close proximity to the North Darfur capital (the JEM member was in fact calling from Kutum at the time). The commander said he was getting new vehicles to move back to Tine, on the northern part of West Darfur's border with Chad and a JEM stronghold (where JEM political leadership were rumored to be holed up). ¶3. (SBU) The JEM commander claimed to FieldOff on June 19 that JEM had been actively involved in routing Chadian rebels in Am Zouer, north of Guereda in eastern Chad, o/a June 17. He boasted that JEM was now in possession of "many" new vehicles and weapons as a result of this fighting, and that the Chadian rebels had been forced to retreat across the Sudanese border into El Geneina and a location in Darfur 40km north of El Geneina, where the wounded were reportedly being treated. According to JEM intelligence on the border, he continued, the Chadian rebels had originally crossed the border to Goz Beida earlier in the week with 300 vehicles only to return back to Darfur at the end of the week with 71. "This is very good news for us," the JEM commander declared. "Now the Chadian rebels no longer pose any threat in Chad." (Note: This information contradicts what the Chadian rebels had earlier told us, that the Chadian rebels had routed JEM in Am Zouer, only to later be defeated by the Chadian army later the same day. End note.) ¶4. (SBU) According to information from the JEM commander, JEM now intends to refocus its energies deep within Sudan. He told FieldOff June 19 that JEM intends to make another run on Khartoum/Omdurman in July but suggested that no such attack would occur in Darfur. "It is much easier to take Khartoum [a city] than locations in Darfur, which is too decentralized," he explained. (Comment: This could be true or could be JEM disinformation. End comment.) UNAMID HAS LITTLE VISIBILITY ON CHADIAN REBELS -------------- - ¶5. (SBU) UNAMID reporting from Sector West on the happenings in western Darfur/eastern Chad during the week of June 15 was patchy and lacked specificity, and was based on information from other sources. UNAMID provided unconfirmed reports of a movement of 300 armed men, suspected to be Chadian rebels, through El Geneina toward Chad on June 15 and of a build-up of JEM forces in Abeche on the same day (rumors which JEM later confirmed). It provided unconfirmed reports on June 16 of a Chadian rebel advance on Am Dam (120 km northwest of Goz Beida, Eastern Chad),as well as of an alliance between the Chadian Armed Opposition Groups and the UFDD rebels of Mahamat Nouri on June 16. UNAMID reported that on June 17 Chadian rebels captured Biltine (90 km north of Abeche),claiming the support of 500-600 vehicles and 700-800 troops. Finally on June 19 UNAMID gave unconfirmed reports that Chadian rebels supported by GoS helicopter gunships succeeded in capturing the strategic border stronghold of Adre on June 18. ¶6. (SBU) UNAMID J3 admitted to FieldOff that Sector West had limited visibility on issues related to movement of Chadian rebels across the Chad-Sudan border or to GoS military movements in the same region, claiming that the Mission was prevented from doing so by UNSCR 1769. In response to a question about how much monitoring UNAMID itself was conducting in Sector West, given the spike in activity there over the past week, the J3 officer replied that UNAMID relied on its own credible sources on the border to provide it with this type of information. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The persistent misunderstanding by UNAMID of its own mandate with regard to use of force and ability to intervene in conflicts and monitor events on the ground in Darfur must be addressed by DPKO and member states. It should be pushed to more effectively undertake its responsibilities per OP15(a)(ii) of 1769, which, under Chapter VII, authorizes the Mission to "take the necessary action, in the areas of deployment of its forces . . . in order to . . . prevent . . . armed attacks . . . and protect civilians." Moreover, UNAMID needs to be more pro-active in monitoring troop movements in areas where it is deployed including Sector West, where Chadian Armed Opposition Groups around El Geneina are active. When UNAMID's mandate comes up for renewal in July, the Council should focus on getting UNAMID to do what it was already empowered to do under 1769. The objective should be to push UNAMID military leadership and the Sector West commander to be more proactive in monitoring, verifying and intervening in incidents and cross-border troop movements. Getting UNAMID to be more pro-active throughout Darfur, while addressing their very real needs and deficiencies, remains a constant need. ¶8. (SBU) JEM also needs to be called on for its own hypocrisy -- castigating the GoS for ceasefire violations while JEM itself is crossing the border and engaging the Chadian opposition with impunity while preparing for additional military action inside Sudan. FERNANDEZ