Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08NDJAMENA541
2008-11-19 11:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ndjamena
Cable title:  

SUDAN REBEL RECRUITMENT SURGE IN REFUGEE CAMPS

Tags:  PREF PHUM PGOV PREL MARR KPKO KTIP UNAUS CD 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4656
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHNJ #0541/01 3241151
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 191151Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6595
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0164
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 1078
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 0520
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NDJAMENA 000541 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/C PRM/AFR AND G/TIP
KINSHASA FOR BRAZZAVILLE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2018
TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV PREL MARR KPKO KTIP UNAUS CD
SUBJECT: SUDAN REBEL RECRUITMENT SURGE IN REFUGEE CAMPS
WORRIES UN, NGOS - AND US

REF: NDJAMENA 527

NDJAMENA 00000541 001.2 OF 003


Classified By: DCM RGRIBBIN FOR REASONS 1.4 B&D

--------
SUMMARY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NDJAMENA 000541

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/C PRM/AFR AND G/TIP
KINSHASA FOR BRAZZAVILLE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2018
TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV PREL MARR KPKO KTIP UNAUS CD
SUBJECT: SUDAN REBEL RECRUITMENT SURGE IN REFUGEE CAMPS
WORRIES UN, NGOS - AND US

REF: NDJAMENA 527

NDJAMENA 00000541 001.2 OF 003


Classified By: DCM RGRIBBIN FOR REASONS 1.4 B&D

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------

1.(C) UNHCR Acting Country Representative told Ambassador
November 13 that he was deeply concerned regarding a recent
surge in recruiting by Sudanese rebels, specifically the JEM
rebels, in all of the camps in eastern Chad and asked for USG
support
for UNHCR efforts to convince the GOC on the necessity of
safeguarding the civilian character of all refugee camps in
the country. The Ambassador agreed that the increasing use
of the camps for political and military ends by rebels was
worrying and pledged USG support vis--vis the GOC. He noted
that the current initial deployment of UN-trained and-
mentored Chadian
police and gendarmes to the camps was expected to have a
deterrent effect on future recruitment among refugees by JEM
or other armed groups.


2. (C) We share UNHCR,s concerns regarding what the senior
UN official in Chad, SRSG Victor Angelo, has called the
increasing "politicization" and "militarization" of the
camps, particularly by the JEM. The SRSG notes that the
restoration of "civil order" in the camps is exactly why the
UN PKO MINURCAT, which he heads, has been training and has
now begun to deploy Chadian police and gendarme teams to the
camps. Unfortunately, up to now, the GOC reaction on this
issue has been mixed -- a good deal of "agreement in
principle" along with some indications of useful actions
taken. The GOC,s life is complicated by the presence of the
ethnically Zaghawa JEM in Chad and the military support that
the JEM gave the GOC in the past. MINURCAT I must become
fully deployed in the East, not only its Chadian police and
gendarme camp-security element, but also its military liaison

element (to ensure effective coordination between Chad
security forces inside the camps and Chadian police,
gendarmes, and military forces outside the camps),and the
"nation-building" element - human rights, reform of the
criminal justice system and territorial administration, etc.
Only when and if MINURCAT I becomes fully deployed and
employed will the real struggle to depoliticize and
demilitarize the camps be truly joined. END SUMMARY.


3. (SBU) The Ambassador, accompanied by RefCoord, met with
UNHCR Deputy Country Representative Gilbert Loubaki
(currently Acting Country Representative) at his request
November 13 regarding a recent surge in recruitment of
refugees by Sudanese rebel group JEM in several of the camps
in eastern Chad. Loubaki noted that maintaining and
protecting the civilian character of the refugee camps has
been one of the most difficult challenges faced by UNHCR in
its Chad operations. Since the establishment of the twelve
camps in
the East, refugees have been targeted for recruitment by the
variety of armed groups present in the region and even at
times by the Chadian military. Loubaki expressed concern at
the latest increase in JEM recruitment activities in Gaga,
Treguine, Bredjing, Farchana, Goz Amer, and Djabal camps.
According to Loubaki, JEM recruiters had entered the camps
armed and in uniform. He emphasized that these JEM
recruitment parties had received travel authorization from
the GoC and specifically from the Governor of the Ouaddai
region of eastern Chad, in which nearly all the camps are
located, to conduct their campaigns in the camps. In
addition, according to Loubaki, UNHCR's Chad government
counterpart, The Chadian National Refugee Agency (CNAR),
which is currently responsible for refugee security, had
facilitated their entry into the camps.


4. (SBU) Loubaki noted that armed recruitment is linked to
specific problems with refugee verification in Am Nabak and
Oure Cassoni camps. Loubaki informed the Ambassador that he
had raised the problem directly with the Prime Minister and
had received assurances of GOC action to halt further
recruitment of refugees by armed groups. In addition to
protection concerns raised by the presence of armed elements
in the camps, UNHCR has been faced with difficulty completing
verification exercises in Am Nabak and Oure Cassoni camps.
UNHCR attempts in early October to verify refugees'
identities and eligibility to receive assistance in Am Nabak
led to resistance from the refugees and eventual threats to

NDJAMENA 00000541 002.2 OF 003


UNHCR staff involved in the exercise. As a result, all
services except water delivery have been cut off in the camp.
Refugees did not receive food distribution for the month of
October. Following these events, Minister of the Interior
Bachir sent a message to the relevant regional Governor
(Wadi-Fira) October 23 instructing him to take all necessary
action to restore order in and around the camp and to
facilitate the success of humanitarian operations in the
region. In the message, a copy of which was sent to the
Embassy, the Minister acknowledged the government's
responsibility to protect and ensure the civilian character
of the camp and the need to reassure humanitarian partners of
the GOC's engagement.


5. (C) Loubaki made it clear UNHCR would not renew its
presence in the camp until certain conditions have been met.
First, the eleven people responsible for committing violence
against UNHCR staff must be brought to justice. Second, the
Refugee Committee must be restructured to weed out active JEM
elements. Third, local authorities must partner with UNHCR
to clearly define methods for resolving future security
problems. UNHCR has called off a similar verification in
Oure Cassoni camp proposed for December due
to resistance from refugees in that camp as well. In an
effort to avoid having to stop services in Oure Cassoni,
UNHCR has decided to postpone the exercise. As Loubaki noted
to the Ambassador, UNHCR does not want to fight this battle
on two fronts and will wait to see if its conditions for
return in Am Nabak are met before it confronts resistance in
another camp. Underlying refugee resistance
to verification is the well-founded suspicion of UNHCR and
its implementing partners that many camp residents in these
two JEM-associated locations would not be found eligible to
receive assistance in a properly conducted verification.


6. (SBU) Loubaki said he had raised the problem of JEM
recruitment directly with the Prime Minister in a November 7
meeting and had received assurances of GoC action to halt
future recruitment activities in the camps. He reported that
the UNHCR-Abeche Head of Office had also addressed the issue
with the Governor of the region. In past meetings, he said,
UNHCR had spoken with the Minister of the Interior as well as
the Minister of Defense. Loubaki expressed frustration with
the GOC's lack of action, so far, to halt armed recruitment
in the refugee camps. The Ambassador said the USG would
support UNHCR's efforts by reinforcing its anti-recruitment
message with the GoC. He noted that the international
community had encouraged the creation of a MINURCAT trained
and supported police and gendarmes force specifically to
address insecurity in the camps and to protect their civilian
character. The Ambassador advocated giving this force (the
Integrated Security Division, known by its French acronym
DIS),which is in the process of being deployed to various
camps (Ref A),a chance to do its job by acting as a
deterrent to future recruitment campaigns.


7. (SBU) In separate conversations with UNHCR and Hebrew
Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) staff November 7, RefCoord was
told that JEM recruiters threatened humanitarian staff and
refugees with harm if they attempted to stop them from
recruiting. HIAS reported that JEM recruiters in Goz Amer
told refugees they were "hiding in the refugee camps and had
forgotten Sudan," and that anyone trying to stop them would
be "jailed, tortured, or killed" including NGO staff, local
authorities, and refugees. As a result of the threats, HIAS
immediately stopped all scheduled sensitization activities on
the topic of recruitment and UNHCR canceled an anti-child
recruitment mission headed to Goz Beida.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------

8. (C) We share UNHCR,s concerns regarding what the senior
UN official in Chad, SRSG Victor Angelo, has called the
increasing "politicization" and "militarization" of the
camps, particularly by the JEM. The SRSG notes that the
restoration of "civil order" in the camps is exactly why the
UN PKO MINURCAT, which he heads, has been training and has
now begun to deploy Chadian police and gendarme teams to the
camps. Unfortunately, up to now, the GOC reaction on this
issue has been mixed. There is a good deal of "agreement in
principle" to keeping the camps orderly and unpoliticized --
the PM,s expression of understanding to Loubaki is an
example - along with some indications of useful actions taken
- the Interior Minister,s recent directive to the Governor
of Wadi-Fira where Am Nabak camp is located might be an

NDJAMENA 00000541 003.2 OF 003


example of this. The GOC,s life is complicated by the
presence of the ethnically Zaghawa JEM in Chad and the
military support that the JEM gave the GOC in the past. The
great hope is for MINURCAT I to become fully deployed in the
East, not only its Chadian police and gendarme camp-security
element, but also its military liaison element (to ensure
effective coordination between Chad security forces inside
the camps and Chadian police, gendarmes, and military forces
outside the camps),and the "nation-building" element - human
rights, reform of the criminal justice system and territorial
administration, etc. Only when and if MINURCAT I becomes
fully deployed and employed will the real struggle to
depoliticize and demilitarize the camps be truly joined.


9. (U) TRIPOLI MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.

NIGRO