DARFUR UPDATE: UNAMID CONVOY AMBUSHED IN GENEINA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001108 NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MOPS PGOV PHUM PINR PREF KPKO AU SU SUBJECT: DARFUR UPDATE: UNAMID CONVOY AMBUSHED IN GENEINA REF: KHARTOUM 1095 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: A United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) convoy was ambushed by unknown assailants near Geneina, West Darfur, resulting in one death and two injuries. In Jebel Marra, the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) faction is building up troop strength in strategic locations and relocating civilians in anticipation of future attacks, according to humanitarian sources (protect). Meanwhile, an SLA/AW Commander in West Darfur alleged that fighters from the Justice and Equality (JEM) attempted to overtake SLA/AW positions in Jebel Moon, but that his forces were successful in repelling the attack. A UNAMID investigative patrol apparently entered Korma without interference from Government of Sudan (GOS) on September 29. The patrol's findings will be reported septel. END SUMMARY. -------------- UNAMID CONVOY AMBUSHED IN WEST DARFUR -------------- ¶2. (SBU) One Nigerian peacekeeper was killed and two were injured when a UNAMID convoy was ambushed by unknown assailants on September ¶28. One UN minibus, a UNAMID military police vehicle and a UNAMID military escort were traveling from the West Darfur supercamp to El Geneina at 6:45 p.m., when two armed men moved to the middle of the road and opened fire on the trailing military police vehicle. Additional assailants fired on the convoy from the side, and in the ensuing firefight, one peacekeeper and one military police officer were shot, and one peacekeeper was run-over by his own vehicle. The escort team exchanged fire with the attackers, and then withdrew the convoy with the injured UNAMID officers to the Supercamp, leaving behind one UNAMID military police vehicle. UNAMID Director of Public Information Kemal Saiki said that initial reports indicate that six to eight gunmen participated in the attack. ¶3. (SBU) Upon withdrawal to the supercamp, the escort team made preparations to evacuate the three injured officers to the Nyala Level 3 hospital, but one Nigerian peacekeeper died of his chest wound at 9:35 p.m. The other two injured officers and their dead comrade were taken by air to Nyala at 9:50 p.m. UNAMID's total casualty toll since the inception of the mission currently stands at ¶17. According to Saiki, UNAMID has yet to identify the assailants, but he noted that this is not the first time that UNAMID peacekeepers have been ambushed on this road, which connects El Geneina to the supercamp. (NOTE: The areas surrounding El Geneina are not controlled by any prominent rebel faction. Instability in and around the West Darfur capital is generally caused by Arab militia and janjaweed forces whose members have enlisted in the Sudanese Ministry of Defense's Border Intelligence Force. END NOTE.) -------------- JEM REPORTEDLY ATTACKS SLA/AW IN JEBEL MOON -------------- ¶4. (SBU) On September 29 emboff spoke to SLA/AW Commander Abbas Aseel, who is based in West Darfur. (NOTE: SLA/AW is said to have a small presence near Jebel Moon, southwest of Kulbus. END NOTE.) Aseel stated that on September 27 JEM forces attempted to take Jebel Moon, but that SLA/AW repelled the attack. He claimed that this was the fourth such attempt JEM has made on Jebel Moon, noting that these attacks were preceded by numerous JEM delegations visiting the area and attempting to convince him to defect and join JEM. He stated that he anticipated further attacks as JEM continues to try and acquire territory within Darfur. -------------- -------------- SLA/AW BUILDS UP TROOPS IN ANTICIPATION OF ATTACKS -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) NGO sources in Jebel Marra (protect) report that SLA/AW has been building up troop levels in strategic locations to defend itself from anticipated GOS attacks, including in Kidingeer (NOTE: Approximately 40 kilometers south of Deribat. END NOTE.) At the recommendation of SLA/AW Commanders, civilians from Kidingeer have recently moved northward to the village of Feina. (NOTE: There are only a small number of civilians in Kidingeer, as most fled to Feina as a result of fighting in 2005. END NOTE.) The NGO sources in Jebel Marra also reported seeing Antonov aircraft, presumably belonging to the Sudanese Armed Forces, that were flying northward, possibly towards Korma. ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Yesterday's attack in West Darfur, and the GOS's refusal to permit UNAMID to enter Korma, represent the first real challenges for the new Force Commander, General Patrick Nyamvumba. The fatal ambush, conducted within sight of the UNAMID supercamp, KHARTOUM 00001108 002 OF 002 will have on-the-ground political implications for the peacekeeping force. Given Darfur's broken system of justice, it is unlikely that any perpetrators will be apprehended for this brazen sunset attack, and the GOS will remain unable or unwilling to send a message that attacking peacekeepers in Darfur is a crime punishable by law. The Post will continue to provide updates from Korma. ASQUINO