SUDAN SECURITY ENVIRONMENT PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE

S E C R E T KHARTOUM 000458 NOFORN FOR DS/TIA/ITA AND DS/IP/AF E.O. 12958: DECL: 25X-1HUMAN TAGS: ASEC PTER AMGT SU SUBJECT: SUDAN SECURITY ENVIRONMENT PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE (SEPQ) REF: STATE 13023 02/12/09 Classified By: RSO CHUCK LISENBEE. REASON 1.4 (B),(C),(D). ¶1. (U) Keyed to ref a are the Security Environment Profile Questionnaire (SEPQ) responses below for northern Sudan, including Darfur. The SEPQ for ConGen Juba's Consular district will be sent via septel. -------------- POLITICAL VIOLENCE -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Demonstrations ¶A. Are there ethnic or religious communities in country that are capable of carrying out significant anti-American demonstrations? Yes. The Government of Sudan has staged several demonstrations in the last 12 months incorporating anti-American themes. Beginning on December 27, 2008, demonstrations protesting Israel's incursion into Gaza occurred at several locations in Khartoum. Eight separate groups stopped at the US Embassy to express solidarity with Gaza's HAMAS government and residents. The demonstrations continued for several days, and on January 1, 2009, the protests evolved from pro-Hamas to anti-United States. Approximately 200 members of the Sudan Youth Council changed outside the US Embassy slogans that included, "Down, Down, USA," "The CIA Can't Control Us," and "We're ready for Jihad; We're Ready to Fight." At one point the demonstrators and police began pushing each other, prompting one police officer to unholster his pistol while another police officer pointed his sub-machine gun towards the crowd. On January 5, 2009, approximately 200 demonstrators returned to the US Embassy's North CAC equipped with a 20 x 60 foot tent, two flatbed trucks, and a professional sound system with seven large speakers directed towards the Chancery. Demonstrators used this platform to express angry diatribes against the United States. One speaker, alleged to have been the Secretary General of the General Student Union's El Tayer al Islamic branch, called for demonstrators to shoot their way into the Embassy and to bomb Mission vehicles. He also told the crowd that if Sudanese President Bashir was indicted by the ICC (which occurred on March 4),they should gun down Westerners at places they frequent, such as the Ozone Restaurant and Afra Mall, and at ex-pat residences in Khartoum's upscale Riyadh, Menshia, and Garden City neighborhoods. At 9:30 p.m. on January 7, approximately 50 Khartoum University students arrived at the Chancery unexpectedly and began pelting the South CAC and the Chancery facade with rocks. The students remained directly in front of the Chancery's main entrance until police reinforcements arrived to disperse them. Only one American watchstander was present at the time of the incident. Although there were no injuries, the demonstrators shattered the glass door at the South CAC. ¶B. Have there been anti-American demonstrations within the last 12 months? Yes, see above. ¶C. Have these demonstrations taken place near or in front of U.S. diplomatic facilities? Yes, see above. ¶D. What is the average size of an anti-American demonstration? The average demonstration is between 200 and 250 persons. ¶E. As these anti-American demonstrations usually triggered by U.S. foreign policy initiatives, military actions, or by domestic issues? The most recent demonstrations have been triggered by Israel's military incursion into Gaza and the International Criminal Court's indictment of Sudanese President Omar Bashir. ¶F. Are these demonstrations generally violent or peaceful? Generally peaceful, although threatening and inciting rhetoric is often used. Other than rock-throwing, there has been no other violence. ¶G. If violent, have any demonstrations resulted in damage to USG property or injuries to USG employees? Yes. The South CAC door had to be replaced after demonstrators broke its glass panel. ¶H. If violent, have any demonstrators ever penetrated our perimeter security line? No. ¶I. Have there been anti-government demonstrations in the country within the last 12 months? Yes, but not in Khartoum. There have been demonstrations at IDP camps in Darfur and also demonstrations by formerly pro-regime Arab militiamen in Darfur, who were angry at the government for not being paid on time. Most anti-government demonstrations are quickly broken up by GoS police/troops employing overwhelming force. ¶J. Have these demonstrations taken place near or in front of U.S. diplomatic facilities? No. ¶K. What is the average size of an anti-government demonstration? While this varies, there have generally been fewer than 500 people at the Darfur demonstrations. There have been no large anti-government demonstrations in Khartoum. ¶L. Are these demonstrations generally violent or peaceful? Few demonstrations turn violent, as GoS forces use extreme methods to disperse crowds. ¶M. If violent, have any demonstrations resulted in damage to USG property? No. ¶3. (SBU) Macro Conflict Conditions ¶A. Is the host country currently engaged in an interstate or intrastate conflict? Yes. The host government is involved in both interstate and intrastate conflicts, though the interstate conflict is carried out via support to proxy militias, rather than direct warfare between national forces. ¶B. If an intrastate conflict, is it an insurgency that is limited to a specific region or a countrywide civil war? Intra and interstate conflict has encompassed all of Darfur since 2003. There is insurgency activity as well as clashes between indigenous groups. The increase in armed attacks in Darfur is associated with the fragmentation of larger armed groups following the signing in 2006 of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). With the loss of outside financial and logistical support, some former militants have turned to banditry for their financial and logistical supplies. On July 7, 2008, a UNAMID unit patrolling 100km from Shangil Tobaya in North Darfur was attacked by an unidentified group, probably Darfuri rebels. The attack resulted in the death of eight UNAMID soldiers. On August 25, 2008, GoS forces surrounded the internally displaced person (IDP) Kalma camp outside of Nyala, South Darfur on the pretext of a weapons search. IDPs resisted this search and GoS forces fired on the crowd, killing at least 33 (according to UNAMID's confirmed death toll). On May 10, 2008, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels launched an attack on the Khartoum suburb of Omdurman. Fighting between JEM and Sudanese Armed Forces/Security Forces resulted in hundreds of dead and wounded plus massive GoS arrests. 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