SE GRATION MEETS WITH THE UN HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KHARTOUM 000477 DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A A/S CARTER, AF/C NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: SE GRATION MEETS WITH THE UN HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR IN KHARTOUM REF: A) KHARTOUM 470 B) KHARTOUM 469 C) KHARTOUM 468 D) KHARTOUM 466 E) KHARTOUM 428 AND PREVIOUS -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On April 2 the President's Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration met Deputy Special Representative for the Secretary General, Ameerah Haq and other UN staff in Khartoum to discuss current humanitarian gaps and UN efforts to mitigate the current crisis here. The latter stems from the Government of Sudan's (GOS) reckless decision to expel 13 international humanitarian organizations from the country in retaliation for the March 4 issuance by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of an arrest warrant for President Bashir. After discussing several options with SE Gration on how to respond to the crisis, the UN cautiously agreed to put together a plan that could be presented to the GOS by the SE in the coming days. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LOOKING BACK AND WAYS FORWARD -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Following meetings with the NCP regime to discuss the NGO expulsion issue (Refs A-C),SE Gration met with UN staff to discuss the current humanitarian situation in Sudan and a way forward. Meeting participants included CDA Fernandez, S/USSES Shortley, USAID Mission Director Hammink, USAID's Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance Country Representative Sureka Khandagle, UN Deputy Special Representative to the Secretary General Ameerah Haq, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Toby Lanzer, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance's (OCHA) Darfur unit Antoine Gerard, and UN/OCHA senior advisor from New York Hansjoerg Strohmeyer . ¶3. (SBU) Summarizing his meetings with Government of National Unity (GNU) officials from earlier in the day, SE Gration reported that the regime remains adamant that it will not reverse the decision to expel the 13 international organizations and dissolve three Sudanese Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) According to the SE, it is clear that Sudanese President Oumar al-Bashir's supporters are lining up behind him to help Bashir save face. Bashir has publicly embraced the expulsions and continues to make statements claiming that the international NGOs were here to spy and report to the ICC. He has threatened to expel additional INGOs if they "overstep" GNU-approved mandates. Gration noted that his approach is not to make Bashir more defensive by trying to get a "win." Rather, the US cares about the beneficiaries, and that priority must come first. ¶4. (SBU) Holding the beneficiaries as the highest priority, the US continues to examine and investigate how to address the humanitarian gap that resulted from the expulsions. One idea being explored is to rename, "re-hat", or re-organize the expelled organizations/programs. According to Gration, the US goal should be to hold on to those organizations that are urgently required based on unique geographic areas, technical sectors of expertise and scope and reach of their programs. The SE noted his willingness to encourage the identified organizations to work in Sudan as well as urge organizations such as the International Society of the Red Cross and Red Crescent to increase their activities in Sudan. ¶5. (SBU) During the Special Envoy's April 2 meetings with GNU officials, Sudanese counterparts expressed a willingness to allow new NGOs to work in Sudan, noting that such NGOs should work in Sudan for humanitarian purposes only. Despite these GNU promises, USG and UN officials underscored that new NGOs need to be given assurances of an operational and legal framework for humanitarian programs and for basic protection. The SE also emphasized that the staffs of the 13 international organizations should be permitted to depart Sudan with dignity. ¶6. (SBU) Gration asked UN officials to elaborate on the current and projected humanitarian gap, as well as current gap-filling capabilities. He noted that the GNU would be amenable to a plan to mitigate the current humanitarian situation as long as it allowed its officials to save face. Commenting that working with the GNU is akin to "walking the tightrope", DSRSG Haq noted continued UN efforts to request a reversal of the expulsion, and that UN authorities have still not accepted, as a matter of principle, that the GNU has the right to expel the NGOs. The UN argued that the KHARTOUM 00000477 002 OF 004 GNU's letter to the expelled partners has no legal basis in the existing humanitarian assistance framework; international donors and agencies need to advocate for a stronger legal framework in going forward. ¶7. (SBU) Noting that the recently concluded joint GNU-UN assessment did not encounter dire humanitarian conditions due to the short timeframe since the expulsions, DSRSG Haq stressed that the next two months are the most critical period. She said water pumps may stop running due to lack of fuel, people may run of food, health clinics may run out of supplies, and government-seconded staff may leave due to lack of salaries. Since the NCP and federal officials expelled the organizations and decreed that Sudanese organizations and ministries would fill the gap, the GOS Ministries have voiced serious concern regarding their own lack of capacity and adequate resources to fill the essential gaps. According to the UN, the ministries now realize local staff cannot fill such gaps. They remain nervous because the GNU has placed the responsibility on them to make sure there is no crisis in Darfur. Lanzer noted a tension within the Sudanese government as Bashir and NCP officials made the decision. GNU security officials are charged with the plan's implementation, while the GNU's Humanitarian Assistance Commission (HAC) is completely excluded from such action. He stressed that in this regard, the UN is also negotiating with the HAC to ensure that whatever is agreed can actually be implemented. At the same time there is a desire on the part of the GOS for "Sudanization" of humanitarian assistance. The responsible line ministries need to move quickly, but do not have the appropriate tools to do so. Under immense pressure, the ministries have solicited assistance from the UN. According to Lanzer, the international community should use the current situation as an opportunity to develop appropriate conditions for continued operations over the long-term and for the provision of ongoing humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan. Although the GNU originally expressed confidence that Arab countries and agencies would assist with filling the the gap, the current situation indicates that such agencies do not plan to increase staff or programs. Although these organizations can provide assistance, the projects they are geared towards doing are more developmental in nature than humanitarian. They simply are not set up to run rural-level health clinics or deliver services for which they lack the appropriate technical experience or capacity. ¶8. (SBU) According to the UN, on March 29 the GNU requested that it provide government officials with a worst-case scenario. According to Haq, the latter is that internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities will move in large numbers to areas that have better humanitarian services. In addition, individuals may trade food for other services that formerly were free, and the international community will see an increase in acute malnutrition, a deterioration of water services, and increases in disease outbreaks. (NOTE: It is important to point out that NGOs and the UN do not foresee a total collapse or worst-case scenario at present. END NOTE.) ¶9. (SBU) The UN raised ongoing-bureaucratic and administrative concerns, including requests that the GNU allow NGOs that remain to expand quickly and without impediments; transfer humanitarian assets to remaining NGOs; and sign all technical agreements (TAs) for humanitarian organizations working on Sudanese soil. According to the UN, only seven of the 85 remaining organizations have received signed TAs from the GNU. The rest are operating illegally until the Sudanese government approves such documentation. The previous TAs expired on January 31, and currently the GOS offers no assurances that humanitarian staff can return to project sites once they depart Darfur. Haq proposed that the GNU permit humanitarian organizations to operate for the short-term under an umbrella agreement with a UN organization, noting that such an operation might help Sudan avoid an escalation of the humanitarian crisis. By dragging its feet and not signing the TAs, the GNU is slowing down the aid process. One way around this would be for the GNU to allow the UN sector leads and key agencies to sign a TA for each sector or cluster, rather than have HAC-NGO TAs for individual organizations or programs. The sector TAs would include pooled asset management and provide more accountability and monitoring as well as a protective layer for the NGOs. ¶10. (SBU) Haq noted that humanitarian assistance is for all vulnerable people, both individuals in camps and local host communities. She added the international community will see voluntary returns once IDPs believe there is adequate security. The humanitarian community should begin planning for returnees at that time. However, she noted, "In the end it's all about security", and the Sudanese government and international community need to start with a political process and peace agreement. Without such a KHARTOUM 00000477 003 OF 004 process and agreement, there will be no local buy-in, trust, or a stable environment to which people feel they can safety return. Lanzer noted that the humanitarian community wants returns, but returns must be voluntary rather than forced by GNU efforts or forced relocation due to GNU closures of IDP camps. Even if all the goals are achieved, not all IDPs will return. An unknown percentage will remain where they are currently, as part of the process of urbanization and resettlement. ¶11. (SBU) Prior to early March, several of the expelled organizations worked in areas where returns would have taken place. With the GNU-ordered expulsions, the international community lost partners who could have helped with the returns, both providing services and assistance to recent returnees and assuring that the returns were appropriate and voluntary. Shortley noted that on April 2, the GNU stated its interest in a formula that could be presented and finalized within a week. The formula could include renaming, "re-hatting", or re-organizing NGOs, bringing in new organizations, and expanding the role of the remaining NGOs and UN agencies. Looking forward, the USG hopes to work with the UN to ensure the preservation of humanitarian space so that NGOs remain true to their mandate rather than being influenced by GNU demands. ¶12. (SBU) Shortley noted a USG desire to ensure efforts now to prevent a humanitarian crisis. Gration proposed that the SE delegation could present a formula to respond to the crisis during his scheduled meetings with the GOS at the end of his visit. Gration advocated Track One (NOTE: Track One is the proposed reversal of the GNU's expulsion, whereby NGO staff continue to work in Sudan under the same name and program design. END NOTE) but also outlined alternative tracks 2 and 3. ¶13. (SBU) Haq said that currently the international community has a problem, and has to provide more stop-gap measures on the critical sectors like water and health. Although the UN agencies continue to operate and facilitate the temporary, stop-gap measures, humanitarian staff note concerns regarding locking the organizations into an unacceptable longer-term architecture. As such, Haq noted, the international community and donors need to understand the new rules of the game. The key is to improve the operating environment. Haq also stressed the importance of the international community insisting on the protection mandate/human rights issues in all of the work in Darfur and Sudan. Lanzer noted that around 8 million people live in Darfur, 4 million receive aid, 2 million are displaced and in camps and approximately 50 percent will return if/when peace comes to Darfur. According to Lanzer, due to the massive international humanitarian programs in place, no one in Darfur is starving, and many humanitarian indicators remain at reasonable levels. People living in IDP camps have education, water, health care, and in the majority of cases, the access and services are far better than what the populations had in their communities of origin. If there is peace in Darfur, Lanzer added, the key issue will be the capacity of the Sudanese government to provide similar levels of services in areas of origin that IDPs currently receive in the camps. ¶14. (SBU) Looking forward, Lanzer suggested, donors should talk less about relief programs in Darfur and more about development possibilities. Before early March, Darfur received significant food aid, water services, and also enormous livelihoods and health programs. Noting that the GNU is tired of hearing about relief programs in Darfur, Lanzer suggested that the USG propose recovery and development programs, which would allow the government to think ahead instead of looking backwards. ¶15. (SBU) UN staff noted the significant lack of trust among the people of Darfur. Many IDP leaders don't want Arab organizations working in the camps, as the Darfur conflict has its roots in Arab versus non-Arab violence. (NOTE: In recent days, Lanzer completed talks with SLA/AW Fur rebel leader Abdel Wahid in Paris. During these talks, Wahid agreed to communicate to his followers in Kalma IDP camp that "re-hatted" staff should be allowed inside. END NOTE.) Gerard said that IDPs need to know that the humanitarian staff providing assistance inside and outside camps understand and sympathize with their situation and perspective. During the last six years, IDPs built a relationship of trust and community in the camps with the international humanitarian staff and accepted their services. Following the GNU's callous expulsions and gap-filling plan, that trust is shattered. ¶16. (SBU) The UN noted that the remaining NGOs working in Darfur are watching closely to see what happens with the 13 expelled organizations. In the future, the situation for NGOs needs to return to a rules-based legal framework around the Joint Communiqu. KHARTOUM 00000477 004 OF 004 One of the most important initial steps is for the Sudanese government to cease the incitement, media rhetoric, and inflammatory comments about NGOs. UN staff urged the USG to make a strong statement privately in Khartoum about the damaging media campaign by the Sudanese government. In addition, the government needs to return assets to humanitarian staff for use in on-going aid programs. The international community should not be held hostage by the HAC. The humanitarian community needs to couch any plan to the government in terms of the long-term plan rather than short-term, gap-filling measures. ¶17. (SBU) Meeting participants stressed that options for renaming organizations and developing a new framework could be potential tests for developing ways forward. Noting that NGOs may not want to be renamed and absorbed under the UN system, meeting participants emphasized the need to develop a forward-thinking formula for the coming days. Overall, the group underscored that all the time spent on minor administrative issues and bureaucratic quibbles subtracts from the larger issues of finding an humanitarian solution and peace in Darfur, full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and supporting national elections now scheduled for February 2010. -------------- COMMENTS -------------- ¶18. (SBU) Given the possibility of some limited flexibility from the NCP regime (Refs A-C),DSRSG Haq cautiously agreed to put together a plan that would combine tracks one, two, and three, which could be proposed by the SE to the government during the week of April 6. Haq also repeatedly stressed the importance of the UN consulting with other member states and NGOs before moving ahead with such a plan. (NOTE: In follow up meetings with the UN, it was decided that UN staff would contribute to a U.S. paper, but that it would not complete a UN paper for U.S. presentation to the GNU, stating that the UN's effort underway to find a solution needed further consultations. Nevertheless, UN officials were very supportive of SE Gration's offer to present such a paper to the GNU for their consideration and provided significant input to the U.S. paper given time is of the essence. END NOTE). FERNANDEZ