SEVENTEEN ARRESTED IN CRACKDOWN FOLLOWING CAMP MURDER

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000934 NSC FOR MGAVIN, LELLIS DEPT PASS TO USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF KPKO AU SU SUBJECT: SEVENTEEN ARRESTED IN CRACKDOWN FOLLOWING CAMP MURDER REF: KHARTOUM 901 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Seventeen people have been detained in Abu Shouk and Al Salam Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps following the murder of a pro-government umda (community leader) on August 2, according to IDP community contacts. UNAMID Human Rights has confirmed that at least 13 people are being detained, most of the detainees are Fur. The Fur Shura Council in North Darfur is assisting the detainees in obtaining legal representation. Police presence in both camps has since decreased, and the security situation remains calm. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) On August 2, pro-government umda (community leader) Omer Adam Ishaq, known as "Saroukh", was shot and killed, along with his wife, by unknown gunmen at his home in Abu Shouk IDP camp (Reftel). Since the incident, GOS military, police and security forces have arrested seventeen people in Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps outside of El Fasher, according to IDP community leaders with whom Emboff spoke. Among those arrested are tribal leaders, youth representatives, and one women's representative. Most of the detainees are from the Fur ethnic group. ¶3. (SBU) The Fur Shura Council in North Darfur is assisting the detainees with obtaining legal representation. They report that two of the seventeen detainees are being held by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS). Two others are being held in police custody in El Fasher, while the rest have been sent to Shara Prison outside of El Fasher. ¶4. (SBU) UNAMID Human Rights Office confirmed that at least 13 people are in police custody in El Fasher, though they noted some appear to have been transferred to Shara Prison. UNAMID human rights officers have continually visited the police custody center since news of the arrests first broke, but they have been denied access to the detainees. They report that the police not only confirmed the arrests, but said that more arrests are expected. The police further told UNAMID that the detainees' right to personal integrity, while in custody, was being respected. ¶5. (SBU) IDP community leaders told Emboff that numerous camp residents in both Abu Shouk and Al Salam were harassed during the week following the murder, and that military and police forces maintained an extensive presence in both camps. Several groups of IDPs planned to hold protests against harassment and seemingly random arrests, but the IDP community leaders advised them to hold off so as not to exacerbate the situation. The situation has since calmed and the presence of police in the camp has decreased, according to IDP community leaders. ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Detaining IDP leaders has become the typical response of the GOS security apparatus following any crime or disturbance in IDP camps. Typically the detained individuals are held until the security situation calms down and then released, or are held indefinitely on trumped up charges. There is no indication that this latest crackdown is related to voluntary returns, as has been suggested by some members of the Darfur diaspora. END COMMENT.