IOM STILL UNABLE TO WORK IN DARFUR; PLANNING FOR RETURNS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000957 NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN GENEVA FOR NKYLOH UN ROME FOR HSPANOS NEW YORK FOR DMERCADO SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PGOV PHUM KPKO AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: IOM STILL UNABLE TO WORK IN DARFUR; PLANNING FOR RETURNS NEEDED REF: KHARTOUM 927 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY. During the week of August 10, USAID Mission Director and staff met with the heads of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) to discuss potential returns in Darfur, IOM's role in verifying returns, the changing landscape of Darfur and the impact of potential returns. Both IOM and OCHA noted ongoing concerns with insecurity, the complicated nature of potential returns, and the importance of maintaining IOM independence and implementing the organization's mandate to conduct verification of returns. END SUMMARY. -------------- --- Despite Mandate, Expertise, IOM Barred in Darfur -------------- --- ¶2. (U) On August 11, USAID Mission Director and USAID staff met with Mario Tavolaj, Special Envoy to Sudan for the IOM Director General, to discuss the situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sudan, particularly Darfur. Tavolaj, who has worked in Sudan for five years, provided an overview of IOM programs in Sudan and background information on IOM's role in providing IDP support and verifying returns. ¶3. (U) In 2004, IOM signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sudanese government and the UN that established the standards for protection monitoring of IDP movements as well as IOM's responsibilities to provide support for the protection of returning IDPs in North and South Darfur. Currently, IOM implements the protection monitoring activities through its Verification and Monitoring Unit which operates in North and South Darfur. In addition, IOM carries out protection monitoring activities in North and South Darfur through field missions to assess the voluntariness and appropriateness of returns and relocations, either pre-movement or post-movement. IOM also conducts return monitoring, humanitarian assessments, contextual analysis, general protection monitoring, and other humanitarian missions. ¶4. (SBU) However, Mr. Tavolaj said, Sudanese officials have prohibited IOM from accessing South Darfur since February 15, 2009. The GNU has not provided any official communication citing reasons for the prohibition. Since February, IOM staff have met with federal, state, and local officials to attempt to resolve the situation, and have received messages of assurance and appreciation for IOM's mission. However, Mr. Tavolaj said, the organization remains barred. ¶5. (U) IOM has the expertise and mandate to verify that returns in North and South Darfur are voluntary and appropriate according to international norms, including the UN Guiding Principles for Internal Displacement. According to Mr. Tavolaj, the approach for verifying IDP returns has to be different in Darfur than in many other countries because the IDPs have been in camps for four to six years, not a year or less, which is typical elsewhere. As a result, Mr. Tavolaj said, rural camps may have to be handled differently from the urban camps, which are now virtually a part of the cities to which they are adjacent. The IOM provides assistance based on individual need rather than status as an IDP, returnee, or host-community member. -------------- IDPS OUTNUMBER RETURNEES -------------- ¶6. (U) IOM maintains a database of more than 2.8 million individuals in the camps in Darfur, including IDP and non-IDP individuals. Mr. Tavolaj said the IOM estimates that, of that number, there are, currently, approximately 2 million IDPs. This IOM estimate is significantly lower than UN estimates, which range from between 2.5 and 2.8 million IDPs. In 2009, IOM has not recorded increased returns compared to 2008. As in 2008, recorded incidents of primary and secondary displacement outnumber returns, in North and South Darfur. (NOTE: According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),some IDPs have experienced up to three displacements, all from different locations, which further KHARTOUM 00000957 002 OF 002 complicates returns. END NOTE.) According to IOM, insecurity continues to impact the pattern of returns. Of the 27,742 returnees interviewed in 2008, almost all cited insecurity as their reason for initial displacement. -------------- Security, Services Influence Returns -------------- ¶7. (U) Mr. Tavolaj reported that some IDPs are unwilling to leave camps over fear of losing existing humanitarian services, including food aid and potential compensation from a comprehensive agreement. Following signing of a comprehensive peace agreement, 40 to 60 percent of the IDP population of a camp may decline to return to areas of origin, he warned. ¶8. (U) In a subsequent meeting between USAID staff and Gloria Fernandez, the newly appointed Head of OCHA, Ms. Fernandez underscored that a typical pattern for internal displacement includes IDPs maintaining places both inside a camp and in an area of origin, keeping the camps as the fallback option. Fernandez noted that this is particularly true for long-term IDPs who have been displaced for several years. There is a widespread belief among the humanitarian and donor communities that the IDPs' situation is unlikely to return to what it was before their initial displacement. -------------- Planning for Returns Important -------------- ¶9. (SBU) IOM is not presently conducting planning for IDP returns under a peace scenario. Mr. Tavolaj said that such planning is needed, and IOM is currently working with the UN Humanitarian Country Team to update the UN Framework for Returns in Darfur. In addition, OCHA's Fernandez reported that the UN is planning two sessions in the next few weeks, including one to review the Government of National Unity (GNU) Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) proposal to establish a joint verification mechanism (Reftel). Tavolaj noted that IOM can participate in joint assessments; however, IOM's experience regarding verification of voluntary returns to date has yielded few positive results. OCHA also plans to examine assistance approaches and return conditions. In particular, OCHA will consider how the UN can participate in a joint mechanism and still maintain international standards and principles. The second UN meeting will be a planning exercise to address assistance for potential returns. ¶10. (SBU) COMMENT. The issue of returnees and verification of the voluntary nature of returnees is increasingly important due to the GNU HAC-led programs to encourage IDPs to leave camps, including construction of dozens of so-called "model villages" funded by the Arab League. The international community, led by the UN and IOM, must recognize the need to have quick response mechanisms to support voluntary returnees, either as returns occur spontaneously, or through a broader comprehensive peace agreement, all the while remaining within the context of internationally accepted principles for IDPs. ¶11. (U) The recent results of several joint assessments conducted by between UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs),and the Sudanese government, including the February 2009 yet-to-be released South Darfur Post-Harvest Assessment and the diluted post-March 4 humanitarian gap assessments underscore the importance of independent international monitoring and verification work. END COMMENT. WHITEHEAD