CHAD HUMANITARIAN UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000510 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR AF/C STATE ALSO FOR S/USSES STATE ALSO FOR PRM/AFR NSC FOR GAVIN LONDON FOR POL - LORD PARIS FOR POL - BAIN AND KANEDA ADDIS ABABA FOR AU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF ASEC PREL PHUM SU CD SUBJECT: CHAD HUMANITARIAN UPDATE ¶1. (U) The following is an update of N'Djamena and Accra RefCoords' activities for the period of 26 - 30 OCT, 2009. -------------- REFCOORD AND RSO EASTERN CHAD SECURITY FAMILIARIZATION VISIT -------------- ¶2. (SBU) N'Djamena and Accra RefCoords and N'djamena RSO visited Abeche, eastern Chad, from 27 to 29 OCT. The goal of this visit was to review UN DSS and MINURCAT standard operating procedures for movement and residential security, and current best practices for travel to the humanitarian assistance areas of operation in eastern Chad. Additional attention was given to IOM operations in preparation for broad collaboration among the State and Homeland Security Departments and IOM for the resettlement of refugees from eastern Chad to the U.S. (see items 2 and below) ¶3. (SBU) Official USG travelers under Chief of Mission authority have to date utilized the support and abided by the security practices and requirements of partner UN agencies when traveling in eastern Chad. RSO has assessed Post's current security rules for travelers to Abeche and eastern Chad to be largely adequate, with the best practice being for travelers to abide by the procedures of MINURCAT or the traveler's partner UN Agency. Air travel continues to be reliable and safe, and serves all significant field operations centers. Ground travel is increasingly dangerous due to entrenched, violent, politically protected criminality that targets the international community in general and humanitarian workers in the field in particular with near-total impunity. The relative threats in Abeche of residential break-in (low) vs. that of carjacking (high) may indicate a need to adjust lodging requirements. ¶4. (SBU) It appears that the trustworthy security forces in the area, whether MINURCAT troops or the DIS, are deployed in insufficient numbers, and are unsuited by mandate and design to the task of providing either area security through presence, or point-to-point escort of the hundreds of humanitarian workers and supply convoys operating in a vast territory of great distances and difficult terrain. While there remains hope that MINURCAT will eventually achieve its full deployment force, and that the DIS will eventually evolve into a functioning policing capability, neither of these two events are likely to happen during dangerous dry season that has just begun, and will last into June of 2010. RefCoord will ensure that our vulnerable partners in the field are fully apprised of this probability, and given every opportunity to take such actions as they believe appropriate to ensure their safety, within the internationally accepted principles guiding humanitarian and military operations in a conflict zone. -------------- ASSESSMENT OF MINURCAT HOUSING FOR DHS CIRCUIT RIDES AND OTHER USG VISITORS -------------- ¶5. Refcoords and RSO stayed at the MINURCAT compound during the three-day, two-night mission to Abeche. Since the establishment of an agreement between PRM and the DPKO and then between the Ambassador and SRSG Victor Angelo, some 15 USG officials under Chief of Mission authority have stayed at the MINURCAT compound for a total of 42 visitor-nights since May 2009, with N'Djamena Refcoords past and present staying 15 nights between them. None have raised the concerns voiced by one of the two DHS officers who were the first USG officials to stay on the base. All USG visitors since May have been assigned to VIP trailers (four of only six containers which already have plumbing installed); found the electricity, water and air conditioning to be working; and found suitable food at the canteen. RSO assesses the MINURCAT housing as the "gold standard" for residential security; however, questions of overall security are raised by the requirement for vehicle transit in Abeche, because of the high risk of carjacking. RefCoords anticipate that, once reviewed and updated, Post's travel security policy will have greater nuance and flexibility regarding housing. We will continue negotiations on all tracks to ensure that MINURCAT base housing continues to be an option, likely on a fee-for-use basis, as well as to pursue renewal of our former housing relationships with UNHCR, and to develop a strategy for a future IOM compound that may/may allow for housing of DHS circuit riders (see item 3). NDJAMENA 00000510 002 OF 002 -------------- ASSESSMENT OF IOM TRANSIT CENTER COMPOUND PLANS -------------- ¶6. Refcoords and RSO visited the IOM compound in Abeche to evaluate future possibilities for a large transit center for the coming increase in refugee populations requiring interviews and screening for resettlement in the U.S. The existing transit center is favorably located near airfield and the well-secured UNHCR compound on a very large (by urban standards) tract of land. Although it is too small to house the expected refugee populations to come, it is easily large enough for construction of IOM offices, interview rooms, and, if adequately designed, housing for both the OPE and DHS circuit riders. IOM's Security Officer and the RSO noted key security difficulties to be overcome to make the site suitable for both daytime use and nighttime residence including: Inadequate perimeter walls, gates and intruder deterrence; a single egress from the compound onto a badly eroded road; and construction in neighboring compounds too close to the perimeter walls. IOM Security Officer believes that the single egress and neighboring construction may be mitigated by renting one compound next door to the current lot, and building new office and housing construction close to perimeter walls to block access. Otherwise, all problems with the site may be addressed through smart construction design and sufficient funding. IOM staff have so far been unable to find an alternative site in the Abeche urban area that would benefit from being closely located to the airfield and UNHCR compound. Potential new sites for a large transit center to house the refugee populations have been identified on the outskirts of the city; IOM will engage the local and national governments on access to these sites in the coming week, during the visit of IOM Director for International Operations Michel Tonneau, during which IOM's diplomatic status will be confirmed in an MOU with the GoC. -------------- CALENDAR -------------- 02 -- 06 NOV: Accra RefCoord engagement with IOM Director Michel Tonneau 04 NOV: IASC N'Djamena meeting on security situation in eastern Chad NIGRO