Cablegate: Darfur - the Hac and Wali Discuss Kalma Issues and The

VZCZCXRO9315
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1795/01 3221703
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181703Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9206
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001795

SIPDIS

AIDAC
SIPDIS
SENSETIVE

STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, DCHA/OFDA, AND AFR/SP
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, USAID/SFO AND FAS
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
NSC FOR PMARCHAM AND MMAGAN
USUN FOR TMALY
BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU

SUBJECT: DARFUR - THE HAC AND WALI DISCUSS KALMA ISSUES AND THE
EXPULSION OF OCHA STAFF

REF: A) KHARTOUM 1659 B) KHARTOUM 1680

KHARTOUM 00001795 001.2 OF 002

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Summary
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1. (U) On November 10, the Charge d'Affaires Fernandez, the USAID
Mission Director, and the USAID Darfur Team Leader met with the
Government of National Unity (GNU) Humanitarian Aid Commissioner and
the Governor (Wali) of South Darfur to discuss the current state of
affairs with Kalma internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the
expulsion of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs's (OCHA) South Darfur representative, Wael al-Haj Ibrahim.
The Sudanese government officials expounded on their reasons behind
Ibrahim being thrown out of South Darfur and agreed to work with the
USG and humanitarian community on the issue of Kalma. End Summary.

--------------------------------------------- --
Kalma, Camp Coordination, and Forced Relocation
--------------------------------------------- --

2. (U) The November 10 meeting was the latest in a series of
meetings the Charge has recently had with the Sudanese government to
discuss the situation in Kalma (REFTELS). This meeting came on the
heels of the expulsion of the OCHA South Darfur head of office, Wael
al-Haj Ibrahim. The GNU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner General
Hassabo Abdel Rahman requested the November 10 meeting as a
follow-up to the November 7 meeting in which the Charge, USAID/Sudan
Mission Director, and USAID Darfur Team Leader discussed possible
ways forward on the Kalma camp issue with Hassabo.

3. (U) CDA opened the meeting by stating that the USG had come in
the spirit of cooperation to discuss a way forward for the displaced
populations in Darfur, in order to do the best we can for the IDPs
in cooperation with the GNU, humanitarian community, UN agencies,
and donors. CDA expressed the USG's concerns over movement of IDPs
and the lack of proper camp management in Darfur, specifically
Kalma. CDA reiterated the importance of letting the Office of the
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) into South Darfur to
fulfill their mandated role as camp coordinators. CDA noted that
the USG shares the Sudanese government's concerns over the
proliferation of weapons in Kalma camp and agreed that something
needed to be done. CDA also asked the GNU officials how we can
assist in making the situation better.

4. (U) CDA raised three key points: recommending that the issue of
Kalma be discussed at the next high-level committee meeting; stating
that UNHCR must be allowed to fulfill their mandated role in camp
coordination; and reiterating that any movement of IDPs from Kalma,
or any other location, must be done in cooperation and coordination
with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), donors, and UN
agencies.

5. (U) While agreeing that the humanitarian community needed to "get
off dead center" in Darfur, the group also debated what steps could
be taken in the coming weeks and months to change the plight of
Kalma IDPs. USAID made it clear that while the needs in Darfur are
real, security must be in place before any assistance can be
provided in areas of return and called upon the Sudanese government
to assist in maintaining security. USAID also stressed the need for
returns to be on a voluntary basis and the importance of giving the
IDPs the opportunity to choose when and where they return. USAID
recited the list of difficulties NGOs have operating in Darfur --
carjackings, office raids, staff abduction, administrative
obstacles, and staff intimidation -- and made it clear that NGOs
will not operate in areas, or provide assistance for returns, if
security conditions were not permissive and IDPs were not returning
voluntarily.

6. (U) The GNU officials reaffirmed their desire to work with the
humanitarian community on addressing the issues in Kalma. The Wali
of South Darfur forcefully explained that the government had nothing
to do with the violence in Kalma. These were ethnic/political
clashes between Fur/Dajo versus Zaghawa/Masalit. The expelled IDPs
fled to various sites, including Otash IDP camp. That camp didn't
want them and the government did indeed force them to move. "Yes, we
pushed them and moved them," noted the Wali; "we would have
preferred not to, but no one was hurt and much worse has happened in
Darfur." The Wali extended an invitation to USAID to come to Nyala
and meet with the Sudanese government and other stakeholders to map

KHARTOUM 00001795 002.2 OF 002

out a way forward.

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OCHA Staff Expulsion
--------------------

7. (SBU) On the expulsion of the OCHA head of office in South
Darfur, the GNU officials offered a lengthy explanation. The Wali
explained that Ibrahim had been warned a number of times by the
Wali's office to stop meddling in what they consider to be strictly
political affairs. Among many other accusations, the officials
blamed the OCHA staff member of organizing women and children to
conduct anti-government demonstrations in the camps, having secret
meetings with Sheiks and IDPs in the camps, encouraging suspicion
and opposition to the goverlment, and peblirxing ujfowndedQiNforoAtil gn x(u intupmw abosT fvcueQ~%lmQauQm{. Xes c`g*u@eQKQgerQioaj=GwNQBvQ@k*a{"Q}f[sOG$ewcil idHHbbvk6YX>wQ`ty[QQeQz8XjvBfgD)db>`DQOQI2{5l Qy !dQH{Q< Qq *\d-aQ#W"b*M&M~Qhe
UN Deputy Special
Representative of the Secretary General for Sudan, Ameerah Haq, and
the head of OCHA to discuss the incident. In this meeting, the GNU
officials asked the UN for a written explanation of OCHA's role and
mandate in order to better understand their role, specifically in
Darfur. End Note.) At a later meeting with the international
community, Haq said that the UN was trying to treat the issue in a
low-key manner in order to see if they could place Ibrahim in a
position in North Darfur state.

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Comments
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8. (U) The USG sees responding to humanitarian needs in Darfur as a
partnership involving the GNU, donors, UN agencies, NGOs, and the
people of Darfur. Working together, stakeholders can turn around
the current negative situation. Gaining agreement on humanitarian
activities and policies can be key to opening the door to resolving
wider issues in Darfur. All stakeholders need to work together to
develop a common plan on the Kalma situation and the wider Darfur
IDP situation. We face the challenge of needing GNU acquiescence
but mistrusting their motives and actions, in order to get the
life-saving work done.

FERNANDEZ

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