VZCZCXRO3062
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDU RUEHKUK RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #1337/01 2461114
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 021114Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1795
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001337 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR A/S FRAZER, S/E WILLIAMSON, AND AF/SPG 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2018 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO UN AU SU
SUBJECT: MORE DETAILS COMING OUT ABOUT KALMA CAMP ATTACK 
 
REF: A. KHARTOUM 1329 
     ¶B. KHARTOUM 1315 
     ¶C. KHARTOUM 1311 
 
Classified By: CDA Alberto M. Fernandez, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  As access improves to Kalma camp, GoS 
officials, and the Nyala hospital, more details are filtering 
out about what happened in the August 25 attack.  The primary 
emergency care doctor at Nyala told poloff on August 30 that 
the injuries sustained by the IDPs were "massive" and 
indicative of large caliber weapons being fired at close 
range.  Fur leaders also presented a plausible depiction of 
the events in a separate meeting with poloff on August 30. 
END SUMMARY 
 
"LARGE CALIBRE AT CLOSE RANGE," SAYS EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶2.  (SBU)  On August 30, Mohammed Omar (protect), the doctor 
in charge of the Nyala Teaching Hospital emergency room, told 
poloff that he and his staff treated 14 children, 17 women, 
and 22 men at his hospital.  Three of these individuals died 
in the hospital, while three more need to be immediately 
transferred to Khartoum or they will likely die, stated Omar. 
 Omar added that the majority of the injuries sustained by 
the men and women are to the torso and head.  In graphic 
detail, Omar described one Fur woman who was "maimed" by 
multiple shots from a heavy caliber weapon at close range. 
"Her entire abdomen was destroyed and her uterus was hanging 
outside of her body.  If she survives, she will never lead a 
normal life," stated Omar. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Omar said that he expects more of his patients 
will soon die.  He said families and community leaders are 
afraid to transport the patients in need of critical care to 
Khartoum as they fear they will be jailed either before or 
after such treatment. Omar stated that most of the trauma 
(i.e. exit and entry wounds with very few bullets remaining 
in the body) indicates the use of large calibre, powerful 
weapons shot at close range.  (NOTE:  This corresponds with 
multiple sources reporting that the GoS force, Central 
Reserve Police and other units, used "doushkas" or 12.7 mm 
heavy infantry machine guns mounted on technicals.  END NOTE.) 
 
ONE VERSION OF THE STORY 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶4.  (SBU) Also on August 30, three Fur leaders, Salah Fadul, 
Ibrahim Abdallah Muhammad, and Abdallah Dogoush (protect 
all), told poloff one version of the incident based on 
multiple sources from IDP and government contacts. (Note: 
The NCP appointed Fadul and Muhammad to their tribal 
positions of Maqdoom and Shartai respectively, although 
almost all Fur regard other tribal leaders as their true 
representatives.  For example, Fadul's cousin Ahmed Adam 
Rijal is the widely accepted maqdoom of the Fur.  See reftel 
for CDA's recent meeting with Rijal.  Both Fadul and Muhammad 
resigned from their positions as State Ministers in South 
Darfur along with four other NCP Fur leaders on August 26. 
End Note.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  According to Fadul, the Central Reserve Police 
(CRP) surrounded the camp early on the morning of August 25 
with over 60 cars.  IDPs received prior intelligence of the 
search, and women, children, and men bearing knives, sticks, 
and rocks assembled on the elevated railroad standing between 
Kalma camp and the government force.  One CRP technical then 
tried to pass the human blockade, but stalled near the 
tracks.  According to Fadul, the IDPs then started to beat 
the CRP forces in this technical.  The remaining CRP forces 
emotionally responded to this attack on their comrades and 
opened fire on the crowd. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Fadul stated that the shooting lasted just five 
minutes, and that CRP troops indiscriminately fired at both 
the human shield and into the middle of the camp.   According 
to Fadul's IDP sources, one CRP fighter switched sides during 
the shooting.  He screamed:  "My father is in that crowd," 
and then began firing on his CRP comrades.  Fadul denied that 
IDPs fired shots at the CRP force from behind the human 
shield, saying "how could they have shot from behind a group 
of people without hitting them, especially as they were 
elevated on the railroad tracks."  After the shooting, the 
IDPs carried the wounded to the hospital and the CRP 
withdrew. 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00001337  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Fadul stated that upon hearing the news, he 
traveled to the South Darfur Governor's residence at 
approximately 10:00 on August 25.  Fadul stated that the Wali 
invited Fadul to join him for breakfast, to which he 
responded, "How can I eat when you are killing my people?" 
After a heated conversation, Fadul contacted UNAMID and 
helped coordinate the evacuation of the wounded. 
 
LATEST NUMBERS OF DEAD AND WOUNDED 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶8.  (SBU)  According to Fadul's latest figures on August 30, 
there are now 59 wounded in the hospital and 42 confirmed 
dead with more dying from injuries every day.  Fadul stated 
that there are also several missing people. According to 
Fadul, although the Fur tribe suffered the most casualties in 
the attack, the Dajo and Bergo also are among the dead. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  Also on August 30, the newly founded "Committee of 
the Relatives of the August 25 Nyala Massacre" published a 
list of names of individuals killed in the attack.  The list 
names 37 total dead (8 minors, 9 women, and 20 men.)  The 
statement claims that there were 107 wounded in the attack, 
49 of whom were treated in the Nyala hospital. The statement 
calls for an investigation into what happened, and also 
demands the opening of the camps to INGOs, a search for the 
missing and detained, and that "the UN/ and AU withdraw their 
forces from the region, since they are not able to protect 
themselves and the citizens of the region." (Note:  The full 
translation of this document will be sent to AF/SPG and the 
office of the Special Envoy. End Note.) 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  On September 1, UNAMID Director of Public 
Information Kamal Saiki told poloff that UNAMID's 
investigation is ongoing and the body count remains at 32 
dead.  Saiki stated that this number is based only on the one 
viewing of corpses last week, and limited reporting from the 
Nyala hospital.  Saiki was not aware of the published names 
compiled by the Nyala August 25 Committee. 
 
COMMENT 
- - - - - 
¶11. (C)  Considering that Fadul was recently an NCP official 
and has information from both Fur and government sources, his 
version of the story may be as close as we can come to the 
truth to date until UNAMID completes a thorough investigation 
or the Embassy has access to the camp. Nonetheless, some 
elements of the story, such as the rumor of a CRP fighter who 
switched sides during the fight, do appear slightly 
implausible (especially since all or most of CRPs are made up 
of loyal tribal elements and unlikely to include Fur in the 
first place).  A death toll of 40 seems to be a very 
realistic number at this preliminary stage.  (UNAMID has 
relied solely on one viewing of the corpses and hospital 
reports and does not appear to be investigating the death 
toll on a daily basis.)  While numbers remain unconfirmed, 
the best evidence that a massacre occurred is to be found in 
the chilling testimony of the Nyala Emergency room doctor and 
UNAMID's photographs of the dead.  Forthcoming septel will 
discuss the common perception in Nyala (whether or not is 
accurate) that Khartoum directed this attack. 
FERNANDEZ