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Viewing cable 02KATHMANDU717, WFP RECEIVES THREAT, HAS FOOD SHIPMENT HIJACKED

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
02KATHMANDU717 2002-04-11 12:56 2011-08-30 01:44 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Kathmandu
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS KATHMANDU 000717 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS AND DS/OP/NEA 
ROME FOR FODAG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PREF ASEC CASC NP
SUBJECT: WFP RECEIVES THREAT, HAS FOOD SHIPMENT HIJACKED 
 
1.  (SBU) On April 11 the head of security for the UN system 
in Nepal reported that a World Food Program (WFP) office in 
Dhamak, Jhapa, in eastern Nepal had a threatening notice, 
signed by purported Maoists, posted on its door that morning. 
 The translated text of the message follows below: 
 
Begin text: 
 
Notice: 
 
Foreign agents (in the form of INGOs) that have entered Nepal 
with malicious intentions of making Nepal and Nepalese people 
corrupt and slaves have been targeted for destruction. 
Therefore, the house owners are warned not to lease their 
houses to such organizations.  Otherwise, responsibility for 
any destruction of the property that may take place at any 
time will go to the owner of the house himself. 
 
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) 
 
End text of message. 
 
2.  (SBU)  According to the UNDP in Nepal, local offices of 
UNHCR, Lutheran World Services, and Caritas in Jhapa received 
a similar notice.  (Note:  All of the organizations 
threatened are active in assisting the over 100,000 Bhutanese 
refugees in seven camps in eastern Nepal.  End note.) 
Embassy contacted other embassies April 11; none reported 
that their aid agencies or projects had received similar 
threats.  The security officer at the British Embassy 
speculated the note may be the work of a local Maoist 
commander, rather than reflective of a new policy from the 
center to harass INGOs. 
 
3.  (SBU)  WFP Deputy Country Director John Prout confirmed 
to A/DCM that on April 10 a regularly scheduled delivery of 
WFP Food for Work grain and cooking oil--13.1 metric tons in 
all--was hijacked, presumably by Maoists, in Bajura District 
in northwestern Nepal.  Prout reported that the food was 
offloaded from government vehicles belonging to the Ministry 
of Local Development and transferred to waiting porters to be 
carried away on foot.  No one was hurt and none of the 
vehicles were damaged.  Since the shipment and vehicles did 
not bear a WFP logo, Prout said he did not consider the 
hijacking an attack on the organization itself. 
 
4.  (SBU)  Comment:  In the apparent absence of threats to 
INGOs in other parts of the country, we are somewhat inclined 
to agree with our British colleague and view the Jhapa 
warning as the inspiration of a local commander.  The 
hijacking of the WFP shipment in a remote section of western 
Nepal, on the other hand, was obviously well planned--it's 
not easy to assemble that many porters on short notice--and 
could indicate that military efforts to cut off food supplies 
to the insurgents are working.  We will continue to monitor 
the situation and seek information from NGOs and aid agencies 
in the field.  An EAC meeting is planned for 8:30 a.m. on 
April 12. 
MALINOWSKI