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Viewing cable 06KHARTOUM797, KALMA CAMP - UPCOMING EXPIRATION OF NRC

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06KHARTOUM797 2006-03-30 14:49 2011-08-24 16:30 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Khartoum
VZCZCXRO7210
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0797/01 0891449
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 301449Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2117
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000797 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR D, AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W 
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AF/EA, DCHA 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS 
USMISSION UN ROME 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NSC FOR JMELINE, TSHORTLEY 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER, PLEASE PASS C. HUME 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI KAWC SU
SUBJECT:  KALMA CAMP - UPCOMING EXPIRATION OF NRC 
COORDINATION AGREEMENT 
 
REF:  (A) Khartoum 0320 (B) (05) Khartoum 1350 (c) 
 
Khartoum 0454 
 
------------------- 
Summary and Comment 
------------------- 
 
1.  On March 30, Charge, an Embassy Political Officer, 
and two USAID Darfur Field Office representatives met 
with the Sudan country director of the Norwegian Refugee 
Council (NRC).  NRC serves as coordinator for Kalma camp 
in South Darfur.  NRC sought a meeting with Embassy and 
USAID officials to request USG assistance as NRC seeks to 
renew its camp coordination mandate, scheduled to expire 
on April 4.  The agreement with the Government of 
National Unity (GNU) allows NRC to coordinate 
humanitarian activity for Kalma's 90,000 internally 
displaced persons (IDPs) and serve as an interlocutor 
between the camp's 450 sheiks, the humanitarian 
community, and government officials.  In November 2005, 
Deputy Secretary Zoellick's direct intervention led to 
the renewal of NRC's camp coordination mandate.  NRC gave 
us a copy of a letter from the head of NRC to the Deputy 
Secretary sent to State on March 23, asking for help once 
 
SIPDIS 
again.  (Faxed to AF/SPG).  Meanwhile, the Norwegians 
tell us they have been pressing, and that their State 
Minister is prepared to call the Humanitarian Affairs 
Minister before the 4th.  We will track this with NRC 
over the coming days, as well as with the Norwegians. 
 
2.  NRC has been proactive in seeking the renewal of the 
camp coordination agreement long before its expiration. 
The absence of NRC in Kalma is likely to lead to a 
deterioration of humanitarian conditions and possibly to 
increased instability in the camp.  End summary and 
comment. 
 
---------- 
Background 
---------- 
 
3.  Kalma is Darfur's largest IDP camp and is located 
four kilometers east of Nyala.  Many consider Kalma the 
most volatile IDP concentration in Darfur, as the 
convergence of humanitarian, protection, and political 
issues in Kalma has led to repeated conflicts among IDPs, 
community leaders, Sudanese government officials, and 
security personnel.  The government views the camp's 
large size and location near Nyala as a threat.  As 
reported reftels, NRC's work in Kalma has been a 
contentious issue with the Sudanese government.  Many in 
the humanitarian community believe the government's 
discontent with NRC is linked to NRC's human rights 
advocacy and work on sexual violence issues. 
 
4.  When NRC's coordination agreement expired in August 
2005, the government repeatedly assured NRC that the 
agreement would be renewed, yet did not renew it until 
Deputy Secretary Zoellick requested the extension.  In 
the intervening 11 weeks between the August expiration 
date and the renewal of the mandate, non-governmental 
organizations (NGOs) reported a deterioration of camp 
conditions and an increase in security incidents 
affecting IDPs. 
 
---------------------------------- 
Current Situation and Implications 
---------------------------------- 
 
5.  The NRC country director stated that NRC met with 
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Kosti Manibe (Sudan 
People's Liberation Movement) in early February to 
request a renewal of the camp coordination agreement. 
Although Minister Manibe assured NRC the agreement would 
be renewed before April 4, the South Darfur Deputy Wali 
later informed NRC that it is not possible to renew the 
agreement before the expiration date and without the 
approval of an unspecified committee.  NRC's efforts to 
meet with the Khartoum-based Humanitarian Aid 
Commissioner since December have been unsuccessful.  High- 
level U.N. efforts to ensure a timely renewal of the 
 
KHARTOUM 00000797  002 OF 002 
 
 
agreement have not succeeded to date. 
 
6.  The NRC country director reported that following a 
February meeting with Charge Hume, NRC representatives in 
Khartoum and Oslo encouraged Norwegian officials to take 
a proactive role in lobbying for the extension of NRC's 
agreement.  As part of its current efforts, NRC sent a 
letter dated March 23 to Deputy Secretary Zoellick from 
NRC Secretary-General Tomas Colin Archer outlining the 
current situation and requesting the Deputy Secretary's 
intervention on NRC's behalf. 
 
7.  NRC and humanitarian agencies are developing 
contingency plans to ensure humanitarian needs are met if 
the GNU does not renew the agreement.  The agencies 
operating in the camp are stretched thin and lack the 
capacity to fill NRC's role; however, designated agencies 
may take lead roles in particular sectors.  Even so, many 
in the humanitarian community believe NRC's absence 
likely would result again in some degree of 
destabilization of the camp.  NRC and others are 
concerned that no agency would be able to coordinate 
assistance to a large number of new IDPs in the camp 
should insecurity lead to new displacements.  In 
addition, NRC is seeking an agency to coordinate 
activities such as latrine construction and water source 
reinforcement that must be completed in advance of the 
rainy season. 
 
---------- 
Next Steps 
---------- 
 
8.  Embassy Khartoum will continue to coordinate with 
Norway and remains in contact with NRC representatives as 
April 4 approaches.  The USAID field officer in Nyala is 
working closely with NRC and humanitarian agencies at the 
field level to support contingency and rainy season 
planning. 
 
STEINFELD