VZCZCXRO1491
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0824 0941054
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041054Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2166
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000824 
 
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 
ROME FOR FODAG 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NSC FOR JMELINE 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
ABUJA PLEASE PASS C. HUME 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI SU
SUBJECT:  DARFUR:  NRC WITHDRAWING FROM KALMA CAMP 
 
REF:  A) Khartoum 0797,  B) KHARTOUM 0454, C) KHARTOUM 
 
0320, D) (05) KHARTOUM 1350 
 
¶1.  The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is in the process 
of pulling out of Kalma camp in South Darfur.  Despite UN 
and humanitarian community efforts, the GNU has not 
renewed NRC's camp coordination agreement, which expires 
today.  As of this writing, Norway is delivering a 
message of inquiry/protest from its Deputy FM to MFA U/S 
Mutriff (no readout yet).  It remains unclear whether the 
GNU will allow NRC to continue implementing separate, 
educational programs in the camp.  In a letter to NRC 
dated March 30, South Darfur officials stated that NRC's 
safety might be in jeopardy due to lingering animosity 
towards Scandinavian countries, linked to the controversy 
over the cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohamed (Ref B). 
 
¶2.  NRC plans to hold a final coordination meeting today 
in the camp to close out NRC operations and confirm 
transition details.  As no agency has the capacity to 
fill NRC's full coordination role, NRC has searched for 
agencies willing to take a lead role in designated 
sectors.  UNICEF will serve as the lead agency for water 
and sanitation programs, including rainy season 
preparations.  Action Contre la Faim will take on 
nutrition programs.  World Vision, the WFP implementing 
partner in Kalma camp, will take the lead on food 
distribution and registrations. OCHA has agreed to serve 
as the lead for the distribution of relief supplies.  CHF 
will take on some NRC community-building functions, such 
as running capacity-building programs and working with 
women's and youth groups.  No agency has agreed to serve 
as a lead on health programs. 
 
¶3.  NRC is planning for a permanent withdrawal from the 
camp.  NRC staff will remove all equipment and office 
supplies from its compound today.  Government officials 
have stated that anything NRC leaves behind will become 
government property.  NRC has not yet shared plans for 
the approximately 150 staff members who were working in 
Kalma.  USAID representatives in Nyala will continue o 
monitor developments. 
 
¶4.  Note:  The donor community will meet tomorrow April 5 
with SRSG Deputy DaSilva.  This issue, the Egeland visit 
cancellation, and other humanitarian issues will 
certainly be discussed. 
 
STEINFELD