VZCZCXRO9463
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0949/01 1101143
ZNR UUUUU ZZH 2D VOL ZDK
O 201143Z APR 06 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2428
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000949 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
AIDAC 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI KAWC SU
SUBJECT:  SUDAN/Humanitarian obstruction:  Charge's call 
on HAC Commissioner 
 
REF:  State 5821 
 
KHARTOUM 00000949  001.6 OF 003 
 
 
------------------- 
Summary and Comment 
------------------- 
¶1.  (SBU) In a heated meeting with Humanitarian Affairs 
Commissioner Hassibo, Charge and USAID Farnsworth raised 
the new NGO law, Egeland, NRC, fuel and the SOFA.  Charge 
noted the contrast between the constructive work being 
accomplished in Abuja (with the energetic help of the 
USG), and Sudan's very negative policies and actions vis- 
-vis humanitarian aid.  Today's UNSC meeting with 
Egeland would not be pleasant for Sudan's public image. 
Charge urged that some of these policies be reviewed and 
changed.  In his responses, Hassibo was somewhat flexible 
in tone on some issues, but combative and rigid on the 
issues of the NRC (they will never be let back in) and 
Egeland (whose push to visit violated all norms of 
respect for sovereignty).  He said that the GNU had 
formed committees to sort out whether the U.N. Status of 
Forces Agreement (SOFA) applied to all U.N. personnel. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) During his more heated remarks, Hassibo surely 
reflected an element of the NCP establishment that 
resents what it considers the increased intrusiveness and 
push of the international community.  He repeated often 
that recent international actions (sending a formal 
letter on the NGO law, NRC misdeeds, Egeland) show a lack 
of respect for Sudan's sovereignty and are simply 
unacceptable to Sudan.  His views no doubt represent 
those of Sudan's leaders for whom pride and sense of 
sovereignty are today outweighing the costs of increased 
international opprobrium and isolation.  End Summary and 
Comment. 
 
Hassibo instructed not to see "diplomats" 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (SBU) USAID FSN had preceded Charge and USAID 
Farnsworth to the meeting with Humanitarian aid 
commissioner Hassibo abdel Rahman, and called to say that 
Hassibo had just told him he could not meet with 
"diplomats," but only with USAID. As Charge was already 
in the car with Farnsworth, they proceeded to the 
meeting.  In the event, Hassibo received us without 
comment. (Hassibo is the hard-line NCP face of the HAC; 
the SPLM Minister was not present.) 
 
Contrasting GOS policies 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Charge opened the meeting by noting that there 
were two patterns of Khartoum's policies seemingly 
pulling in opposite directions.  For the first time in 
seven rounds, it seemed that real progress was being made 
in Abuja.  The fact that VP Taha was in his second week 
there, and Charge Hume in his fifth, was testament to the 
hard work being done.  It also illustrated the good will 
on the part of the USG to help Sudan solve the Darfur 
crisis.   In contrast, however, were Sudan's systematic 
and repeated attempts to obstruct humanitarian aid. 
Prohibiting Egeland from visiting and kicking the NRC out 
of Kalma camp were seen by the international community as 
proof of Sudan's negative attitudes.  In fact, Sudan 
would be in for some very tough public critique later in 
the day when Egeland addressed the UNSC.  Aside from 
harming the delivery of aid to those in need, and 
violating international norms, these were self-inflicted 
wounds, noted the Charge.   Asked for his comments, 
Hasibo said he would wait to hear our entire demarche. 
 
NGO Law 
------- 
¶5.  (SBU) In responding to our points on the new NGO law, 
the Commissioner complained that the international 
community's protest constituted interference in Sudan's 
internal affairs.  The Commissioner stated that many 
donors have funded individuals who have no organization 
and are not registered with the Humanitarian Aid 
Commission (HAC), which is unacceptable.  The GNU needs 
to know where the money is going.  The Commissioner 
stated that civil society should approach government 
directly to complain about the law; to date only the 
international community has done so.  The Commissioner 
also complained that NGOs are engaged in "political acts" 
when they ask Embassy representatives to intervene when 
problems arise.  (Note: According to the law, political 
acts are grounds expulsion from Sudan.  End note.)  HAC 
 
KHARTOUM 00000949  002.4 OF 003 
 
 
avoided response to questions about backlogs in reviewing 
proposals as stipulated under the new law, but stated 
that HAC would welcome technical assistance, even from 
USAID, to help implement the law appropriately.  (We and 
the UN will follow up.) 
 
NRC 
--- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Before we could raise the issue of the 
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the Commissioner 
launched into a near tirade.  He stated that there is no 
chance for NRC to return to Kalma camp -- none.  He was 
scathing about their behavior, using words like 
"intelligence" and "information gathering."  He intimated 
that NRC knew what it had done that so annoyed the GOS 
and local authorities, but he would not elaborate with 
us.  He noted that more than 10,000 humanitarians work in 
Darfur and 280 international NGOS are present in Sudan, 
and asked why the international community made such a 
"big deal" about NRC.  From the GNU's perspective, NRC 
had not acted properly in South Darfur.  Moreover, NRC 
was not implementing any activities in Kalma camp. (Note: 
This is inaccurate; NRC implemented teacher-training 
programs in Kalma.) The Commissioner emphasized that the 
government has a right make such a decision. The Cabinet 
of Ministers of South Darfur made the decision - even the 
President cannot contest the decision.  He did not, in 
the end, however, discount the possibility for another 
camp coordinator.  We said a coordinator was essential. 
 
Egeland 
------- 
¶7.  (SBU) In another heated monologue, the Commissioner 
stated that the GNU has the right to say no to Egeland's 
visit because the timing was inconvenient. The 
international community should not think it could do 
whatever it wants.  It was made clear, he said, that the 
timing was wrong and Egeland flew into and around the 
south without permission. Sudan's sovereignty could not 
be violated in this manner. 
 
Fuel 
---- 
¶8.  (SBU) The Commissioner clearly did not want to 
discuss this issue, saying only that local HAC offices 
could facilitate special fuel movement requests, which 
National Security must clear.  These will be handled on a 
case-by-case basis. 
 
 
UN SOFA 
------- 
¶9.  (SBU) The government agrees to the UNMIS limited 
mandate, which is to assist the parties to implement the 
peace process.  UNMIS is allowed to operate in the agreed 
upon areas and the military and civilian staff assigned 
to UNMIS can benefit from the privilege of the SOFA 
agreement.  U.N. agencies operating under pre-existing 
arrangements can only benefit from SOFA-type freedom of 
movement if separately arranged through tri-partite 
agreements. Pronk's role as overall coordinator of the 
U.N. system does not cancel other GNU-U.N. agreements. 
In Darfur, the role of the mission is to support AMIS; 
SOFA should not apply to all U.N. agencies in Darfur. 
The GNU has created cabinet-level committee of ministers 
from Humanitarian Affairs, Justice, Internal Affairs, 
Federal Affairs, and Defense to sort out the issue.  The 
Commissioner is heading a separate technical committee. 
The GNU position is to allow U.N. agencies to continue 
working while the SOFA is discussed; however, this means 
that U.N. staff would need travel permits. 
 
A Parting Shot 
-------------- 
¶10.  (SBU) In closing the meeting, the Commissioner 
reiterated that HAC would welcome USAID technical 
assistance.  The Commissioner stated that the new NGO law 
meant that organizations like USAID would now need 
technical agreements with the Ministry of Humanitarian 
Affairs, just as NGOs have technical agreements with 
ministry partners.  The unstated implication is that this 
would permit the HAC to regulate whom USAID funds.   We 
reminded him that our technical agreement dating from 
1958 is with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but he said 
this will now have to change with implementation of the 
NGO law.  The Commissioner has raised this previously. 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00000949  003.4 OF 003 
 
 
STEINFELD