VZCZCXRO2492
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1961/01 2290403
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170403Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4198
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001961 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W 
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NSC FOR JBRAUSE, NSC/AFRICA FOR TSHORTLEY 
USUN FOR TMALY 
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI SU
SUBJECT:  SUDAN - SQUATTER VILLAGE DEMOLISHED IN GEZIRA STATE 
 
KHARTOUM 00001961  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  This is an action cable - see para 9. 
 
¶2.  Summary:  Heavily armed police surrounded a squatter village in 
El Gezira State and demolished several hundred houses early morning 
on August 16.  Villagers had been in negotiations with the 
Government of National Unity, but disagreed on the assigned plot for 
relocation of their community.  Many members of the resident 
committee were arrested, three people suffered gunshot wounds, one 
child died, and one person was severely beaten.  UN D/SRSG HC 
briefed the international community late afternoon on August 16 and 
asked for diplomatic interventions.  See para 8 for request for 
guidance.  End summary. 
 
¶3.  The UN Deputy Resident Representative and Humanitarian 
Coordinator (D/SRSG HC), Manuel Aranda da Silva, called an urgent 
meeting to brief donor representatives on the forceful evacuation of 
the squatter camp Dar Assalam in El Gezira State 40 km south of 
Khartoum.  A team of three human rights and protection officers from 
the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) assessed the situation 
and found that about 12,000 residents of the squatter village had 
been evicted and their houses destroyed. 
 
---------- 
Background 
---------- 
 
¶4.  Dar Assalam is an area occupied by internally displaced persons 
who fled the severe drought in the late 1970s and 80s.  The 
Government of National Unity (GNU) has frequently evicted squatters 
there, and tension about their presence is long-standing. 
 
¶5.  In January 2006, the residents formed a committee to negotiate 
an agreement with the GNU for an acceptable relocation.  This 
committee is supported by various political groups, including the 
Popular Committee, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army, Umma 
Party/Giada Gamaza, the Chief of Meseria, and the Sudanese Group of 
Human Rights and Youth Association.  A Memorandum of Understanding 
was signed spelling out the conditions for relocation. 
 
¶6.  The area determined by the GNU for relocation is located about 
five kilometers south of the squatter village and is known as Block 
¶4.  It is surrounded by a number of factories, some of which pollute 
the environment.  The squatter committee had commissioned a study 
and learned that about 65 percent of the area assigned for 
relocation is not inhabitable due to pollution.  The GNU denies 
these findings and claims that Block 4 is an acceptable location 
under certain conditions.  A document laying out these conditions 
reportedly has been made available to the residents. 
 
-------- 
Findings 
-------- 
 
¶7.  The UNMIS assessment team learned from the residents that at 
0800 on August 16, thousands of heavily armed policemen surrounded 
the village, placed twelve tanks and a number of machine guns 
mounted on police vehicles around the village and began to demolish 
hundreds of homes with bulldozers.  Concurrently, many members of 
the resident committee were arrested, three people suffered gunshot 
wounds, one child was killed, and one person was severely beaten, 
ending up with a broken leg.  Later reports indicated the death of 
three persons. 
 
------------------ 
UNMIS Action Taken 
------------------ 
 
¶8.  D/SRSG HC called two senior GNU officials: 
Kosti Manibe, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, who claimed to have 
no information on the incident, and the Human Rights Commissioner. 
(Comment:  It is worth noting that the majority of the squatters are 
Darfurians.  End comment.)  D/SRSG HC will report to the UN 
Secretary General and expects him to engage the GNU.  He was asking 
 
SIPDIS 
the international community to use contacts within the GNU and the 
Wali (Governor) of El Gezira State to call attention to the human 
rights violations and pressure the GNU to cease the eviction 
activities. 
 
¶9.  Action requested:  Post requests instructions and talking points 
to present an appropriate demarche to the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs. 
 
 
KHARTOUM 00001961  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
HUME