VZCZCXRO5243
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1982 2320908
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 200908Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4230
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001982 
 
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 Q NORTH DARFUR UPDATE Q LAST 
HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES WITHDRAW FROM TAWILAH 
 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  Organized banditry and clashes between various armed 
groups have forced the last two humanitarian agencies 
operating in Tawilah district, North Darfur to suspend 
activities and relocate staff.  USAID Darfur Field 
Office (DFO) staff estimate that as a result of this 
withdrawal, 110,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) 
and affected communities in the Tawilah area will be 
left without much needed health care services.  End 
summary. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Attack on Relief International (RI) Compound 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
 
¶2.  USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance 
(OFDA) implementing partner, RI reported that on August 
11 at approximately 2100 hours, three armed men entered 
the RI compound in Tawilah, seized two vehicles and 
drivers, and forced the two drivers to drive the 
vehicles 25 km southwest in the direction of Tarnet. 
Upon arrival at Tarnet, the assailants released the 
drivers, who returned by foot to Tawilah, arriving at 
approximately 0300 hours on August 12.  The drivers 
reported that the assailants spoke with Zaghawa 
dialects. 
 
¶3.  RI staff in El Fasher coordinated with the U.N. 
Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) and African 
Union (AU), who sent patrols to Tawilah on August 12 to 
escort 13 national staff to El Fasher.  RI staff 
reported that after the attack, AU peacekeepers in 
Tawilah provided excellent support to RI staff and 
remained available until a RI team from El Fasher 
arrived.  Following the attack and due to the potential 
for clashes between various Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) 
factions, UNDSS declared the Tawilah area QNo-Go. 
 
¶4.  This is the second attack on RI in recent weeks.  On 
July 12, a RI employee was kidnapped and killed in a 
carjacking while in transit between Saraf Omra and 
Kabkabiya in western North Darfur.  To date, the vehicle 
has not been recovered. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
Suspension of Humanitarian Activities in the Tawilah 
Area 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5.  RI has suspended services in Tawilah District, 
including Dali, AU, Rwanda, and Abassy camps near 
Mellit, as well as in the city of Tawilah, Korma, Kafod, 
and Sarafaya in rural El Fasher.  RI was the only 
provider of health care services in these areas and 
later assumed a camp coordination role.  According to 
DFO staff, RI reported that there are 110,000 IDPs in 
the Tawilah area in need of health care services and due 
to the security situation and the withdrawal of RI, 
these IDPs will not be served.  As a result of both 
these security incidents, RI currently only has two 
vehicles available for their use for program activities 
in El Fasher. 
 
¶6.  Following the second attack on RI, Save the 
Children-Sweden (SC-Sweden) also suspended operations 
and withdrew from the Tawilah area.  SC-Sweden was 
providing assistance in the education and child 
protection sectors. 
 
HUME