VZCZCXRO4744
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #2165/01 2510858
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 080858Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4453
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 002165 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
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 AU
SUBJECT:  DARFUR - IRC REPORTS SEXUAL ASSAULTS 
 
REF:  a) Khartoum 2150, b) KHARTOUM 1912 
 
KHARTOUM 00002165  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
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Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) On August 7, nearly 300 female internally displaced persons 
(IDP) convened a meeting in Kalma IDP camp to ask the international 
community to increase protection through the resumption of African 
Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) firewood patrols.  Following the 
meeting, the non-governmental organization (NGO) International 
Rescue Committee (IRC) issued a press release on August 23 reporting 
that 200 women had been sexually assaulted, including rape, and 200 
others attacked in the area surrounding Kalma camp during the 
previous five weeks.  Since the press release, the Government of 
National Unity (GNU) has created obstacles for IRC programs and has 
smeared it in the press.  Additionally, in an unrelated event, one 
IRC staff member was killed in Hashaba, where an IRC clinic was 
looted during fighting (Ref A).  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
IDP Women Demand Better Security and Protection 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On August 7, nearly 300 female IDPs convened a meeting in 
Kalma IDP camp to ask the international community to increase 
protection in the camp through the resumption of AMIS firewood 
patrols.  According to USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives 
(USAID/OTI) staff, who attended the meeting, approximately 20 women 
articulated an increase in violence targeting them and an increase 
in cruelty associated with attacks since mid-July.  The women 
described attacks that included stealing women's clothing, raping 
pregnant or elderly women, shooting guns into the air to frighten 
and intimidate women, and throwing babies onto the ground. 
Additionally, the group of women reported that men who accompany 
women to collect firewood have been tied to camels and dragged. 
 
¶3. (SBU) At the meeting, the women and NGOs asked AMIS to resume 
consistent firewood patrols, and to initiate helicopter patrols. 
During the rainy season, vegetation and wadis (seasonal rivers) 
provide obstacles to patrolling a sufficiently broad area by 
vehicle.  Despite the risk, women cross wadis and navigate muddy 
terrain on foot or by donkey to collect firewood.  To ensure the 
protection of women collecting firewood in areas inaccessible by 
vehicles, helicopter patrols have been suggested as a way to 
increase their safety. (Comment:  USAID staff note that helicopter 
use is unlikely due to resource constraints.  End comment.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) As of August 27, AMIS firewood patrols have taken place 
only once since April 2006.  Per ref B, AMIS had agreed to resume 
firewood patrols on July 29.  However, USAID staff report that no 
firewood patrols have occurred since that date. 
 
----------------- 
IRC Press Release 
----------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Subsequent to the meeting, IRC issued a press release on 
August 23 to call attention to the assaults in Kalma camp with data 
collected from the IRC-managed women's centers.  The IRC press 
release reported nearly 200 sexual assaults, including rape, and an 
additional 200 attacks over the last five weeks in the area 
surrounding Kalma camp. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Prior to issuing the release, IRC's Country Director 
invited major donors, including USAID, the Netherlands Embassy, and 
the Department for International Development (DFID), to inform the 
IRC of its intent to release a public statement detailing the 
reported gender-based violence in and around Kalma camp.  At the 
meeting, IRC indicated that it had exhausted all other possible 
courses of action, and was willing to accept the consequences 
associated with issuing the release.  IRC indicated that other 
organizations were unwilling to be associated with the press 
release, including the Kalma camp coordinator, Norwegian Refugee 
Council. 
 
-------------------------------- 
THE FALLOUT OF THE PRESS RELEASE 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) On August 27, IRC received a letter from the Director of 
 
KHARTOUM 00002165  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
International Organizations at the GNU Ministry of Humanitarian 
Affairs requesting the names, marital status of women, dates of 
incident, medical report, and police report of all women included in 
the recent report.  The letter gave IRC 48 hours to provide a 
response. 
 
¶8. (SBU) On August 28, the local press Sudan Vision ran a story that 
claimed to corroborate that IRC is cooperating with the 
International Criminal Court (ICC).  The newspaper claimed to have 
obtained a letter laying out guidelines for IRC staff cooperation 
with the ICC.  The same day, IRC received a letter from the 
Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) Director asking for an explanation 
of what was printed in the Sudan Vision and whether collecting 
evidence for the ICC was a core mandate of IRC.  IRC responded that 
the letter was never approved and does not represent the policy of 
IRC. 
 
¶9. (SBU) In the following days, several IRC staff had difficulty 
obtaining exit visas, including one American citizen and one British 
national.  IRC's program in Kass was suspended temporarily by 
National Security, and only resumed after intervention of the Kass 
town Commissioner.  On September 3, an IRC nurse was killed in 
Hashaba, North Darfur when IRC's clinic was looted (Ref A), although 
there is no evidence that this incident is linked to the press 
release. 
 
HUME