VZCZCXRO7438
RR RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #2324 2651538
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221538Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4670
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 002324 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/AF, DSS/ITA, AF/EX, CA/OCS, AF/SPG, AF/RSA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC CASC PREL PGOV SOCI SU
SUBJECT: KHARTOUM - DEMONSTRATIONS AT CHANCERY 
 
 
 ¶1.  On 20 September, 2006, Embassy Khartoum faced 3 brief, 
interconnected, demonstrations directed against UNSCR 1706 
and the recent statements attributed to the Pope. 
 
¶2.     A widely advertised and GNU sponsored, demonstration 
was planned for 1000 hours on 20 September, 2006.  However, 
due to unusually heavy rains the night before, the gathering 
area for the demonstration was under water at the scheduled 
gathering time, and the demonstration did not take place. 
 
¶3.    Approximately 0930 a group of demonstrators, numbering 
about 100 to 150 persons, en route to the demonstration 
gathering point, (8 blocks east of the Chancery),   from the 
University of Khartoum, (4 blocks west of the Chancery), 
stopped in front of the Chancery,s north Compound Access 
Control (CAC), to vocalize their objection to UNSCR 1706 and 
the comments recently attributed to the Pope.  The stop-by 
demonstration lasted about 10 minutes, then the group 
proceeded east toward the planned demonstration gathering 
point. 
 
¶4.    Approximately 1030 hours the same group, headed back 
west towards their university campus, again stopped in front 
of the north CAC for about another 10 minutes to renew their 
protests about UNSCR 1706 and the Pope.    About 15 or 20 
minutes later, the same group came past again, protested for 
about another 10 minutes, and then returned to their campus. 
 
¶5.    Sudanese riot police presence, both on site at the 
Chancery, and moving along with the demonstrators, was 
substantial and effective.  There were no security incidents 
during these three short demonstrations. 
HUME