VZCZCXRO0374
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #2368/01 2691042
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261042Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4730
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 002368 
 
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 AU
SUBJECT:  DARFUR - KALMA CAMP COMMUNITY SAFETY INITIATIVE 
 
REF:  A) KHARTOUM 1350, B) KHARTOUM 2165 
 
KHARTOUM 00002368  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
------------------- 
Summary and Comment 
------------------- 
 
¶1.  Since the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), 
insecurity has increased in and around Darfur's internally displaced 
persons (IDP) camps.  It seems that IDPs' confidence in the ability 
of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to fulfill its civilian 
protection mandate has decreased.  In response to the situation, UN 
Development Program (UNDP) is leading a multi-partner Community 
Safety Initiative (CSI) in Kalma camp, South Darfur.  The initiative 
focuses on safety inside the camp, which, if successful, will evolve 
into a community policing initiative.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  USAID staff view this program as an innovative initiative 
designed to improve the relationship between AMIS, the Sudanese 
government police, and IDPs.  The initiative seeks to improve AMIS's 
efficacy, increase the accountability of the Sudanese government 
police, and empower IDPs.  Given the socially and politically 
sensitive operating environment in Kalma camp, it will be essential 
for all organizations involved in the program to address power 
dynamics and security in a nuanced fashion.  Maintaining a safe 
operating environment for both IDPs and humanitarian service 
providers while working to increase protection and safety for the 
nearly 90,000 IDPs living in Kalma camp will undoubtedly be an 
additional challenge. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Evolution of the Community Safety Initiative 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  In late July 2006, the UN Office for the Coordination of 
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN Mission 
in Sudan (UNMIS), Sudanese government police, AMIS, non-governmental 
organizations (NGOs) operating in the camp, and IDPs established a 
community policing initiative taskforce.  The impetus for the 
taskforce was three-fold: 
 
A) To respond to a request from the Kalma camp IDP sheikhs committee 
for assistance with increasing safety in the camp and with 
disbanding IDP youth patrols; 
 
B) To implement an approach to camp safety not only with a "law 
enforcement" lens (one focusing merely on punishment of criminals), 
but also with a "law and order" lens (one focusing on strengthening 
the rule of law through a comprehensive and inclusive approach to 
community safety); and 
 
C) To assist AMIS to operationalize provisions in the DPA (articles 
26 and 27), which mandate the creation of community police in IDP 
camps located in Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)-controlled areas. 
 
¶4.  The DPA stipulates that AMIS Civilian Police (CIVPOL), in 
coordination with Sudanese government police, is responsible for 
establishing, training, and building the capacity of community 
police.  Despite this stipulation, UNDP has suggested that community 
policing initiatives are more likely to be effective if de-linked 
from the DPA and instead linked to the IDPs' own concerns for the 
safety of their community.  UNDP suggested this nuanced approach 
because there is a strong anti-DPA sentiment in Kalma camp.  To 
support the initiative, UNDP has brought in a community safety 
consultant who has taken the lead in planning and implementation. 
(Comment:  USAID notes that this is appropriate, given the limited 
staff capacity of AMIS and strained relations between AMIS and IDPs. 
 End comment.) 
 
-------------------------- 
Overview of the Initiative 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  In July 2006, the CSI formed an inter-agency community safety 
advisory committee, a 200-person community safety assembly, a 
smaller steering committee, and a network of community orderlies, 
who are designated community members that monitor and report safety 
incidents.   Thirty community orderlies will be drawn from the 
community safety assembly and 50 from existing youth patrols.  At 
the same time, the initiative began a camp profiling exercise to map 
the camp demographics and specific areas of insecurity.  Finally, 
the project leaders consulted with key IDP groups, including the 
women's committee and youth patrols, to ensure representation, 
 
KHARTOUM 00002368  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
create buy-in, and obtain a snapshot of each sector of the camp. 
 
¶6.  UNDP has provided technical assistance and training to members 
of the community safety assembly and community orderlies, and 
conducted community safety education campaigns.  UNDP plans to 
conduct a train the trainers course for 25 members of the community 
safety assembly in human rights, communication, referral procedures, 
information management, gender-based violence, and policing command 
structures.  UNDP will fund the construction of a community safety 
information post within the camp.  The outpost will provide a 
central location for IDPs to obtain and exchange information, meet 
with AMIS CIVPOL, and refer victims and criminals to AMIS.  Where 
appropriate, AMIS will then liaise with the Sudanese government 
police on the cases.  The outpost will include a reporting area, 
waiting room, women's meeting space, community safety coordinator 
office, and safety information center.  The women's area will be 
staffed with female members of the community safety assembly, who 
will be trained to provide assistance to IDP women in the 
community. 
 
------------------------ 
Engaging Youth and Women 
------------------------ 
 
¶7.  To ensure provision of increased safety and protection for the 
nearly 90,000 IDPs in Kalma camp, the CSI will engage members of the 
youth patrols and female IDP leaders as key stakeholders in the 
initiative. 
 
¶8.  Historically, youth patrols have provided a defense against 
security threats, especially at night.  In 2005, sheikhs created the 
patrols.  In May 2006, the sheikhs further appealed to the youth 
patrols to assist with camp security in the aftermath of the death 
of an AMIS translator during the visit of Jan Egeland to the camp. 
More recently, interethnic violence between the Fur and Zaghawa 
groups in the camp has spurred a mobilization of the youth patrols 
formed along ethnic lines; reportedly the groups are now preventing 
other ethnic groups from entering the sectors that they control. 
 
¶9.  Though NGOs report that the patrols have increased IDP safety 
and diminished crime in the camp, they are concerned by ethnic 
divisions, use of inappropriate force, and detainment of 
perpetrators (Ref A).  In response, sheikhs and UNDP have taken the 
lead in integrating approximately 30 youth patrol members into the 
community safety assembly.  In addition, UNDP will provide training 
and mentoring to the remaining 50 youth patrol members, who will 
assume the role of community safety contacts. 
 
¶10.  In addition to the youth patrols, the initiative will engage 
women as safety providers.  USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives 
(USAID/OTI) will support the initiative by funding capacity-building 
and leadership training for members of the IDP women's committee to 
encourage better representation within the various fora. 
 
--------------- 
Recommendations 
--------------- 
 
¶11.  The current safety challenges in Kalma camp, the absence of a 
camp coordinating body, and the complex social, political and ethnic 
dynamics, forecast a difficult road ahead for the initiative.  USAID 
recommends the following actions related to this new initiative: 
 
-- Prior to the implementation of the initiative, AMIS should 
demonstrate a consistent and visible presence in Kalma camp in order 
to regain IDP trust; 
 
-- Initiative leaders should present tangible benefits of 
participation in the initiative to IDPs; 
 
-- Through strong UNDP leadership and mentoring, address the 
Fur/Zaghawa divisions and tensions in the camp, in particular those 
among the youth; and 
 
-- The initiative should develop a procedure through which AMIS can 
monitor Sudanese government police performance. 
 
HUME