VZCZCXRO9747
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHNJ #1333/01 3191535
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151535Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4575
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 001333 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE, SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF CD SU
SUBJECT: GOC PLANS TO PURGE GUEREDA? 
 
 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 
Guereda report escalating ethnic violence between 
Zaghawas and Tamas, and suspect the Government of Chad 
(GOC) is stepping up its campaign to purge Guereda of 
Tamas.  NGOs accuse the GOC of trying to eliminate any 
possibility of international scrutiny of such 
activities.  They contend that local authorities are 
encouraged to turn a blind eye to acts of vandalism 
against NGOs, such as the November 6 theft of two 
vehicles from the International Medical Corps (IMC) 
compound, as part of a top-down strategy to drive them 
out of the area.  Local Guereda authorities held fast 
to their standard line of support for humanitarian 
efforts and of harsh words for Sudan, which they 
consider the source of all local troubles.  Meanwhile 
internally displaced persons (IDPs), all Tama, are 
steadily flowing in to areas around the refugee camps 
of Mile and Kounoungo.  On one point, however, NGOs and 
local officials agree: the need for a United Nations 
(UN) presence on the Chad-Sudan border to address the 
insecurity. END SUMMARY. 
 
GUEREDA NGOS CRY CONSPIRACY 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) NGOs in Guereda suspect the Zaghawa-dominated 
GOC is stepping up its campaign to purge the area of 
members of the rival Tama tribe by empowering local 
Zaghawa authorities and military forces to rout the 
Tama from their villages.  [COMMENT: A Tama led rebel 
group has been actively trying to overthrow the GOC and 
had attacked well into Chadian territory in September. 
This group is based in Guereda vicinity and is drawing 
support from local Tama there.  END COMMENT]  The IMC- 
administered Guereda Hospital received at least ten men 
with gunshot wounds during the week of November 6. 
UNHCR Guereda Protection Officer told Poloff on 
November 9 that "Zaghawas are killing Tamas every day 
and no one can do anything about it," given the Zaghawa- 
dominated authorities.  As a result of this 
persecution, UNHCR and NGOs including CARE and IMC 
reported a new wave of IDPs to the Guereda area and its 
surrounding refugee camps of Mile and Kounoungo: over 
the past two weeks waves of individuals and families 
have been arriving from Sonout, now numbering between 
250 and 300.  NGOs have limited access to these groups 
and have been hindered in this effort by the local 
prefecture, which denies the existence of new IDPs. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) NGOs contend that the GOC is trying to keep 
them quiet about what the humanitarian community sees 
as a top-down effort to rid Guereda of Tamas.  To do 
this, NGOs contend that local authorities are 
encouraged to turn a blind eye to acts of vandalism 
against them in an effort to drive them out of the 
area.  On November 6 six armed men attacked the IMC 
compound after 1:00 A.M., with three men jumping the 
barbed wire fence to steal two vehicles with the most 
fuel (one from IMC, one from UNHCR) while the other 
three waited outside the compound.  The vehicles were 
identified at a checkpoint at Moudre but were waved 
through, reportedly by the order of the presiding 
commander.  On November 12 the two stolen vehicles were 
recovered in Sudan.  [COMMENT:  Vehicle thefts are not 
new, nor is the fact that GOC authorities have been 
unable and/or unwilling to stop such occurrences or to 
punish perpetrators. END COMMENT] 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In light of this tension, UNHCR reported it 
was difficult to maintain the civilian nature of the 
refugee camps, whose inhabitants are predominantly 
Zaghawa.  Three refugees were arrested by local 
authorities during the week of October 30 for carrying 
arms outside of Mile, and IMC reported that a large 
weapons cache was confiscated from refugees in 
Kounoungo during the same time period. 
 
LOCAL AUTHORITIES BLAME SUDAN FOR GUEREDA INSTABILITY 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Prefet of Guereda told visiting U.S. 
PolOff and OFDA officer on November 9 that it was the 
Sudanese who were inciting Chad's ethnic problems and 
accordingly creating problems for the humanitarian 
community in Guereda.  He alluded to an emerging "Arab 
alliance" intent on destabilizing sub-Saharan Africa, 
having begun in Darfur and set to spread, if the 
Sudanese Government of National Unity (GNU) and the 
Janjaweed have their way, through Chad where he said 
the GNU planned to install an ArabPresident) to the 
 
NDJAMENA 00001333  002 OF 002 
 
 
Central African Republic and Cameroon.  The Prefet 
blamed Guereda's proximity to Kulbus (45km away) for 
the November 6 theft at the IMC compound and insisted 
that rumors of collaboration between those who 
perpetrated that attack and the military were 
unfounded. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The Prefet did not engage in discussions on 
the recent influx of IDPs, despite attempts by CARE and 
UNHCR to bring it up in conversation.  The Prefet 
blamed the GNU for not being able to control its own 
borders and mentioned an increase in cross-border 
incursions by the Janjaweed that increased instability. 
 
UN FORCE COULD BE PART OF GUEREDA SOLUTION 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The only point on which both the NGO 
community and local officials could agree was how to 
address, at least in the short-term, Guereda 
instability, and that was by means of a UN force on the 
Chad-Sudan border.  UNHCR said a UN presence could help 
stem Zaghawa "anarchy" against the Tamas in Guereda and 
force the GOC to focus efforts on protection of 
refugees and humanitarian workers.  IMC contended that 
thousands of troops would ultimately be needed to 
police the immense border area but conceded that even a 
token presence at the outset could help in protection. 
The Guereda Prefet was emphatic that the GOC had always 
supported an international border force, whether it be 
Chadian-Sudanese (per the Tripoli Accords) or UN.  The 
Prefet added that the GNU was fully aware that a border 
force would put the international spotlight on Sudanese 
activities in Darfur and eastern Chad, another reason 
for the GOC to welcome the arrival of such a presence.