VZCZCXRO6782
OO RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #2799 3391543
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051543Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5496
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 002799 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E NATSIOS AND AF/SPG 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KPKO AU ASEC SU UN
SUBJECT: DARFUR: VIOLENCE INTENSIFIES IN EL FASHER 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Violence in El Fasher has intensified over the last 
48 hours as 1,000 Janjaweed have entered the city, attacked 
the market, and clashed with forces aligned with the Sudan 
Liberation Movement (SLM)/Minawi.  According to Minawi, four 
of his men were seriously injured, though SLM contacts in El 
Fasher later indicated one fatality.  Embassy staff reported 
from El Fasher that SLM forces and 20 gun ships have grouped 
south of the city and that 100 Janjaweed vehicles were in the 
town.  The United Nations (UN) has evacuated 80 non-essential 
staff, leaving 93 in place; Swedish Relief Services has also 
pulled its staff from the area.  According to the Canadian 
Embassy, the African Union Mission to Sudan (AMIS) has 
withdrawn those personnel "living some distance" from AMIS 
headquarters to its main El Fasher compound and to the area 
around the Zam Zam internally displaced persons (IDP) camp. 
The same sources said that AMIS will "aggressively patrol" 
both locations.  AMIS and Pacific Architects and Engineers 
(PAE) have canceled all flights from El Fasher for December 6. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Senior Assistant to the President and SLM leader 
Minni Minawi told Embassy staff that his forces intervened 
against the Janjaweed in the face of Sudanese Armed Forces' 
(SAF) in action.  In a December 4 press conference, Minawi 
called on the international community, the African Union 
(AU), and the Sudanese government to protect civilians.  "All 
options are possible, including going back to war--which is 
against our wish--if the Sudanese government does not stop 
the activities of the Janjaweed in Darfur," he said at the 
press conference.  "We tolerated the Government's intentional 
violations of the DPA during the last six months with the 
vain hope of solving the problems.  We can't tolerate this 
anymore."  Minawi told UK Embassy staff on December 5 that 
both President Bashir and Vice President Ali Osman Taha have 
refused to discuss the developments in El Fasher with him. 
Department of Defense personnel reported that North Darfur 
governor Yousef Kibir has been meeting with Arab tribal 
leaders and government officials throughout the day in 
response to Minawi's "ultimatum," though there is no 
indication that the Arab militias have stood down. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Skylink, the contract aviation services firm, 
reported that four out of six of its fuel trucks in El Fasher 
have been taken by the "Sudanese government."  In response, 
Skylink has ensured that all its aircraft are loaded with 
adequate fuel to relocate to Nyala.  This will also safeguard 
fuel stocks for the resumption of the regular flight schedule. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Security issues pertaining to Embassy staff in 
Darfur and the related EAC meeting will be reported septel. 
HUME