VZCZCXRO1903
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV
RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #1903 3371026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031026Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9418
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZO/AU COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001903 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E NATSIOS AND AF/SPG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV AU UN PHUM KPKO SU
SUBJECT: USG HOLMES: GOVERNMENT WILL EXTEND HUMANITARIAN MORATORIUM 
 
¶1. (SBU) On November 29, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian 
Affairs Sir John Holmes briefed the donor community on his 
conversations with Sudanese government officials and previewed his 
upcoming trip to Darfur. He thanked the international community for 
its support, saying that the UN's humanitarian work plan for Darfur 
was roughly 80 percent funded. Next year's demands would be even 
greater, he cautioned, and UNHCR would need support for its camp 
coordination and protection activities. 
 
------------------------ 
ASSURANCES ON MORATORIUM 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) Regarding his meetings with HAC Commissioner Abdulrahman 
Hasabo and acting Foreign Minister Ali Karti, Holmes said he had 
expressed appreciation over the progress of the joint communiqu, 
acknowledging that it had been "fairly effective." He cautioned 
Hasabo and Karti on worrying trends in terms of humanitarian access, 
noting the increase in aid workers being targeted by bandits and 
other armed elements. Holmes also said that he had received an "oral 
agreement" from the two that communiqu and the moratorium on 
humanitarian access would be renewed; they did not respond to his 
suggestion to "sign it now." 
 
¶3. (SBU) Holmes cautioned that the repercussions of the Zok's Ark 
scandal could continue for some time. While he told Hasabo and Karti 
that the UN condemned the actions of the NGO, and that the incident 
was not typical of humanitarian activities, he said that the two 
remained skeptical. Hasabo was interested in examining a list of all 
NGOs operating in Darfur, he said, though what he intended to do 
with it was unclear. 
 
--------------------------- 
DARFUR NUTRITION ASSESSMENT 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Holmes also said that they had discussed the most recent 
WFP Darfur nutrition assessment. The Sudanese government had refused 
to endorse the report, which shows increasing rates of malnutrition 
in the three Darfur states. (Note: In a previous meeting, the WFP 
head in Sudan said that the government was surprised by the report's 
findings; their own experts had underestimated the actual rates of 
malnutrition in Darfur. The UN is likely to issue the report on its 
own if the government does not ultimately endorse it. End note.) 
 
------------------------- 
STALLED UNAMID DEPLOYMENT 
------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) On UNAMID deployment, Holmes said that there was a 
considerable lack of good will on the part of the Sudanese 
government. Outstanding issues included force composition, land and 
water agreements, flight landing rights and night flights. He said 
that the government wanted to be able to cut off all communications 
capabilities when conducting its own operations, as well as to be 
informed of all UNAMID movements. Holmes admitted that if no 
countries contributed helicopters or gun ships to the force, "There 
is no plan B." 
 
¶6. (SBU) Asked whether UNAMID would be charged with protecting 
humanitarian workers after UNMIS departed, Holmes said it would 
depend on the strength of UNAMID, but that the force would not 
function as "escorts." He said he hoped that UNHCR could eventually 
take on this role, but that OCHA would step in as needed. Responding 
to CDA, Holmes said that he had discussed with Hasabo and Karti the 
expansion of UNHCR operations into North and South Darfur, and that 
progress was being made. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Holmes expressed concern over reports of forced relocations 
of IDPs in Darfur, stating that any returns must be voluntary and in 
accordance with humanitarian law. He urged the international 
community to begin preparing for this eventuality, and to be just as 
generous with recovery and development efforts as it had been with 
humanitarian aid. Asked by the Libyan ambassador whether the UN was 
more concerned with IDPs inside camps than the poor residing 
elsewhere, Holmes admitted difficulties and noted that some Arab 
tribes felt they'd been overlooked, but said that the UN was 
actively striving to reach all affected populations in Darfur. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: While verbal assurances that the joint communique 
and humanitarian moratorium will be renewed are welcome, the 
international community needs to continue to press for the 
government's actual signature. Continued delays will disrupt 
humanitarian activities, as organizations are now struggling to make 
plans for post-January 2008 operations. End comment. 
 
FERNANDEZ