VZCZCXRO4547
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0064 0170659
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170659Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9716
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000064 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, AF SE WILLIAMSON 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO KSEC SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: CLASHES CONTINUE IN WEST DARFUR 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 35 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Heavy clashes in West Darfur continued January 13 
- 15, with confirmed GOS aerial attacks on JEM rebel positions. 
There were also additional reports of Chadian aerial incursions into 
Sudan. End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) During discussions with poloff January 15, UNAMID contacts 
confirmed reports that the Government of Sudan (GOS) conducted 
aerial attacks 40 kilometers northwest of Geneina against JEM rebel 
targets in Abu Soruj and Sirf Jaj on January 13 and 14.  According 
to UNAMID contacts, a confrontation on the ground between the two 
forces is "imminent."  INGO Concern's Country Director Janardhan 
Rao, who is based in Geneina, told poloff that JEM has taken control 
of Salea and Kulbus and has surrounded Geneina. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Media reported on January 15 that Members of Parliament 
questioned Minister of Defense LTG Abd-al-Rahim Muhammad Hussein 
about reports of Chad aerial attacks in Sudan in a closed door 
session at the National Assembly on January 14.  MPs reportedly 
described Hussein's response as disappointing because he would not 
conclusively state if Chadian troops or airplanes were operating in 
Sudan or not.  Embassy contacts have reported that Chadian aircraft 
attacked Chadian rebels in Sudan about five kilometers outside of 
Geneina (Reftel). 
 
¶4. (SBU) Several JEM/KI spokesmen told FieldOffs January 14 that the 
major problem in West Darfur is the "huge" presence of Chadian 
rebels.  JEM/KI says the Geneina Hospital is full of Chadian rebels 
and Geneina market is packed with their vehicles.  JEM/KI claimed 
that the Chadian government recently bombed them by air in Wadi 
Rati, 13 kilometers from El Geneina, thinking they were Chadian 
rebels.  They take seriously Chadian President Deby's threats that 
he plans to declare war on Sudan and fight the Chadian rebels in 
Sudan.  Despite Chadian efforts, JEM/KI told FieldOff that Chadian 
rebel forces from Mahamat Nouri and Timan Eridimi have reconstituted 
themselves after having been nearly destroyed by Chadian forces. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Concern Country Director Janardhan Rao told poloff on 
January 15 that Concern has been told by the GOS that the areas 
surrounding the towns of Kulbus and Salea are unsafe for 
humanitarian operations. Rao said that Concern has accepted GOS' 
warnings at face value and has suspended its nutrition, 
water/sanitation, and health programs, which provide services to 
24,000 people.  Emilia Casella, spokeswoman for the U.N.'s World 
Food Program (WFP), told the media January 15 that "all the roads 
around el Geneina are no-go areas right now," adding that she 
estimated that 160,000 people do not have access to food due to the 
security situation. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment: Though Chad and Sudan have apparently increased 
attacks on each other via rebel groups in each others territories, 
for now they have stopped short of declaring war or breaking off 
diplomatic relations.  Neither country has the capacity to restore 
security to the border area, and in the absence of peacekeeping 
forces to closely monitor the situation, international NGOs remain 
the best source of information.  If attacks persist, NGOs in Geneina 
may be forced to curtail their operations even further. 
 
FERNANDEZ