VZCZCXRO9720
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0648/01 1191320
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281320Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0668
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0062
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0183
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0066
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC 0230

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000648 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, PRM, AF SE WILLIAMSON 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SP, USAID/W DCHA SUDAN 
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NAIROBI FOR SFO 
NSC FOR PMARCHAM, MMAGAN, AND BPITTMAN 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
NEW YORK FOR FSHANKS 
BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN 
USMISSION UN ROME FOR RNEWBERG 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU
SUBJECT: DETERMINED UNHCR ENGAGES EXIGENT GNU 
 
REFS: (A) 08 KHARTOUM 505 
 
  (B) 07 KHARTOUM 1669 
  (C) 07 KHARTOUM 1602 
  (D) 07 KHARTOUM 897 
  (E) 07 KHARTOUM 798 
  (F) 07 KHARTOUM 767 
 
KHARTOUM 00000648  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Recent meetings between USAID Office of U.S. 
Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) officials and USAID/OFDA partner 
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officials in Khartoum 
and Nyala reveal that the Government of National Unity (GNU) has 
methodically challenged UNHCR in its efforts to lead camp management 
and protection activities throughout Darfur.  Despite these 
challenges, UNHCR remains determined to both fulfill its mandate in 
all three Darfur states and compel the GNU to view UNHCR as a 
partner.  Our ongoing bilateral discussions with the GOS as part of 
an ongoing dialogue must help solve this issue. End Summary. 
 
---------- 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶2.  (U) In a series of discussions with USAID/OFDA officials, the 
UNHCR Country Representative (CR), Deputy Country Representative, 
Senior Darfur Manager (SDM), and Acting Officer in Charge-Nyala 
(OIC) have made considerable efforts to clarify and provide details 
about UNHCR's work to assume responsibility for camp coordination 
and camp management (CCCM) and protection activities in North and 
South Darfur. 
 
¶3.  (U) UNHCR has been leading CCCM and protection in West Darfur 
since October 1, 2007.  Early on, UNHCR secured participation of the 
Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) in West Darfur sector coordination 
meetings in an attempt to keep the government fully engaged and 
informed on UNHCR activities.  When GNU HAC in Khartoum raised 
questions about UNHCR's work in West Darfur, UNHCR responded with 
extensive work behind the scenes, according to the Deputy CR. 
Eventually, GNU HAC officials and UNHCR conducted a joint assessment 
of UNHCR activities in West Darfur, and the assessment team issued a 
report in December 2007. 
 
¶4.  (U) In a March 5, 2008, two-page letter to the GNU HAC 
Commissioner in Khartoum, the UNHCR Country Representative outlined 
UNHCR's work to scale up programs in Darfur in accordance with its 
mandate from UN leadership in Sudan.  The intended message was to 
update the GNU HAC rather than request permission.  Consistent with 
UNHCR's approach to demonstrate transparency and collaboration, the 
Country Representative cited various examples of consensus that 
UNHCR and the GNU have reached with regard to UNHCR's role.  UNHCR 
did so in such a manner as to help substantiate and validate UNHCR's 
future plans as logical next steps, for example, including 
information about the Joint Assessment in West Darfur and agreements 
between UN leadership and the GNU HAC.  The letter is deliberately 
not detailed, because highly contentious issues, such as the 
definition of protection and the scope of camp coordination, remain 
unresolved, according to the Deputy CR. 
 
------------------ 
THE UNHCR APPROACH 
------------------ 
 
¶5.  (U) UNHCR is focused on establishing a good partnership with the 
GNU.  According to the Deputy CR, if the GNU has strong objections 
to UNHCR assuming a lead role in CCCM and protection, the GNU could 
make operations very difficult for UNHCR.  UNHCR officials 
frequently remark that UNHCR wants the GNU to view UNHCR as 
"supporting the government's responsibility to protect its 
citizens."  UNHCR presents its work as within the framework of UN 
coordination overall; further, it is within that framework that 
former UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General 
(DSRSG) Manuel da Silva asked UNHCR in December 2006 to assume a 
 
KHARTOUM 00000648  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
lead role in CCCM and protection throughout Darfur. 
 
¶6. (U)  According to UNHCR officials, local/repeat local government 
authorities have been exceptionally supportive of UNHCR's role in 
all three Darfur states.  For example, in North Darfur, UNHCR met 
with Commissioners from six of the seven localities and received 
strong expressions of support.  In Nyala, the HAC Commissioner told 
UNHCR that UNHCR should "consider this your own country," according 
to the Nyala Officer in Charge.  In West Darfur, at the invitation 
of UNHCR, the HAC is a full and enthusiastic participant in sector 
coordination meetings.  Comment:  UNHCR appears to be approaching 
the Sudanese government as it approaches any government in the 
country where UNHCR is providing assistance, namely as a partner. 
In Darfur, UNHCR is especially conscious of the GNU's sensitivity to 
any person or institution challenging government sovereignty.  For 
example, the March 5 letter discussed UNHCR's considerable global 
expertise in protection and coordination, emphasizing that UNHCR not 
only applies this expertise to its work in Darfur, but also to 
supporting the government's responsibility to protect its citizens. 
The letter mentioned that one way that UNHCR supports government 
responsibility is to offer training.  End comment. 
 
------------ 
NORTH DARFUR 
------------ 
 
¶7.  (U) In El Fasher, North Darfur, UNHCR secured facilities in 
November 2007 and opened the office in February 2008.  Recently, 
local HAC and ministry officials invited UNHCR to attend all sector 
meetings, and UNHCR views the invitation as a big step forward in 
practical, as well as strategic, terms because the GNU invited UNHCR 
rather than UNHCR requesting an invitation of the GNU.  UNHCR plans 
to assume responsibility from the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) for 
protection coordination meetings.  To date, USAID staff remain 
uncertain whether or not similar coordination meetings take place 
for CCCM.  UNHCR is poised to open an office in Kutum, and the SDM 
reported that he has instructed staff to open the office "even if 
only six refugees show up."  UNHCR is considering posting a senior 
UNHCR official in Darfur, probably in El Fasher. 
 
------------ 
SOUTH DARFUR 
------------ 
 
¶8.  (U) On March 17 in Nyala, South Darfur, the UNHCR Deputy CR, 
SCM, and the Acting OIC had very positive meetings with the Wali (or 
governor), the Wali's Director General of International 
Organizations, the HAC/Nyala Secretary General, who is the 
second-in-command and formerly worked for a non-governmental 
organization (NGO), and the newly-appointed State Minister, who is 
the former South Darfur Minister of Health and has a good 
reputation.  According to UNHCR officials, the local officials 
expressed interest in UNHCR beginning to increase and reinforce its 
presence in Nyala as soon as possible.  Again, UNHCR views this as 
the desired strategic position because the GNU is inviting UNHCR 
rather than UNHCR having to ask permission.  As of early April, the 
Acting OIC is now based in Nyala, and UNHCR is deploying two 
additional international staff from its West Darfur office and three 
UN Volunteers.  According to the Acting OIC, UNHCR has a target date 
of July 1, 2008, to assume full responsibility for CCCM and 
protection in South Darfur.  In addition, UNHCR plans to open an 
office in Kass. 
 
---------------------- 
OBSTACLES AND PROBLEMS 
---------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The central government in Khartoum, namely the GNU HAC 
Commissioner (who is himself from South Darfur), is the main 
impediment for UNHCR.  The GNU HAC has sent explicit and implicit 
messages of dissent to UN leadership and UNHCR.  The aforementioned 
 
KHARTOUM 00000648  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
UNHCR and HAC joint assessment of UNHCR's activities in West Darfur 
was submitted to the GNU HAC commissioner in December 2007, but the 
GNU HAC Commissioner has not yet commented on the December report, 
either negatively or positively.  In addition, while the GNU HAC 
required this assessment before "allowing" UNHCR to "expand" in 
North and South Darfur, the terminology is elusive because confusion 
remains over the GNU HAC's position about UNHCR in North and South 
Darfur, and the authorization to work with UNHCR that various local 
GNU officials do or do not need from the HAC in Khartoum. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Since receiving UNHCR's March 5 letter, the GNU HAC 
Commissioner has cancelled at least three scheduled meetings with 
the Country Representative. He has also dodged CDA Fernandez's 
efforts to meet on this and related issues for weeks. On March 30, 
the Commissioner cancelled the meeting and sent the Deputy 
Commissioner to advise UNHCR that the Commissioner did not like 
UNHCR's plan to expand in Darfur. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) On April 2, the current DSRSG met with the GNU HAC 
Commissioner to discuss a number of Darfur issues, including, among 
other things, food, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) incident (ref 
tel A), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) rural 
assessment, and the UNHCR expansion.  The Commissioner told the 
DSRSG that he had concerns regarding UNHCR leading on CCCM and 
protection in all three Darfur states.  Although the DSRSG pressed 
the Commissioner to explain, the Commissioner stated that he was 
conducting bilateral discussions with UNHCR's CR, and that the 
Commissioner preferred to address the matter with the CR rather than 
with the DSRSG.  The Commissioner also stated that he desired to 
proceed with a roundtable on protection to clarify for all parties 
what is meant by the term.  As of April 20, the Commissioner has not 
yet met with the CR. 
 
-------- 
COMMENTS 
-------- 
 
¶12.  (SBU) UNHCR officials are highly motivated, energetic, and 
committed to their work in Darfur, as well as interested and able to 
think strategically.  UNHCR's enthusiasm and commitment are combined 
with solid knowledge of and experience in Darfur.  UNHCR is charged 
with addressing two of the most volatile humanitarian issues in 
Darfur - protection and CCCM.  The failure of the GNU to provide 
protection to its citizens is arguably the reason why the 
international community intervened in 2004 and why Darfur remains 
the world's largest humanitarian crisis five years later.  CCCM is 
primarily about internally displaced person (IDP) camps, which the 
GNU wants to disband.  UNHCR appears to be taking the right approach 
to achieve sustainable and successful intervention.  USAID/OFDA 
recommends continued support to UNHCR and close monitoring of UNHCR 
progress while remaining alert to opportunities where the USG could 
engage on UNHCR's behalf. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) According to the Deputy CR, UNHCR's work in Darfur is 
"less than ideal."  UNHCR is most comfortable in an operational role 
and has recently released an appeal asking for a significantly 
larger budget in order to be more operational.  US Embassy will 
continue to push the GNU to allow UNHCR to meet its mandated role in 
Darfur.  Most recently, US Special Envoy Williamson raised USG's 
concerns over the GNU interfering with UNCHR's engagement in Darfur, 
asking the GNU to expeditiously authorize UNHCR to expand its 
operations into North and South Darfur in order to meet the growing 
protection and CCCM needs.  The GOS agreed to this during the 
discussions in Rome, so continued engagement with the Sudanese 
should help solve this issue once and for all. 
 
FERNANDEZ