VZCZCXRO9831
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0789 1421509
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211509Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0896
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000789 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: WFP REPORTS THAT DARFUR CONVOYS ARE MOVING 
 
¶1. (SBU) WFP food convoys to Darfur are now moving in greater 
numbers thanks to a new contract signed with the trucking companies, 
WFP Representative Kenro Oshidari told polchief May 21.  The 
contract increases substantially the rate provided to the companies, 
and imposes a penalty for non-delivery regardless of theft due to 
banditry along the routes.  Oshidari said that WFP is putting the 
onus on the companies themselves, who are very well connected with 
the Sudanese regime, to perform and to coordinate security with the 
GOS.  Oshidari implied that the trucking companies may also make 
"arrangements" for a safe journey with parties along the way, but 
said officially WFP does not acknowledge this practice. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The three primary trucking companies (one of which is the 
Nifeidi Group, which sold the US Embassy the land for the NEC) met 
with the Chief of Police in Khartoum may 20 to coordinate security 
for the convoys.  (Note: Oshidari stated that security coordination 
is conducted directly between the trucking companies and the police, 
and does not involve WFP at the operational level. End note.) 
Although there have been only two or three escorts provided each 
week over the last few weeks (three per week is almost once every 48 
hours), the Police Chief reportedly promised the companies that 
security escorts would be provided once every 48 hours starting 
Sunday May 25, and might even be increased to once every 24 hours. 
The two routes that the police promised to provide escorts for are 
the Nyala-El Fasher route and the Obeid-El Fasher route.  Oshidari 
noted that sometimes convoys are attacked by bandits even when there 
is a security escort, due to the length of the convoys.  Oshidari 
said the trucking companies believe that the GOS is making a "good 
faith effort" to improve security along the main routes, but that 
there is a lack of capacity on the part of the GOS to provide enough 
security forces to secure the routes while also providing escorts. 
Therefore WFP feels strongly that convoys should not be prevented 
from traveling if there is not an escort available.  He said between 
75 and 100 trucks had successfully traveled the route between Nyala 
and El Fasher several days in a row and that WFP can meet its 
current delivery targets with this rate of delivery. 
 
¶3. (SBU) UNAMID has also offered to provide some security along the 
routes, according to Oshidari, but UNAMID acknowledged that it has a 
limited capacity to do so.  Oshidari said UNAMID had even asked WFP 
for help and advice on its own convoys, given than UNAMID now has 
over 1000 containers waiting in Obeid (Kordofan) for transportation 
to Nyala and is logistically challenged to undertake this task. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Comment: It appears that the GNU is attempting to meet its 
pledge made to SE Williamson to provide greater security to WFP food 
convoys, as demonstrated by the meeting between the trucking 
companies and the chief of police.  Oshidari pointed out that the 
GOS also has an interest in securing the convoys, as it does not 
want "food riots" in IDP camps in Darfur.  Oshidari asked that 
Special Envoy Williamson follow up on the GNU pledge for security 
escorts, but ensure also that convoys would not be impeded from 
departing for lack of an escort.  Oshidari stressed, however, that 
it appears the GOS is making an honest effort to increase the number 
of escorts.  He promised to provide an update on the number of 
security escorts provided over the week just prior to SE 
Williamson's visit. 
 
FERNANDEZ