VZCZCXRO1918 
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV 
DE RUEHKH #0842/01 1570940 
ZNR UUUUU ZZH 
P 050940Z JUN 08 ZDK 
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0971 
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE 
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0233 
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000842 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS, SE WILLIAMSON 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM KPKO SOCI UNSC SU
 
SUBJECT: S/E WILLIAMSON MEETS WITH NYALA WOMEN AND CIVIL SOCIETY 
LEADERS 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. In a May 31 meeting, Nyala women and civil society 
leaders told U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Richard Williamson that 
delays in implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) were 
disproportionately impacting women and children. They detailed 
training they had undertaken in preparation for future political 
negotiations, and stressed the importance of their full 
participation in peace and reconciliation activities. The civil 
society representatives worried about the impact of the worsening 
security environment on the distribution of food and services, and 
one representative claimed that the Zaghawa tribe was being unfairly 
targeted following the JEM rebel attack on Omdurman. The group was 
skeptical of UNAMID's ability to protect civilians, and called for a 
more international composition of the peacekeeping force in order to 
regain the trust and confidence of the Darfuri people. The Special 
Envoy pledged to continue humanitarian relief efforts, and called on 
civil society groups, especially women, to take the lead on peace 
and reconciliation efforts. He vowed that, in regards to the 
conflict in Darfur, "the attention of the United States will not 
wander." End Summary. 
 
----------------------------------- 
DPA Delays Negatively Impact Women 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) In a May 31 meeting, Special Envoy Williamson met with 
leaders of South Darfur women's and civil society organizations. 
Women leaders expressed frustration at the lack of political 
progress on ending the conflict in Darfur, pointing out that after 
many meetings, negotiations and discussions, there were few tangible 
results felt on the ground. Delays in implementing the Darfur Peace 
Agreement (DPA) disproportionately impacted women and children, who 
are the first affected by war but the least empowered to effect 
change, they said. The DPA alone would not be sufficient to sustain 
peace, the women agreed. Therefore efforts to reach out to the 
non-signatories and to bring them back to the negotiating table were 
crucial. "These are our brothers and fathers," one representative 
stated, "they must be part of the solution." 
 
¶3. (SBU) One woman's rights advocate noted that, although the 
conditions for women in Darfur were deplorable, the real tragedy was 
their exclusion from peace negotiations and reconciliation efforts. 
"No peace can come without women," she stated flatly. Another 
activist noted that Nyala women leaders have received considerable 
training, through the support of the non-governmental organization 
Femmes Africa Solidarite (FAS), in order to prepare for future peace 
negotiations. "We, as women, are ready, we just wonder what the men 
are doing..." another commented. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Declining Social Conditions, UNAMID Concerns 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶4. (SBU) In the interim, the women reported, their organizations 
were focusing on capacity building and advocacy programs, especially 
in the areas of gender based violence and children's and internally 
displaced persons (IDPs) issues. They appealed for support for 
these initiatives, but noted that without better security, none of 
their activities would be effective. The head of a local civil 
society network pointed out that the lack of security and UNAMID 
protection had limited even the basic services that could be 
provided in Darfur. Recent attacks across Darfur had led to 
increased displacement, as well as needs, at a time when the World 
Food Program (WFP) was reducing its support. UNAMID's inability to 
provide adequate security and geographical coverage for humanitarian 
convoys risked creating a "humanitarian catastrophe," his colleague 
noted. 
 
¶5. (SBU) A professor from Nyala University claimed that the 
worsening local situation for Zaghawa tribe members was also 
contributing to an overall decline in social conditions. After the 
JEM rebel attack on Omdurman, she claimed, the GoS and its militias 
had targeted Zaghawa owned businesses in an economic discrimination 
campaign. Business owners were afraid to open their shops due to 
harassment and threats, and Zaghawa workers were fired from their 
jobs. She claimed that even prices in the market had increased, and 
that Zaghawas were now forced to pay more for food and amenities 
than ordinary citizens. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The civil society representatives said that UNAMID was not 
capable of protecting civilians. The previous African Union Mission 
in Sudan (AMIS) did not have a mandate to protect citizens, one 
said, and since most of the soldiers from that mission became 
UNAMID, they still do not see themselves as having that mandate. He 
noted that an increase in international, not just African, forces 
would help to change the Darfuri people's minds, and would increase 
confidence in the UNAMID mission. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
U.S. Committed to Sustainable Peace in Darfur 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶7. (SBU) Special Envoy Williamson noted that it was difficult to 
fully appreciate the suffering the people of Darfur had endured. He 
assured the group that the US was continuing to provide substantial 
humanitarian relief for Darfur, while recognizing that the creation 
of a secure, stable, and sustainable environment was crucial to 
resolving the crisis on the ground. The Special Envoy said that the 
U.S. was also disappointed that the DPA had not achieved peace, 
noting this resulted partially from Government of Sudan (GoS) 
activities aimed at promoting insecurity, partially from violence 
and banditry perpetrated by Arab militias armed by GoS, and 
partially from rebel movements seeking their own gain at the expense 
of the people of Darfur. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Special Envoy acknowledged the difficulties in fully 
deploying the UNAMID peacekeeping forces, citing GoS obstructionism, 
internal issues within the UN secretariat, and a lack of trained and 
equipped African troops. To help rectify this, he noted, the U.S. 
had pledged $100 million to train and equip African soldiers. 
However, the Special Envoy cautioned, resolution would require a 
political settlement for which the parties to the conflict seemed to 
have no appetite at this time. He stressed the crucial role to be 
played by civil society groups in these efforts, noting that 
sustainable peace would only be possible through their active 
participation and leadership. He called on the women of Darfur, who 
understand the suffering and are willing to take a chance on peace 
in order to end it, to lead reconciliation efforts, promising that 
"the attention of the United States will not wander." 
 
¶9. (U) SE Williamson's delegation reviewed this message before 
transmission. 
 
POWERS