VZCZCXRO3539
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1406/01 2600641
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 160641Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1910
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001406 
 
DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: SLM/MM ON EAST JEBEL MARRA FIGHTING AND ZAMZAM INCURSION 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  On September 15, three senior leaders of the 
Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi (SLM/MM) in North Darfur 
told poloff that SLM/MM "routed" GoS forces in East Jebel Marra on 
September 14 following combat on September 13 in the same region. 
SLM/MM leaders also gave a detailed description of the attack on 
Zamzam IDP camp on September 10.  SLM/MM leadership described the 
GoS military campaign in North Darfur state as "very significant," 
as it is the first time that the GoS has used its own forces to 
directly and openly attack SLM/MM.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Poloff met with the following SLM/MM leaders on September 
15:  Ahmed Bahr, a representative at the North Darfur Legislative 
Council; Adam Ali Ware, a former ceasefire commission representative 
for SLM/MM, and Mohammed Yousif the Secretary General for SLM/MM in 
North Darfur. 
 
SLM/MM "ROUTED" GOS FORCES ON SEPTEMBER 14 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶3.  (SBU)  According to these sources, following a failed attack on 
SLM/MM on September 13, GoS forces retreated to Tawila.  On 
September 14, GoS forces then reportedly staged another attack on 
SLM/MM forces south of Tawila.  Ware stated that SLM/MM forces led 
by field commanders Ahmed Abu Diggin and Muhammad Shain were 
prepared for the attack and "routed" the GoS.  Secretary General 
Yousif stated that he does not expect any more fighting in this 
region in the coming days "as we so clearly defeated the GoS force." 
 Yousif predicted that if there is fighting, it will return to far 
North Darfur near Birmaza and Disa.  These contacts stated that 
although GoS casualty figures are not known for this second attack, 
at least 200 GoS fighters died in the first wave of fighting. 
 
EARLIER FIGHTING IN EAST JEBEL MARRA 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶4.  (SBU) SLM/MM leaders stated that heavy fighting on  September 13 
preceded the "decisive victory" on September 14.  These contacts 
said that GoS forces started the attack with heavy aerial 
bombardment at 15:00 on September 13.  A force of 80-90 vehicles 
then followed the bombing, accoriding to Ware.  In addition to GOS 
"technicals" (Landcruiers,) the force reportedly included three 
combat helicopters, four armored personnel carriers (APCs) and 20 
military trucks.  Sources stated that the military trucks dropped 
off a large number of troops and then retreated, "as the GoS is more 
keen on preserving military vehicles than its people."  Contacts 
stated that fighting continued until approximately midnight, 
resulting in the deaths of three children, one woman, and five 
SLM/MM fighters.  Additionally, one section of the village of Colgi 
was entirely destroyed in the attack.  Seventeen SLM/MM fighters 
were wounded in the attack and were transported to Dar Es Salaam (N. 
Darfur) for treatment, and these SLM representatives reported ICRC 
traveled there and treated the SLM/MM fighters.  Ware, Bahr, and 
Yousif repeated several times that all of the fighting between 
SLM/MM and GoS forces occurred in liberated areas under SLM/MM 
control. 
 
COMPOSITION OF GOS FORCE 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶5.  (SBU) SLM/MM contacts stated that the GoS force was led by 
janjaweed and accompanied by Central Reserve Police (CRP) and 
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).  They said that in these most recent 
attacks in Birmaza and East Jebel Marra the GoS has relied heavily 
on Arab tribes for the majority of its fighters.  (Ahmed Bahr 
claimed to have seen a long list of Arab casualties from the Zayidia 
tribe from the SLM/MM-GoS fighting confirming this.)  Money and 
longstanding grievances against the Zaghawa have motivated the Arab 
tribes to join the GoS force, they said. These contacts also alleged 
that many janjaweed are being quickly incorporated into mid-level 
and senior positions in the GoS military and paramilitary.  In the 
latest wave, over 700 former janjaweed were trained in Eastern Sudan 
and are awaiting a formal commission to GoS forces following a 
post-Ramadan graduation ceremony, according to Bahr.  They said the 
CRP are an elite and well-paid force, claiming that even its lowest 
ranking soldiers earn more than senior officials in the ordinary GoS 
police.  (Note: This seems a bit of a stretch, but is worth noting 
the perception that the CRP are "professional" and well-paid. End 
note.) 
 
ZAMZAM ATTACK ACCORDING TO SLM/MM 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶6.  (SBU) SLM/MM contacts stated that on September 10, seventeen 
Central Reserve Police vehicles entered Zamzam IDP camp.  The CRP 
then destroyed the SLM/MM headquarters, freed four individuals at an 
SLM/MM prison, and pillaged the Zamzam market.  According to these 
sources, the attack started when a well-organized CRP force bypassed 
an SLM/MM checkpoint at 19:00 on September 11 on the southern side 
of Zamzam and traveled directly to the SLM/MM office. The CRP 
 
KHARTOUM 00001406  002 OF 002 
 
 
allegedly entered the office and stole SLM/MM information, office 
equipment, and approximately $10,000 USD before burning the office. 
Following this attack on their headquarters, the CRP entered the 
SLM/MM controlled prison and released 4 inmates and detained three 
SLM/MM "policemen" (who still remain in CRP custody as of September 
15.) "They were targeting SLM/MM by going straight to our 
headquarters and prison," alleged Yousif. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Following these targeted attacks on SLM/MM facilities, the 
CRP force then reportedly entered the market, shooting their weapons 
into the air and intentionally scaring the IDPs, said Yousif.  The 
force looted approximately 200 shops, stealing close to 500 mobile 
phones from IDPs and several shops, and burning over 25 homes.  He 
said the force also beat several IDPs including one pregnant woman 
who later miscarried as a result.  These sources claim that 14 
people in all were wounded in the attack. According to these 
contacts, the North Darfur police were equally surprised by this CRP 
incursion.  Within minutes of the CRP movements in Zamzam, the 
regular GoS police reportedly entered the market and fired upon CRP 
forces.  Ware stated that once the GoS police realized that the CRP 
was responsible for the attack, the GoS police quickly retreated. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) SLM/MM leaders stated that following the attack, they 
repeatedly tried to meet with the North Darfur Governor, who 
canceled three consecutive appointments on September 12.  SLM/MM 
leaders finally cornered the governor on September 13 who, 
accompanied by members of his State Security Implementation 
Committee, justified the CRP incursion saying that SLM/MM was 
unlawfully detaining IDPs.  Yousif said he responded that the DPA 
does allow for the establishment of signatory-controlled courts and 
prisons.  Following a heated discussion, the Governor eventually 
agreed to set up two separate committees, one to investigate the CRP 
attack, and another to assess overall security in North Darfur. 
Yousif stated that the committee will consist of six members, three 
from SLM/MM and three others from the government. "We are not 
entirely satisfied with this, it is more like a tranquilizer than a 
real and final solution," stated Yousif. 
 
INCREASED FRUSTRATION 
- - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶9.  (SBU)  SLM/MM North Darfur leaders stated that they expect that 
more incursions could occur in IDP camps as the government 
intentionally seeks to break up the camps.  They claimed that over 
4,000 IDPs have already left Zamzam following the attack.  All three 
SLM/MM contacts strongly asserted that both the attacks in Birmaza 
and East Jebel Marra were specifically designed to target Minnawi's 
forces. "How can the government conduct these raids when it touts 
its Sudan People's Initiative, discusses a Ramadan truce, and 
targets its partners in the Government of National Unity," noted 
Yousif.  Continuing, Yousif emphasized that the GoS "only knows how 
to use power, force, and coercion, and it will take a real power 
like the U.S. to forcefully put this government in line." 
 
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FIGHTING 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶10.  (SBU) SLM/MM contacts acknowledged that the GoS had attacked 
SLM/MM forces before, but only indirectly with proxy forces (such as 
SLM/Free Will.)   "This is the first time that the GoS has attacked 
us with one of its own forces," stated Yousif.  Bahr called the 
attack "a big change in GoS strategy" as "this attack was out in the 
open for all to see that the GoS really is aggressively targeting 
us." 
 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
¶11.  (SBU) Post contacts presented one side of the story.  We have 
no independent confirmation of SLM/MM's reports of victory, on 
numbers of dead, GoS vehicles destroyed or attacks on displaced 
Zamzam residents. Though much of what was said cannot be verified at 
this time, this report shows SLM/MM perceptions of the events on the 
ground. The fighting at least in Jebel Marra seems to have died 
down. SLM/MM North Darfur leaders believe that the GoS is 
intentionally targeting their movement, attacking them openly and 
directly for the first time in a widespread military campaign, and 
attempting to break up IDP camps.  Whether accurate or not, these 
perceptions will be one of many factors driving the Darfur conflict 
in the foreseeable future.  CDA will raise these issues with regime 
officials this week and urges that we make clear to the GOS at every 
level that military escalation by the regime and heavy-handed 
incursions into IDP camps (such as what led to the Kalma Camp 
Massacre) are American redlines in Sudan. 
 
FERNANDEZ