VZCZCXRO6022
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0104 0271421
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 271421Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2783
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000104 
 
DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/C 
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: MORE DETAIL ON JEM-SAF FIGHTING NEAR EL FASHER 
 
REF: A) KHARTOUM 95 
B) KHARTOUM 92 
 
¶1. (SBU) UNAMID confirmed on January 27 that Sudanese Armed Forces 
(SAF) engaged armed rebels with the Justice and Equality Movement 
(JEM) in ground attacks and aerial bombardment during the day of 
January 26, in areas south and east of El Fasher, North Darfur. 
Ahmed Togoud and Gibril Ibrahim of JEM also confirmed that JEM 
forces were targeted near El Fasher, and SAF continued to bombard 
isolated rural areas long after JEM vehicles had dispersed. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Holding a press conference in El Fasher the evening 
following the fighting, Osman Mohamed Kibir, the Wali (governor) of 
North Darfur, claimed that SAF clashed with JEM 11 km from the city, 
destroying up to six JEM vehicles and forcing the rest to flee in 
the opposite direction. UNAMID had no estimates of casualties on 
either side, and it is still unclear whether civilians were affected 
by the fighting (though the bombing rattled houses in El Fasher.) 
Contacts in El Fasher confirmed that two loud explosions were heard 
in the city the morning of January 27, but were unable to confirm if 
they were connected to the previous day's episodes.  El Fasher was 
calm the afternoon of January 27. 
 
¶3. (SBU) While JEM claimed they fought the SAF, and the SAF claimed 
they defeated JEM, Minni Minnawi reported the evening of January 27 
that yesterday's fighting was actually between SAF and SLA/Unity. 
According to Minnawi, SLA/U was moving with a small group of 
vehicles in a north-south direction east of Zam Zam.  Minnawi said 
that a frightened SAF overreacted, which ended with the SAF bombing 
into empty space.  No SLA/MM positions were bombed on January 26, 
according to Minnawi.  However, Minnawi claimed the GOS and JEM are 
colluding against him, pointing out that there are still ties 
between some civilian Islamists in the NCP regime and JEM (a 
well-known fact, as Khalil Ibrahim used to be a prominent member of 
the National Islamic Front.)  (Note: Although this information 
conflicts with other sources, Minnawi did say that he believes JEM 
is now planning to return to Chad to defend President Deby, which 
corresponds with other information we have received, to be reported 
septel.  Minnawi viewed the recent leadership change in the Chadian 
rebel movement as "very significant," as the new leader, Timane 
Erdimi, has close connections with many in the Chadian military and 
can cause problems for President Deby. End note.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) On both January 26 and 27, emboffs spoke with Abdullah 
Yehia of SLA/Unity, who contradicted Minnawi's statements and denied 
that SLA/Unity forces were involved in the fighting January 26. 
UNAMID also asserted that SLA/Unity was likely not involved. 
Abdalla Banda of JEM/Collective Leadership reported that the January 
26 fighting involved only JEM and the SAF. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In South Darfur, JEM claimed victory in a separate 
engagement with SAF on January 26 near Muhajeriya, even claiming to 
have downed an SAF helicopter.  The site of a series of clashes 
throughout last week involving JEM, SLA/MM and the SAF, Muhajeriya 
was relatively calm on January 27 according UNDSS in Nyala.  NGO 
staff resident in the area reported that some ground fighting 
occurred on January 26, but nothing on the scale claimed by JEM. 
UNDSS reported that there is no concrete evidence indicating that 
JEM did indeed shoot down a SAF helicopter.  UNDSS intends to 
conduct a security assessment within two days around the rural area 
70 km east of the South Darfur, but Muhajeriya still remains a 
"no-go zone" imposed by the GOS. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment: Although the precise natue of the conflict is 
still not entirely clear, it appears that in fact the SAF was 
bombing a column of JEM vehicles southeast of El Fasher.  Several 
contacts have suggested that, having inflicted damage on Minnawi's 
forces in South Darfur and asserted itself as the biggest player in 
Darfur, JEM is now returning to Chad in order to defend President 
Deby.  This should mean that El Fasher will return to normal in the 
coming days.  If indeed Deby provided JEM with somewhere between 100 
and 300 vehicles over the last month, as claimed by the GOS, the 
time has come for Khalil Ibrahim to pay back this debt. End 
comment. 
 
FERNANDEZ