VZCZCXRO8486
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0194/01 0421238
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 111238Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2961
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000194 
 
 
DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/E, 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: DARFUR ROUNDUP: SLA/MM CLASHES WITH TRIBESMEN IN NORTH 
DARFUR; JEM HOLED UP IN EAST JEBEL MARRA; UPDATE ON MUHAJARIYA 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Clashes broke out between the inhabitants of Wadaa 
in North Darfur and the forces of Minni Minnawi who were returning 
to the area on February 7 and 10, according to several sources. The 
local tribesmen were reportedly fed up with SLA/MM and attempted to 
prevent them from re-occupying the town. Meanwhile, JEM troops 
remain holed up east of Jebel Marra, according to rebel and other 
sources, who anticipate they will remain there until the conclusion 
of the Doha talks. UNAMID sources noted that a SAF convoy of 30 
vehicles and 100 soldiers was spotted heading toward Kabkabiya, 
possibly in attempt to intercept JEM if it flees North. In South 
Darfur, humanitarian officials reported that Muhajariya town is 
largely intact, and that nearly all of the 6,000 to 7,000 people who 
were huddling at the UNAMID Team Site (TS) team site have returned 
home. However, over 3,000 people have arrived at Zam Zam IDP camp 
near El Fasher in recent days, including IDPs from the Shearia area 
in South Darfur that was damaged by bombing, as well as Zaghawa 
inhabitants of Muhajariya town, who fled when the town ceased to be 
under SLM/MM (Zaghawa) military control. End Summary. 
 
SLM/MM CLASHES WITH VILLAGERS IN NORTH DARFUR 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Adam Ahmed, Chairman of the Darfur Land Commission and an 
ally of Minni Minnawi, met with poloff on February 10 to voice his 
reservations with the movement's armed attacks in and around Wadaa, 
a town 100 kilometers southeast of El Fasher, North Darfur. 
Primarily settled by pastoralists from the Mima tribe, Wadaa and the 
surrounding villages comprise part of SLA/MM's "liberated area" in 
southeastern North Darfur, but Ahmed told poloff that the local 
villagers were "fed up" with SLA/MM's occupation of the villages. 
During fighting in Muhajeriya in January, SLA/MM troops departed the 
area, presumably to fight against JEM further south, and upon 
returning to Wadaa on February 7 they attempted to retake the town. 
According to Ahmed, groups of villagers from different tribes, 
including Arabs, combined forces to fight off the advance of 
Minnawi's forces, allegedly killing seven SLA/MM fighters.  On 
February 10, Ahmed said SLA/MM attempted another advance, this time 
with up to 17 vehicles, resulting in numerous civilian casualties 
but no tangible gain for the movement. Ahmed told poloff that GOS 
forces were not involved in the clashes, though on February 10 
Al-Ahdath newspaper reported that government forces took control of 
the area after Minnawi's forces withdrew, citing official sources. 
(Note: On February 11, Minni Minnawi told CDA that his forces in 
Wadaa had been attacked by SAF and janjaweed troops, resulting in 
the death of seven SLM/MM fighters. He claimed that SLM/MM had 
retaken the area. End Note.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ahmed, who described himself as a vocal critic inside 
Minnawi's Khartoum-based circle, views the movement's armed actions 
in Darfur as part of a larger trend of Zaghawa rebel groups 
(including SLA/Unity, JEM and SLA/MM) sowing insecurity in Darfur 
through their overzealous territorial ambitions.  Ironically, he 
believes that the events in Wadaa, in addition to JEM's recent armed 
escalation in Darfur, could strengthen the hand of the GOS in the 
long run, as Darfuris see the Zaghawa rebel groups as the greatest 
threat to peace and stability.  He cautioned that the USG and the 
international community risk their credibility in Darfur by being 
seen as sympathetic to groups like SLA/MM and JEM.  "If the 
international community thinks that the Zaghawa movements can create 
peace, they are setting the stage for the next war," he forecasted. 
"The U.S. must understand - no one will accept Zaghawa leadership." 
 
JEM HOLED UP IN EAST JEBEL MARRA 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) While Minnawi's forces are still reeling from a series of 
military setbacks over the past month, JEM is apparently now holed 
up in East Jebel Marra. On February 10, SLA/Abdul Wahid Commander 
Mohamed Abdel-Salam (known as 'Terada') told emboff that JEM forces 
are still camped out in East Jebel Marra, east of the village of 
Marra, but that they are neither on the run nor under siege by the 
SAF. Another SLA/Abdul Wahid commander, Abdulgadir Abdurrahman 
Ibrahim (known as 'Gadura') affirmed that JEM remains in East Jebel 
Marra and that they continue to move freely in the area. On February 
9, Suleiman Marjan, a Meidob commander aligned with Abdul Wahid, 
also affirmed JEM's presence in East Jebel Marra but stated that 
SLA/Abdul Wahid has blocked off JEM access to the mountain. "If 
Khalil's forces are planning to enter the Jebel, we will not allow 
it to happen," he said. (Note: Marjan himself is not thought to be 
in Jebel Marra, and most likely remains north of El Fasher in the 
area around Helif, where he faced off with SAF forces in late 2008. 
End Note.) A UNAMID source told poloff he believed JEM might be 
seeking to treat its wounded at one of the ICRC clinics in Jebel 
Marra. 
 
KHARTOUM 00000194  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) On February 11, poloff spoke to a UNAMID source who 
revealed that on February 6 approximately a hundred SAF soldiers in 
thirty military vehicles mounted with 12.7mm anti-aircraft and heavy 
anti-vehicular recoilless guns were observed moving from the Tawila 
UNAMID TS location, presumably coming from El Fasher. The vehicles 
were initially parked at the GOS paramilitary camp in Tawila and 
later departed Tawila through the Tawila-Kabkabiya road. The UNAMID 
source speculated that the GOS force was heading towards Kabkabiya 
to attempt to intercept JEM if it flees North, though he expected 
JEM to remain in its current location until the conclusion of the 
Doha talks. 
 
UPDATE ON MUHAJARIYA 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) In South Darfur, Muhajariya is beginning to return to 
normalcy after the conflicts there between JEM and SLM/MM forces 
(and then between JEM and SAF) last month. On February 9 UN DSRSG 
Ameerah Haq told CDA Fernandez that nearly all of Muhajariya town is 
intact, and that more damage from GOS bombing actually occurred in 
the Labado/Shearia area. She stated that the 6,000 to 7,000 people 
who were huddling at the UNAMID team site (TS) have returned home, 
though approximately 500 remain at the site. (Note: the improvised 
settlement of 500 had existed outside UNAMID's camp long before the 
recent fighting. End Note.) Haq reported that food distribution has 
resumed, but that the GOS had not allowed INGOs MSF and Solidarit 
to resume their normal work. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Haq also told CDA that since Muhajariya is no longer under 
Zaghawa military control (neither SLA/MM nor JEM), a number of 
Zaghawa have left the town and headed North from where they 
originally came from. She reported that 5 trucks with Zaghawa IDPs, 
mostly women and children, arrived in Zam Zam IDP camp outside El 
Fasher from South Darfur. (Note: On February 9, UNAMID reported that 
the total number of new individuals who have arrived at Zam Zam 
Camp--either by truck or by donkey--stands at 3,054 from 878 
households, with a particularly large influx on 8 and 9 February. 
The people arriving by donkey hail mostly from Abu Dangal, 30 km 
west of Shearia in South Darfur and other small villages, while 
people arriving on trucks are coming from Muhajariya town, according 
to the leaders of the new arrivals. End Note.) 
 
¶8. (SBU) Haq reported that the GOS sent a team of doctors into 
Muhajariya town to provide medical assistance, and has also sent the 
Fur Shartai, Ibrahim Abdullah, to mediate between the Zaghawa who 
remain and the Birgid tibe. (Note: The Birgid are the original 
inhabitants of Muhajeriya who have seen their land and power usurped 
over the past few years by the influx of Zaghawa. End Note).  The 
Birgid lived in fear of the Zaghawa, she said, and they now feel 
they have the upper hand with the GOS back in charge. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Just one day prior on February 8, OCHA sources returning 
from a site visit told aidoffs that Muhajariya had remained largely 
empty but intact, and said they saw no evidence of looting. The 
marketplace was completely devoid of people, though several shops 
appeared to be open. The only signs of destruction witnessed were at 
the former residential compound of MSF H, which had burned to the 
ground when the fighting erupted. Some shrapnel damage had also been 
sustained at the office of Solidarit, according to local staff 
there.  OCHA sources stated that there is hardly any presence of SAF 
in town, as most troops have moved to the outskirts of town. The SAF 
command had established its headquarters at the MSF clinic, but 
subsequently vacated it in order to hand it back to MSF (when MSF 
returns). The UNAMID Team Cite Commander and MILOBS stated that 
there is not yet a civilian administration in place, and the town 
remains under military control. 
 
UNAMID HELICOPTER FIRED UPON 
---------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) UNAMID sources reported that on February 9 at 10:32 hours 
a UNAMID Mi-8 helicopter was fired upon while in flight by unknown 
assailants approximately 70 km southwest of El Fasher, while on a 
food supply mission. No casualties were recorded and the aircraft 
returned to El Fasher safely. The helicopter was flying at a height 
of 8500 feet when it was hit, which along with the scope of the 
damage, indicates that it may have been struck by rounds from an 
anti-aircraft gun, according to UNAMID sources.  UNAMID suspects 
that it must have been JEM, but other groups in Darfur also have 
heavy artillery.  UNAMID's investigation is ongoing. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Comment: SLM/Minnawi's clash with villagers in Wadaa 
reveals the movement's desperation to cling to what little territory 
 
KHARTOUM 00000194  003 OF 003 
 
 
it now controls, having lost the strongholds of Muhajariya and 
Gereida to the GOS and the confused nature of much of the fighting 
in Darfur. Furthermore, the villagers' resistance is further 
indicative of the lack of popular support and legitimacy of SLM/MM 
and the other Zaghawa-based armed rebel movements in general 
(perhaps with the notable exception of SLA/AW, which is a largely 
defensive rather than offensive force). It also reveals the complex 
nature of violence in Darfur and highlights the role of Zaghawa 
rebel movements in perpetuating this violence, underscoring the need 
for a broad-based ceasefire; in this particular incident, it seems 
that neither the GOS nor Arab paramilitary groups - nor even other 
rebel groups - were involved. 
 
FERNANDEZ