VZCZCXRO3676
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0384/01 0771604
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181604Z MAR 09 ZDK CTG NUMEROUS SERVICES
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3304
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000384 
 
DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/E, CA/OCS/ACS/AF, CA/OCS/ACS/CI 
 
NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
AMEMBASSY CAIRO FOR DAVID POTTER AND CHRIS ROWAN 
CA/OCS/ACS/CI FOR KRISTIN KNEEDLER 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC CASC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: EMBASSY RAISES WITH MFA AMCIT HARASSMENT AND CHILDREN'S 
ISSUES CASES 
 
REF: A) 09 KHARTOUM 00325 
B) 08 KHARTOUM 01772 
 
KHARTOUM 00000384  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) On March 18, DCM Asquino and conoff met with Ambassador 
Ahmed El Tijani, Director General of the Aliens and Borders 
Department and members of his staff.  The Mission requested the 
meeting, which took the MFA eight days to arrange, to discuss the 
harassment by Government of Sudan (GOS) officials of Americans 
working for recently expelled non-government organizations (INGOs). 
The DCM and conoff also discussed ongoing Children's Issues cases 
with El-Tijani and requested the MFA's assistance in their 
resolution. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The DCM said that the Embassy had received numerous 
complaints from INGO Amcits that their passports had been seized by 
Humanitarian Affairs Commission (HAC) officials who were carrying 
out the expulsions.  He reminded El Tijani that such passports are 
the property of the US Government and should not be held by a 
foreign country. The Amcits had been told that their passports would 
not be returned until the HAC was satisfied that INGO financial 
issues have been resolved. (Note: Three Amcits have reported to post 
that their passports are currently held by HAC: employees of 
MSF-France (2) and CHF International (1). These Amcits asked that we 
not, for now, specifically raise their cases in our demarche to the 
GoS, out of fear of reprisal by HAC.  All, however, had no objection 
to the post raising the seizure of passports as a general issue. End 
Note.) The DCM asked El Tijani to ensure that all US passports 
presently held by HAC be returned to Amcits immediately. 
 
¶3. (SBU) DCM Asquino informed El Tijani that many foreigners, 
including Amcits, have been advised by HAC, directly or indirectly, 
not to contact their embassies for consular assistance.  The DCM 
emphasized that all citizens have a right to seek such assistance. 
He urged El Tijani, as head of GOS consular services, to ensure that 
HAC stop discouraging Amcits from seeking U.S. Embassy consular 
assistance. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The DCM also raised the issue of the theft of personal 
property, including computers, cell phones and i-pods, from Amcits 
by HAC and other GoS officials. Most of these thefts occurred at 
Nyala Airport on March 5, 2009 as a large number of Amcits and other 
foreign INGO workers were departing Darfur after their organizations 
had been expelled from Sudan.  El Tijani at first thought that the 
complaint was about airport thieves who had been responsible for 
these acts.   However, the DCM and conoff made clear that HAC and 
GoS officials were guilty of robbing the Amcits.  They added that 
these officials had threatened not to let the Amcits leave unless 
they handed over their personal property. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The DCM brought up delays by the MFA in the issuance pf GoS 
residency permits and exit visas - a constant source of headaches 
for Amcits working in Sudan. The DCM asked that any Amcit who 
applies for a residency permit or exit visa be issued one in a 
timely manner, and that those Amcits seeking to depart Sudan be 
permitted to do so. 
 
¶6. (SBU) El Tijani said that he would look into each of the issues 
by following up with HAC and other relevant offices within GoS. He 
concurred that all foreigners have the right to retain their 
passports and to contact their Embassies for assistance. 
 
¶7. (SBU) DCM Asquino and conoff then discussed with El Tijani two 
consular cases involving minor Amcits. In the first case, two minor 
Amcit children, Omar and Nadia Mahmoud, were abducted from the U.S. 
to Khartoum by their Sudanese father (Reftel B). The MFA has 
previously advised that it would make arrangements for the Left 
Behind Parent, Ms. Jennifer McConnell, to visit her children in 
Khartoum. Ms. McConnell has indicated that she would be willing to 
travel to Khartoum for such a meeting. The DCM and conoff asked El 
Tijani to confirm that Ms. McConnell would be able to visit her 
children should she travel to Sudan. El Tijani said that the MFA 
will try to make arrangements with the Taking Parent and advise post 
accordingly. Post has already advised Ms. McConnell not to travel to 
Sudan until the MFA provides this assurance. El-Tijani also asked 
that the post submit a new copy of the Interpol Kidnapping notice 
for the Taking Parent with a note verbal. Post has already twice 
provided the Interpol notice to the MFA and will submit it again as 
requested. 
 
¶8. (SBU) DCM, conoff, and El Tijani also discussed the case of 
 
KHARTOUM 00000384  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Sabreen Rasheed, an Amcit mother of seven Amcit children who has 
been unable to depart Sudan because permission from the children's 
father is required for issuance of their exit visas. Conoff has 
advised Ms. Rasheed, based on post's consultations with the MFA, 
that she should retain a lawyer to pursue custody of the children in 
Sudanese family court to allow them to depart legally from Sudan. 
Ms. Rasheed's mother and brother are now in Khartoum to assist her 
with the children while she attempts to begin legal procedures to 
seek custody. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Comment:  El Tijani and the two members of his staff 
attending the meeting listened intently and took notes on each of 
the Amcit harassment issues raised.  While El Tijani said he would 
look into each, he was non-committal on specific actions he would 
take or a timeframe for resolution.  He appeared more forthcoming on 
the two Children's Issues cases.  He said in the first case his 
office would do everything it could to facilitate issuance of a visa 
for the Amcit mother to travel to Sudan. He also asked one of his 
assistants to call the Sudanese father to encourage him to allow his 
former wife to visit the children, underscoring that "this is her 
right."  Although he appeared well-versed on details of the second 
case involving Ms. Rasheed, he was less specific on assistance his 
office might provide. 
 
FERNANDEZ