VZCZCXRO1543
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHNJ #0122/01 0971223
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071223Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6846
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000122 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR AF/C AND AF/USSES 
NSC FOR GAVIN AND HUDSON 
LONDON FOR POL -- LORD 
PARIS FOR POL -D'ELIA AND KANEDA 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR AU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PREF PHUM UN SU CH CD
SUBJECT: MINURCAT DEPUTY SRSG ON NEW PKO'S FIRST WEEKS 
 
REF: A. NDJAMENA 97 
     ¶B. NDJAMENA 101 
 
This cable is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Not for Internet 
dissemination. 
 
--------------------- 
MANDATE AND STRUCTURE 
--------------------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  MINURCAT Deputy SRSG Rima Salah briefed the 
diplomatic community April 1 on MINURCAT's achievements 
during its first two weeks of existence, as well as future 
challenges.  Salah reviewed UNSCRs 1778 and 1861, which 
mandates security and protection of international 
humanitarian workers and local civilians, including refugees 
and IDPs, in eastern Chad and CAR; reconstruction and social 
and economic development there; provision of humanitarian 
aid; relocation of refugee camps in areas of proximity to the 
Chad-Sudan border; training of local law enforcement 
authorities (DIS) to better protect civilians and counter 
banditry and criminality; training in conflict resolution to 
Chadian authorities in order to enhance refugee and IDP 
returns; monitoring and protection of human rights, with 
particular attention to gender-based violence, judicial 
impunity, and child soldiers; assisting the GoC establish of 
an independent and strengthened legal system; and improvement 
of penal conditions in Chad. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Salah described sub-sections that had been stood up 
to carry out various tasks, including Offices of Military and 
Security Affairs; an Office of Political and Civil Affairs, a 
Human Rights Section, a Judicial Advisory Unit; a Corrections 
Advisory Unit; a Humanitarian Assistance Liaison Unit; a 
Gender Unit, and an HIV/AIDS Unit.  MINURCAT is now deployed 
to all operational locations. 
 
--------------- 
SUCCESS STORIES 
--------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Salah said that gender-related goals were turning 
out to be among the easiest to address in the near term, as 
female DIS officers were generally accepted in refugee camps 
and seemed to have gained the confidence of female refugees, 
who were relying on them to sort out a number of cases of 
violence against women.  UN staff had also conducted dozens 
of visits to various locations to investigate circumstances 
of alleged human rights abuse.  In the course of deploying 
staff to regional offices, MINURCAT had defined axes for 
purposes of humanitarian demining, which would commence 
shortly.  There was progress to report on the fight against 
impunity as well, following meetings among UN experts and 
representatives of Chad's Justice and Human Rights 
Ministries, who were working together to develop a plan of 
action and organize a forum on impunity.  Germany had agreed 
to provide training in the aim of judicial upgrades and 
furtherance of rule of law. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  With respect to penal reforms, MINURCAT had laid 
out standards to Chadian authorities and called for 
improvements in prison conditions, including separation of 
juveniles from other offenders.  Salah noted that the recent 
visit of President Deby to eastern Chad had sensitized local 
authorities to the need to improve standards under their 
control.  Although the UN's logistic base in Abeche was far 
from satisfactory, Salah made clear that she saluted the 
pioneering spirit of UN employees working there despite 
unfinished buildings. 
 
---------- 
CHALLENGES 
---------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The security situation in eastern Chad remained 
volatile, said Salah, in part because inter-tribal conflicts 
were difficult to handle.  Funding for voluntary projects was 
not arriving from all potential contributors.  Activities of 
NGOs and MINURCAT needed to be coordinated better.  Finally, 
certain security lapses involving off-duty DIS officers had 
presented problems that the UN was working with Chadian 
authorities to address.  Despite the improper and in some 
cases criminal behavior of a few off-duty DIS officers, the 
force was generally performing well.  It had located stolen 
vehicles and established regular patrols that the local 
 
NDJAMENA 00000122  002 OF 002 
 
 
population was beginning to trust and count on.  The 
long-term challenge would involve preventing ethnic 
affiliations of DIS officers, when they differed from those 
of populations under their protection, from sparking tribal 
conflict. 
 
NIGRO