R 141642Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6856
INFO DARFUR COLLECTIVE
HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000129 
 
 
STATE FOR AF/C, AF/USSES, PRM - MCKELVEY AND PARKER 
NSC FOR GAVIN AND HUDSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL PGOV UN SU LY CD
SUBJECT:  HUMANITARIAN UPDATE FROM NDJAMENA 
REGIONAL REFUGEE COORDINATOR, APRIL 15, 2009 
 
REF: EMAIL NDJAMENA REFUGEE COORDINATOR 
WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT, 4-14-09 
 
¶1.  (U) This cable constitutes one of a series of weekly updates on 
the humanitarian situation among Darfur refugees in Chad and 
Chadian IDPs. 
 
------------------- 
MINURCAT TAKES ON 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR 
HUMANITARIAN 
SECURITY IN EASTERN 
CHAD 
------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Ndjamena-based Refugee Coordinator (RefCoord), RSO 
and Accra-based RefCoord met with UN Department of Safety 
and Security (DSS) Chief Security Advisor Bertrand Bourgain to 
ensure that USG refugee resettlement NGO, the Overseas 
Processing Entity (OPE) is officially registered within the 
UN/MINURCAT security framework.  RefCoords also met with 
OCHA Head of Office Eliane Duthoit April 14 to file the 
necessary paperwork for OPE staff, who will be in eastern Chad in 
May to process Darfuri refugees for possible resettlement to the 
U.S., to be placed on the UN evacuation roster. 
 
¶3.  (U) RefCoord and Accra-based RefCoord attended the latest 
MINURCAT security briefing for humanitarians April 7, where 
discussion focused on persistent rumors of rebel activity in the East 
and NGO concerns about lack of adequate information sharing. 
DSS representatives cautioned participants to remain vigilant but 
said Chadian rebels across the border still seemed too divided to 
make any effective attack into Chad.  MINURCAT Force 
Commander General Kandji and UNPOL Deputy Commandant 
Fredrik Bjerkeborn admitted some delays in the transition period 
between EUFOR's departure and MINURCAT's complete 
installation.  They asked humanitarians to have patience as new 
peacekeepers fully deployed to the field.  In particular, Bourgain 
said DSS and MINURCAT were working to harmonize 
communications systems in the field so that all humanitarian actors 
would have immediate access to security information.  Bourgain 
confirmed MINURCAT's ultimate responsibility to evacuate all 
international humanitarian staff in eastern Chad in the event of a 
crisis and the UN's adherence to the "Saving Lives Together" 
concept.  However, he noted some constraints on MINURCAT's 
ability to conduct an evacuation, including limited fuel, airplanes 
and supplies. 
 
¶4.  (U) Humanitarians at the meeting were particularly concerned 
about several recent incidents perpetrated by DIS personnel.  (DIS 
is the special Chadian police force trained and mentored by 
MINURCAT UNPOL and charged with protecting refugee and 
IDP camps as well as providing escorts to humanitarians.)  Several 
organizations questioned whether incidents of DIS violence 
amounted to a worrying pattern on the part of the DIS and asked 
what disciplinary action would be taken against individual 
perpetrators.  UNPOL reminded participants that it had no 
authority to discipline the Chadian police force, but promised to 
continue to work with local authorities to ensure they take 
appropriate punitive action.  [Note:  The UN has told us in separate 
meetings that it is working with the DIS commander to develop a 
plan of corrective steps that it recommends in cases where DIS 
exceed the bounds of their authority or commit crimes while off 
duty.  Ambassador will raise this issue with SRSG Angelo April 15 
for an authoritative update from the MINURCAT chief.  End 
note] 
 
¶5.  (U) Participants also discussed the temporary freeze on 
UNHAS flights two weeks ago due to a sudden decision by the 
French military to reduce fuel supplies.  Although that particular 
problem was quickly resolved through advocacy by the Acting 
Humanitarian Coordinator, the underlying inadequacy of fuel 
supplies remains an issue.  The UNHAS Director explained to 
humanitarians that all air services operating in eastern Chad are 
supplied with fuel through the French military base in Abeche, 
which receives its fuel from TOTAL Marketing and Libya Oil. This 
fuel supply has been reduced due to problems at the refinery in 
Cameroon, Chadian customs delays, and transporter strikes. 
Meeting participants expressed concern that this fuel shortage will 
have a direct and significant impact on humanitarian air service and 
ultimately their ability to deliver assistance in eastern Chad or to be 
evacuated in the event of a security crisis.  RefCoord will continue 
to monitor the situation and work with other donors and partners 
to pursue solutions to this shortage. 
 
----------- 
NGO UPDATES 
----------- 
 
¶6.  (U) RefCoord introduced three representatives from the NGO 
24 Hours for Darfur (24HFD) to UNHCR Deputy Representative 
for Protection Michele Manca DiNissa April 9.  24HFD has 
received funding from the Department of State and from the 
National Endowment for Democracy to interview a representative 
sample of Darfuri refugees regarding their views on peace, 
reconciliation and return.  The organization requested UNHCR 
facilitate the implementation of the project by providing a letter of 
introduction and demographic data on the camps.  DiNissa 
expressed concerns about possible politicization of the camps and 
conflict resulting from this type of project.  He said UNHCR was 
mandated to avoid the appearance of any political bias and would 
prefer not to be publicly linked with the project.  RefCoord noted 
USG support for the project's goal of including refugee voices in 
any Darfur political solutions, but emphasized that PRM 
implementing partners and recipients of PRM funding were not 
obliged to provide support to 24HFD. 
 
¶7.  (U) RefCoord met with Olivia Collins, the Country Director of 
French-based NGO Groupe Urgence Rehabilitation 
Developpement (URD) April 9.  Collins described the organization 
as a research, evaluation, and training institute focused on 
improving the quality of humanitarian operations.  ECHO funded 
URD in 2008 to complete an assessment of the humanitarian 
situation in eastern Chad.  The organization has just begun a 
follow-on program designed to promote the development and 
adoption of best practices in four sectors; water and sanitation, 
food security, enviromental impact, and protection.  Project 
methodology is to bring subject-area technical experts to th field 
for workshops involving as many partners s possible.  The final 
evaluation in September sould show progress in terms of changed 
practicesincluding better coordination and information sharig 
between actors.  URD plans to establish a long-term presence in 
Chad and may seek funding for future similar programs. 
 
NIGRO