VZCZCXRO2450
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0859/01 2021332
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 211332Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4129
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0097
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0334
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0148
RUEHSUN/USUN ROME IT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000859 
 
DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A/S CARSON, AF/C 
NSC FOR MGAVIN 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
BRUSSELS FOR PBROWN 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
UN ROME FOR HSPANOS 
NEW YORK FOR DMERCADO 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT:  SE GRATION VISITS KASS IDP CAMPS AND IDP RETURN VILLAGE 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 857 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (U) On July 18, U.S. Special Envoy (SE) to Sudan J. Scott Gration 
and his delegation traveled to Kass to assess remaining 
expulsion-related gaps in Kass town's internally displaced persons 
(IDP) camps and to visit a village of reported returns.  During 
meetings with Kass's largely Fur tribe IDPs, SE Gration said the 
expulsions of 13 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) 
in early March had resulted in a large setback for Kass, with little 
recovery in some areas.  The Special Envoy emphasized the U.S. 
Government's (USG) commitment to ensuring that gaps are filled, but 
also underscored the need to address the long-term situation, with 
IDPs needing to help themselves as part of the solution.  The 
delegation's visit to Tabaldia Um Oshush, a returns site, was an 
indication that some IDPs are voluntarily returning to areas they 
now deem safe.  In discussions with local officials, the SE 
underscored the importance of permitting the International 
Organization for Migration (IOM) to work in South Darfur to verify 
reports of returns and assess needs for populations in these areas. 
End summary. 
 
------------------------- -------------------------------- 
Kass Sheikhs:  "Without Practical Action, No Need to Talk" 
------------------------- -------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) With approximately 90,000 IDPs in 37 settlement sites, as 
well as approximately 35,000 host community residents, Kass town was 
clearly affected  by the early March NGO expulsions.  Sanitation and 
medical services are the greatest need areas following the 
expulsions. 
 
¶3. (U) SE Gration opened the meeting with the Kass camps' Fur tribal 
sheikhs (IDP leaders) by asking them to look to the future:  Where 
would they and their children be in five years, and what could they 
do now in assuring a brighter future for themselves?  None of the 
sheikhs addressed the SE's questions.  Rather, they complained that 
of the 13 organizations expelled in March, five had been working in 
Kass.  They listed concerns for hygiene and sanitation in Kass 
camps, stating that some latrines are full and that no space exists 
for construction of new latrines. 
 
¶4. (U) The leaders said that Kass IDPs needed international help not 
only on such practical issues, but also on security and land 
occupation.  They reported that Fur land, primarily in Wadi Saleh, 
had been occupied by Arab migrants from other countries whom they 
claimed had been invited in by the government.  The IDPs stated that 
they needed the international community's help in disarming militias 
and removing those occupying their land.  Only then could they 
return to live with peace and dignity in their places of origin.  In 
answer to the SE's question on resolving land tenure issues, the IDP 
leaders said they themselves were not involved.  The sheikhs 
maintained that they did not have weapons, and consequently could 
not remove armed people from their lands.  "We cannot return without 
protection",  one of the IDPs said.  The IDPs alleged that 
voluntary returns discussed in the local media were part of the 
Sudanese government's "propaganda" campaign. 
 
¶5. (SBU) SE Gration summarized his discussions in Paris with exiled 
Fur leader, Abdul Wahid.  He noted that the latter did not want to 
participate in peace negotiations in Doha.  He said such a refusal 
was counterproductive to achieving peace and security in Darfur. 
The sheikhs expressed skepticism about the value of the peace talks. 
 They said that if they were to attempt to unite, the government 
would detain and harass the organizers.  [Note:  Several National 
Security staff showed up and listened to the entire meeting, which 
was held in an open location within one of the Kass town IDP 
settlements.  End note.]  The IDP leaders asserted that the people 
negotiating in Doha had not consulted with the IDPs.  The sheikhs 
said they supported Abdul Wahid in his refusal to negotiate without 
the disarmament of militias, noting:  "Without practical action, 
there is no need to talk."  SE Gration urged the IDPs to tell Abdul 
Wahid's commanders that they wanted the IDPs to seek to have their 
 
KHARTOUM 00000859  002 OF 003 
 
 
voice hear in the process of determining wealth-sharing and other 
issues affecting their future.  The Special Envoy told them that in 
backing Abdul Wahid their "future is in his hands, and his hands are 
in Paris.  You need someone who is working for you in Darfur".  SE 
Gration emphasized that IDPs must organize themselves to gain a 
common voice; otherwise, they and their children would remain in the 
camps into the future.  While the IDP leaders listened politely, it 
was clear they were not responsive to this message.  Echoing Abdul 
Wahid's views, several of the sheikhs said SE Gration had 
"disappointed them" through his "denial" that genocide had occurred 
in Darfur.  The SE responded by saying that this was not in fact 
what he had said.  He recommended that the sheikhs read his 
statements, rather than rely on reports from others, a reference to 
Abdul Wahid's  continuing propaganda campaign inside the Fur 
communities. 
 
------------------------ --------------------------- 
Kass Humanitarian Services:  More Empty Clinic Beds, Significant 
Remaining Gaps 
------------------------ --------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) SE Gration and the delegation visited the former 
International Rescue Committee (IRC) clinic in Kass.  Although the 
latter has substantial, recently-constructed facilities, the clinic 
is now devoid of patients.  USAID partner Humedica told the Special 
Envoy that the South Darfur State Ministry of Health (SMOH) lacks 
the capacity and funding to consistently staff and support the 
health clinic, resulting in low usage by the IDP community.  In 
contrast, Humedica operates another, smaller clinic in Kass, as well 
as mobile clinics on the town's periphery, that have seen patient 
caseloads increase dramatically since the expulsions. 
 
¶7. (U) Humedica staff noted that World Vision has discussed taking 
over the former IRC clinic.  However, Humedica staff said that it 
will take time for World Vision or any other interested NGOs to make 
the clinic operational again.  Such NGOs will also need government 
permission to re-start  the clinic's operations.  In the meantime, 
two NGOs with a much smaller presence and capacity will continue to 
provide services that six NGOs previously offered. 
 
------------------- 
Tabaldia Um Oshush 
------------------ 
 
¶8. (U) The delegation traveled eight kilometers outside of Kass town 
to visit Tabaldia Um Oshush, a reported returns village.  In early 
July, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 
(OCHA) and the UN World Food Program (WFP) received reports from a 
national NGO that approximately 1,500 households from Kass had moved 
to neighboring villages.  The national NGO reported that the highest 
priorities for the newly-arrived households included provision of 
food, relief commodities, agricultural inputs, and water, as well as 
school rehabilitation. 
 
¶9. (U) Those in the settlement told SE Gration that they had 
returned from Kass town IDP camps in recent weeks, and that Tabaldia 
Um Oshush was their village of origin.  The residents stated that 
they had fled the village during inter-ethnic fighting between the 
Terjam and the Rizeigat, both Arab groups.  Subsequent 
reconciliation initiated by the two groups themselves led the IDPs 
to return to the village.  However, when questioned regarding which 
of the 37 Kass IDP settlements they had recently returned from, the 
residents provided differing answers, although all claimed they had 
never had IDP ration cards.  After promising to return to the 
village to conduct further assessments, a UN representative 
emphasized the need for additional verification measures on the 
returns. He added that it was important for the UN to provide 
assistance to such populations, no matter what their status, 
especially if additional conversations revealed that they needed 
such help. 
 
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Comment 
------- 
 
¶10. (U) Kass IDP camps were hard-hit by the March 4 NGO expulsions. 
 
KHARTOUM 00000859  003 OF 003 
 
 
Medical care and sanitation are two of the service areas where the 
gap is still being felt.  The two international NGOs now working in 
Kass are unable at this time to fill the gap in medical and 
sanitation capacity left by the expulsions.  The urgency of filling 
this gap may increase with the onset of the rainy season.  It is not 
only the IDP population that is affected by a lack of services, but 
also the host community as well. The latter depends on the support 
of relief agencies to reduce the strain of hosting 90,000 IDPs. 
 
¶11. (U) The visit to Tabaldia Um Oshush underscored the importance 
of the Special Envoy's request to the Wali, Ali Mahmoud Mohamed, and 
his deputy, Dr. Farah Mustafa Abdullah (who reputedly holds the real 
power in the region) that the International Organization of 
Migration be allowed to work in South Darfur.  IOM should conduct 
verification missions and assess related needs, particularly if the 
security situation improves to allow additional returns. 
 
¶12. (U) Special Envoy Gration reviewed and approved this cable. 
 
WHITEHEAD