VZCZCXRO4211
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #1177/01 2930548
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 200548Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4587
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001177 
 
NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
UN ROME FOR HSPANOS 
NEW YORK FOR DMERCADO 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI SMIG UN SU
SUBJECT:  Gender-Based Violence: Progress in Darfur and Northern 
Sudan 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  In an October 3 meeting with USAID's Office of 
U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), the U.N. Population 
Fund (UNFPA) noted recent legal and organizational progress on 
sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), including extending legal 
protections to women throughout northern Sudan.  UNFPA' efforts in 
this regard complement the U.S. Government's (USG) increased 
engagement on GBV issues.  End Summary. 
 
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LEGAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PROGRESS ON GBV 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) On October 3, a USAID/OFDA officer met with UNFPA staff for 
an update on GBV work in Darfur and northern Sudan more generally. 
Under the U.N. cluster roll-out in progress in Darfur, UNFPA will 
lead the subgroup on GBV that is part of the U.N. Protection 
Cluster, led by the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF).  UNFPA also leads 
the Reproductive Health (RH) subgroup of the U.N. Health Cluster, 
led by the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO).  The combined 
subgroup lead responsibilities place UNFPA in a unique coordination 
and advocacy role to advance a GBV agenda with the justice, health, 
and social welfare ministries. 
 
¶3.  (U) Following the Government of Sudan's (GOS) expulsion of 13 
international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in March 2009, 
the GBV sector lost virtually all of its implementing capacity and 
activities slowed measurably.  Women's centers closed, livelihoods 
activities ceased, and case reporting on GBV declined.  Hundreds of 
outreach workers were laid off.  Despite these   setbacks, UNFPA 
staff told USAID/OFDA that significant recent successes offered hope 
for continued GBV work in Sudan. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) UNFPA indicated that state officials' attitudes may be 
changing regarding GBV programs.  Following a change in leadership 
at the South Darfur Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) after March 
2009, rape kits, which previously could not be distributed in the 
state, are now dispatched along with other medicines.  [Note: The 
new head of the South Darfur HAC, Jamal Yousif Idriss, received 
training from UNFPA in prior years on GBV awareness and is 
considered 'friendly' to the sector.  End note.]  In North Darfur, 
the HAC has authorized the re-establishment of nine women's centers, 
while in West Darfur, UNFPA has GNU approval to revitalize a women's 
center in Krindig IDP camp as a pilot project, including a GBV 
training curriculum. 
 
¶5. (SBU) UNFPA's strategy, which has been successful to date, 
depoliticizes rape by focusing on the medical aspects.  As the lead 
in the RH subgroup, UNFPA focuses on the minimum service standards 
(MISP), which include treatment of GBV.  The MOH accepts MISP as 
part of its basic health strategy, and the GBV work by association 
with MISP. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) UNFPA emphasized that the legal environment for protection 
of rape victims remains weak overall in Sudan.  The Armed Forces Act 
of 2007 and Police Act of 2008 both provide immunity for police and 
armed services, and there remains a strong culture of denial of the 
existence of rape by non-medical authorities.  However, there are a 
few encouraging changes at the federal level.  The violence against 
women unit at the Ministry of Justice has announced that Circular 2, 
which outlines legal rights for GBV victims, will cover not only 
Darfur, but also the rest of Northern Sudan. This is recognition 
that violence against women is not unique to Darfur but affects 
women throughout northern Sudan.  Further, UNFPA says the GNU is 
taking steps to no longer require submission of Form 8 before a 
victim may seek medical treatment.  Currently, victims must submit 
Form 8 to access medical treatment for rape.  Abolishing the Form 8 
requirement will go a long way to alleviating the stigma and shame 
that accompanies rape in Sudan, which has discouraged women from 
seeking treatment. [Note: U.N. partners in the south are similarly 
working to remove the Form 8 requirement.  End Note.] 
 
¶7.  (SBU) UNFPA noted that UNICEF has helped establish Family Child 
Protection Units in a number of areas, including Kadugli and Kassala 
towns, Khartoum North and Omdurman cities.  The units are designed 
to be places to report violence against children and women and 
provide psychosocial support and medical attention for victims. 
While not fully operational due to lack of staff and equipment, the 
spaces exist and represent a step forward. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) UNFPA further stated that the GNU Ministry of Justice is 
drafting a five-year national action plan on GBV.  UNFPA and the 
UNDP rule-of-law division are involved to ensure that the action 
 
KHARTOUM 00001177  002 OF 002 
 
 
plan is consistent with relevant international law and standards. 
The first draft of the plan is not perfect, UNFPA admits, but is 
better than no plan at all. The existence of a plan offers the U.N. 
and Sudanese lawyers a standard of accountability against which to 
measure government actions.  U.N. organizations would prefer a plan 
that could be reviewed on an annual basis, giving civil society 
groups and the opportunity to provide feedback and advocate for 
additional elements.  UNFPA has provided USAID with a copy of the 
current draft. 
 
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OBSTACLES TO GBV WORK 
--------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Some of the technical obstacles UNFPA encounters include 
the high turnover of Ministry of Health staff, police, and others 
who require training.  However, high turnover means that hundreds of 
individuals have been sensitized and given skills to deal with GBV. 
UNFPA also trains U.N.-African Union Hybrid Operations in Darfur 
(UNAMID) staff, but the huge number of individuals, especially 
UNAMID police, that need training has led UNFPA to create a training 
of trainers module that is proving quite effective.  UNFPA's main 
constraint is securing funding for Darfur field office staff and 
supporting non-UNAMID trainings.  UNFPA commented that donors are 
reluctant to fund training if a measurable correlation between 
training and improvement in rape treatment is not catalogued.  UNFPA 
says that the sensitivity of reporting numbers and details of rape 
cases prevent statistical reporting about victims and treatment. 
UNFPA reported no difficulties in raising funds to purchase and 
distribute rape kits. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Comment:  UNFPA is optimistic about the progress in 
Darfur on GBV issues despite the generally gloomy operating 
environment in Darfur.  While NGOs have difficulty working in this 
area, the state and federal level governments' increasing acceptance 
of UNFPA is very significant.  One of the UNFPA staff in the October 
3 meeting was a former International Rescue Committee staff member 
who was asked to leave due to her GBV work in 2008.  She has since 
worked for UNFPA in Nyala without any government interference.   The 
new humanitarian space is the result of careful UNFPA interactions 
with government counterparts. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Comment continued:  The U.S. Congress has shown 
heightened interest and concern about GBV, and has dispatched 
Congressional and staff delegations to Sudan who have followed up on 
sector progress.  The Secretary of State has highlighted the issue 
in messages to the field and during her visits to Africa.  The USG 
will remain engaged in GBV issues in Sudan by supporting UNFPA's 
progress toward the acceptance of GBV as a legal and medical issue 
that deserves the attention of federal and state governments in 
Sudan.  End Comment. 
 
WHITEHEAD