INFO LOG-00 USNW-00 FAAE-00 JUSE-00 EPAU-00 R-00 Z 3 UNCLASSIFIED ORIGIN AF-00 NP-00 DODE-00 UTED-00 L-00 PA-00 EPAE-00 AID-00 DOTE-00 VC-00 VCE-00 IRM-00 IIP-00 AMAD-00 DS-00 H-00 DCP-01 SSO-00 DSCC-00 A-00 EAP-00 TEDE-00 NSAE-00 SS-00 PRM-00 CIAE-00 EB-00 INR-00 OIC-02 TEST-00 G-00 INL-00 EUR-00 I0-00 OIG-00 USIE-00 SAS-00 003R 342843 SOURCE CBLEXCLS 007716 DRAFTED BY AF PD AMITCHELL -- 12 16 2003 APPROVED BY AF PD LWKOENGETER ------------------D10D93 202-647-67241619312 38 P 161915Z DEC 03 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO ALL AFRICAN DIPLOMATIC POSTS PRIORITY AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY 0000 USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY RELEASED IN FULL UNCLAS STATE 342843 E O 12958 N A TAGS OIIP OPRC PREL US XA SUBJECT AFRICA PRESS GUIDANCE DECEMBER 16 2003 AF PRESS GUIDANCE ETHIOPIA REPORTS OF KILLINGS IN GAMBELLA REGION TUESDAY DECEMBER 16 2003 KEY POINTS REPORTS OF VIOLENCE IN GAMBELLA REGION IN ETHIOPIA HAVE PROVEN TO BE CORRECT WE HAD HEARD REPORTS THAT THREE AMERICAN CITIZENS WERE DEAD OR WOUNDED THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN LOCATED AND ARE ALIVE THE EMBASSY IS DISPATCHING A CONSULAR AND SECURITY TEAM TO THE REGION TO ASCERTAIN THE WELFARE OF ALL U S CITIZENS IN THE AREA UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY THEODORE SELLIN DATE CASE ID 13 NOV 2007 200701056 UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED THE EMBASSY IN ADDIS ABABA DISSEMINATED WARDEN MESSAGE TO THE LOCAL AMERICAN CITIZEN COMMUNITY ON DECEMBER 15TH NOTING THE OCCURRENCE OF VIOLENCE IN THE GAMBELLA REGION AND ADVISED U S CITIZENS TO DEFER ALL TRAVEL TO THAT REGION THE WARDEN MESSAGE ALSO NOTED THAT THE SECURITY SITUATION IS UNPREDICTABLE THE EMBASSY WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP AMERICAN CITIZENS APPRISED OF DEVELOPMENTS RELATING TO THEIR SAFETY AND SECURITY THROUGH THE WARDEN SYSTEM THE CURRENT CONSULAR INFORMATION SHEET FOR ETHIOPIA OUTLINES THAT INTERETHNIC CLASHES AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE ARE PREVALENT IN THE WESTERN-MOST TIP OF THE GAMBELLA REGION IN WEST ETHIOPIA TRAVEL TO THIS REGION IS NOT RECOMMENDED VISITORS SHOULD SEEK CURRENT GUIDANCE FROM THE U S EMBASSY IS ADDIS ABABA OR LOCAL OFFICIALS BEFORE TRAVELING TO OTHER AREAS ALONG THE ETHIOPIA SUDAN BORDER BACKGROUND 'THE STATE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED REPORTS OF VIOLENCE OCCURRING DURING THE WEEKEND IN GAMBELLA A REMOTE SOUTHERN REGION OF ETHIOPIA A NUMBER OF ETHIOPIANS FROM THE ETHNIC ANUAK GROUP HAVE BEEN REPORTED KILLED POSSIBLY BY ETHIOPIAN SOLDIERS IN RESPONSE TO AN ATTACK ON A CONVOY BY A GROUP OF ANUAKS THREE AMERICANS WERE REPORTEDLY AMONG THOSE KILLED BUT SUBSEQUENT INFORMATION FROM POLICE AUTHORITIES INDICATES THAT THEY ARE SAFE THE GAMBELLA REGION HOLDS FIVE LARGE UNHCR REFUGEE CAMPS AND HAS A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE BETWEEN ETHNIC GROUPS IN LATE 2002 41 PEOPLE MAINLY DINKA REFUGEES FROM SUDAN WERE REPORTED KILLED WHEN ANUAKS OPENED FIRE THE VIOLENCE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY CONNECTION TO RESOLUTION OF THE ETHIOPIA-ERITREA BORDER AF PRESS GUIDANCE SUDAN DARFUR SITUATION DECEMBER 16 2003 KEY POINTS THE UNITED STATES IS CONCERNED WITH THE WORSENING UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN SUDAN'S WESTERN PROVINCE OF'DARFUR DAR FOUR THE UNITED STATES CALLS ON ALL WARRING PARTIES TO HEED THE EFFORTS OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OF CHAD TO FACILITATE A HUMANITARIAN CEASE-FIRE END THE FIGHTING AND PERMIT HUMANITARIAN RELIEF TO REACH AFFECTED CIVILIAN POPULATIONS THE UNITED STATES ALSO CALLS ON THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN TO CONTROL THE MILITIA GROUPS IT HAS ARMED AVOID ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS AND GRANT TRAVEL PERMITS TO HUMANITARIAN WORKERS THE UNITED STATES URGES ALL PARTIES TO SEEK PEACEFUL MEANS TO RESOLVE THEIR DIFFERENCES THE FIGHTING IN DARFUR IS NOT LINKED TO THE ONGOING PEACE TALKS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN AND THE SUDAN PEOPLE'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT ARMY IN KENYA BACKGROUND THE DISPUTES IN DARFUR STEM FROM OVER SEVERAL DECADES OF POPULAR RESENTMENT CAUSED BY CONFLICT OVER RESOURCES PARTICULARLY WATER AND GRAZING FOR LIVESTOCK THIS MOST RECENT ITERATION OF FIGHTING BEGAN EARLY IN 2003 WHEN A REBEL MOVEMENT CALLING ITSELF THE SUDAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT ARMY NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE SUDAN PEOPLE'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT ARMY ATTACKED THE CAPITAL OF NORTH DARFUR STATE EL-FASHIR DESTROYING GOVERNMENT AIRCRAFT AND KILLING DOZENS OF GOVERNMENT SOLDIERS THE GOVERNMENT AND THE SLM A SIGNED A CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT IN SEPTEMBER WHICH ALLOWED HUMANITARIAN DELIVERIES TO SOME AREAS HOWEVER NOT ALL ARMED MILITIA GROUPS IN DARFUR NOTABLY THE RECENTLY EMERGED JUSTICE AND EQUALITY MOVEMENT ARE PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT AND INSTABILITY REMAINS USAID HAS PROVIDED ABOUT 5 000 TONS OF FOOD AID AND ABOUT $3 MILLION IN EMERGENCY AID THIS YEAR ON DECEMBER 5 THE U N EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR COMMENTED THAT THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN DARFUR IS QUICKLY BECOMING THE WORST IN THE WO RLD THE SUDAN PEOPLE'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT ARMY SPLM A HAVE BEEN ENGAGED WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN IN PEACE TALKS IN MACHAKOS KENYA SINCE JUNE 2002 KENYAN GENERAL RETIRED LAZARO SUM3EIYWO IS MEDIATING THE TALKS UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED INTERGOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY ON DEVELOPMENT IGAD IN JULY 2002 BOTH SIDES RESOLVED THE ISSUES OF STATE AND RELIGION AND THE RIGHT OF THE SOUTH TO SELF-DETERMINATION BY SIGNING THE HISTORIC MACHAKOS PROTOCOL ON SEPTEMBER 25 2003 BOTH SIDES SIGNED AN AGREEMENT ON SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS THEY ALSO COMMITTED TO THE SECRETARY TO CONCLUDE A FINAL COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT BY THE END OF 2003 SUDANESE VICE PRESIDENT TAHA AND SPLM A CHAIRMAN GARANG ARE PRESENTLY NEGOTIATING IN NAIVASHA KENYA THIS ROUND IS EXPECTED TO END ON DECEMBER 19 U S DEPARTMENT OF STATE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECEMBER 16 2003 2003 STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER SUDAN SPOKESMAN SITUATION IN DARFUR THE UNITED STATES IS DEEPLY CONCERNED WITH THE RAPIDLY DETERIORATING HUMANITARIAN AND SECURITY SITUATION IN THE DARFUR REGION OF SUDAN HOSTILITIES IN DARFUR BETWEEN INDIGENOUS OPPOSITION GROUPS AND THE SUDANESE ARMED FORCES AND ITS ALLIED MILITIAS HAVE CAUSED NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND THE U N TO CURTAIL NEEDED HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THE UNITED STATES DEPLORES THE PARTIES' LACK OF ENGAGEMENT TO END HOSTILITIES IN DARFUR DESPITE EFFORTS BY THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CHAD TO FACILITATE TALKS AND A HUMANITARIAN CEASE-FIRE REPORTS INDICATE MORE THAN 600 000 CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN INTERNALLY DISPLACED 75 000 REFUGEES HAVE FLED TO NEIGHBORING CHAD AND AS MANY AS 3 000 UNARMED CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED MANY MORE HAVE BEEN PREVENTED FROM PLANTING OR HARVESTING CROPS HUMANITARIAN ACCESS CONTINUES TO BE INHIBITED BY ONGOING INSECURITY AND THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN'S DENIAL OF TRAVEL PERMITS TO HUMANITARIAN WORKERS THE UNITED STATES CALLS ON ALL PARTIES TO AGREE TO AN OBSERVABLE HUMANITARIAN CEASE-FIRE AND ENGAGE IN SUBSTANTIVE DIALOGUE ON ENDING THE HOSTILITIES UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED IN DARFUR FURTHER THE UNITED STATES CALLS ON THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN TO TAKE CONCRETE STEPS TO CONTROL THE MILITIA GROUPS IT HAS ARMED TO AVOID ATTACKS AGAINST CIVILIANS AND TO FULLY FACILITATE THE EFFORTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN COMMUNITY TO RESPOND TO CIVILIAN NEEDS THE FIGHTING IN DARFUR IS NOT LINKED TO THE ONGOING PEACE TALKS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN AND THE SUDAN PEOPLE'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT ARMY IN KENYA POWELL NNNN UNCLASSIFIED                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu