UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2013-09087 Doc No C05424591 Date 01 22 2014 RELEASED IN PART 1 4 B B1 1 4 D ACTION SS-00 INFO LOG-00 SAS-00 000W ED4E4E 171535Z 38 0 R 171040Z FEB 04 FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0181 INFO AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM CONFIDENTIAL SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 000161 EXDIS DECAPTIONED FOR AF ACTING A S CHARLES SNYDER E O 12958 DECL 2 17 2014 TAGS PGOV PHUM PREL SU SUBJECT SCORCHED EARTH IN DARFUR AND THE POLICY RESPONSE REF A KHARTOUM 149 B KHARTOUM 147 REVIEW AUTHORITY Charles Daris Senior Reviewer CLASSIFIED BY GERARD M GALLUCCI CHARGE D'AFFAIRES U S EMBASSY-KHARTOUM DEPARTMENT OF STATE REASON B D CLASSIFIED BY GERARD M GALLUCCI CHARGE D'AFFAIRES U S EMBASSY-KHARTOUM DEPARTMENT OF STATE REASON B D 1 C AS REPORTED IN REF A AND PREVIOUS CABLES IN THE PAST WEEK DOZENS MORE VILLAGES HAVE BEEN BURNED IN THE DARFUR REGION OF SUDAN FORCING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO SEEK SHELTER NEAR REGIONAL URBAN CENTERS THE VIOLENCE HAS INTENSIFIED DESPITE A PEACE INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED FEBRUARY 8 BY PRESIDENT BASHIR PROMISING HUMANITARIAN ACCESS AN END TO VIOLENCE AN AMNESTY FOR THE REBELS AND A REGIONAL PEOPLE CONFERENCE MOST ACCOUNTS NOW PLACE THE DISPLACED POPULATION INSIDE DARFUR ABOVE 500 000 AND UP TO 700 000 OUT OF A TOTAL POPULATION OF SIX MILLION ANOTHER 100 000 HAVE SOUGHT REFUGE IN CHAD WHILE THE CONFLICT IS DRIVEN BY DEEP AND HISTORIC TENSIONS BETWEEN THE MINORITY LARGELY PASTORAL ETHNIC ARAB TRIBES AND THE MAJORITY SEDENTARY AFRICAN TRIBAL GROUPINGS B1 1 4 B 1 4 D 2 C THE COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE REBELS HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY A COMBINATION OF GOVERNMENT BOMBINGS AND ARMED AND MOUNTED ARAB MILITIAS THE JANJAVVEIT THE CURRENT PHASE BEGAN IN EARLY JANUARY AND APPEARS TO HAVE HAD AS ITS GOAL REMOVING ANY REMAINING SUPPORT BASES THE REBELS MIGHT HAVE THE JANJAWEIT ELEMENTS HAVE VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED OPERATIONAL LATITUDE IN THE DARFUR COUNTRYSIDE AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SCORCHED EARTH POLICY WHICH HAS LED TO THE SYSTEMATIC AND MASSIVE DISPLACEMENT OF POPULATIONS THE ARAB MILITIAS ARE TAKING Classification Extended on 11 19 2013 - Class CONFIDENTIAL - Authority DSCG 11-1 - Declassify on 02 17 2024 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2013-09087 Doc No C05424591 Date 01 22 2014 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2013-09087 Doc No C05424591 Date 01 22 2014 ADVANTAGE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S DESIRE TO DESTROY THE SLA JEM REBELLIONS QUICKLY TO SETTLE LOCAL SCORES BUT AT LEAST SOME OF THE MILITIAS HAVE BEEN ACTING WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES WITH TIES TO KHARTOUM THE HUMANITARIAN DIMENSIONS OF THE CRISIS WHICH HAS ALSO CLAIMED THOUSANDS OF LIVES IN RECENT MONTHS ARE ALREADY SERIOUS AND SET TO DETERIORATE UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT REVERSES COURSE NOW 3 C THE SEVERITY OF THE CRISIS WAS CONFIRMED BY A USG DELEGATION LED BY USAID DCHA ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR ROGER WINTER WHICH VISITED THE THREE STATE CAPITALS OF THE DARFUR REGION ON FEBRUARY 14-15 THE DELEGATION MET WITH NEWLY DISPLACED PERSONS ETHNIC REPRESENTATIVES FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE CONFLICT LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND UN AND NGO OFFICIALS AND WERE WITNESS TO THE POLITICAL TENSIONS DESTRUCTION AND SUFFERING WROUGHT BY THE CONFLICT FROM THE AIR THE TEAM COUNTED LITERALLY DOZENS OF VILLAGES BLACKENED BY FIRE WITH SMOKE LINES VISIBLE FROM THOSE SET ALIGHT MORE RECENTLY ON THE FLIGHT BETWEEN EL FASHER AND NYALA WINTER AND ACCOMPANYING SUDAN GROUP HEAD AMBASSADOR MICHAEL RANNEBERGER AND PRM DAS MIKE MCKINLEY FLEW OVER A STRING OF SETTLEMENTS WITH FLAMES STILL SHOOTING INTO THE SKY ON THE GROUND THE DELEGATION VISITED WITH NEWLY DISPLACED POPULATIONS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO UNIVERSALLY DESCRIBED THE MEN WHO HAD ATTACKED THEIR VILLAGES AS ARABS OR JANJAWEIT B1 1 4 B 1 4 D 4 C MOST LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND ARAB TRIBAL LEADERS THAT THE DELEGATION MET WITH SOUGHT TO PLACE THE BLAME FOR VIOLENCE ON THE REBELS AND OUTLAWS THE REALITY IS AS OTHER SOURCES AND AFRICAN TRIBAL SPOKESPERSONS AND A FEW ARAB ONES MADE CLEAR THAT THE JANJAWEIT ARE LARGELY RESPONSIBLE IN ADDITION THE POLITICAL TENSIONS OCCASIONED BY THE SLA JEM REBELLIONS HUNG HEAVY IN THE AIR DURING THE STAY IN DARFUR THE DELEGATION ALSO RECEIVED REGULAR REPORTS OF NEW ATTACKS VILLAGE BURNINGS AND DISPLACED POPULATIONS EVEN AS THE LOCAL WALIS GOVERNORS WERE OFFERING ASSURANCES THAT THE FIGHTING WAS COMING TO AN END IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE NYALA AND GENEINA EIGHTY KILOMETERS NORTH OF EL FASHER AN IDP POPULATION AT KUTUM WHICH ONLY THREE WEEKS AGO KHARTOUM 00000161 002 OF 003 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2013-09087 Doc No C05424591 Date 01 22 2014 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2013-09087 Doc No C05424591 Date 01 22 2014 UROPEAN UNION DELEGATION VISITING THE CAMP SAW CHILDREN AND OTHERS SUFFERING FROM FRESH AND UNTREATED BULLET WOUNDS EVEN AS THE GOS AUTHORIZED THE FIRST EMERGENCY WORLD FOOD PROGRAM OPERATIONS IN THE AREA 5 C AS REPORTED REF B THE DELEGATION HAD USED EARLIER MEETINGS FEBRUARY 11-12 WITH SENIOR SUDANESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO RAISE USG CONCERNS ABOUT THE SITUATION IN DARFUR ON FEBRUARY 16 THE GOVERNMENT LIFTED REMAINING RESTRICTIONS ON OTHER NGOS AND AS OF THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 17 APPEARS TO HAVE GRANTED TRAVEL PERMITS TO MSF GOAT ANn OTHFR NGOS IT VIFWS AS PROP FMATIC B1 1 4 B 1 4 D 6 C IT IS NOW EVIDENT HOWEVER THAT A PIECEMEAL RESPONSE WILL NOT CONTAIN THE CRISIS IN DARFUR WE FACE THE PROSPECTS OF AN EVEN GRATER HUMANITARIAN AND HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS AS LOCAL FOOD RESERVES RUN LOW AND THE GROWING IDP CONCENTRATIONS BEGIN TO CREATE THEIR OWN SANITATION HEALTH AND SECURITY PROBLEMS 7 C IN MEETINGS ON FEBRUARY 16-17 WITH SENIOR GOS MINISTERS RANNEBERGER MCKINLEY AND THE CHARGE IN AN APPROACH WORKED OUT WITH DCHA AA WINTER FORCEFULLY CONVEYED THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION AND PROPOSED FOUR COURSES OF ACTION - IMMEDIATE HUMANITARIAN ACCESS FOR ALL IOS AND NGOS WILLING TO WORK IN DARFUR IF SECURITY REMAINS AN ISSUE IN RURAL AREAS ALLOW HUMANITARIAN PERSONNEL TO WORK IN THE REGIONAL CAPITALS AND SMALLER TOWNS TRAVEL PERMIT PROCEDURES MUST BE SIMPLIFIED THE GOS ARMED FORCES SHOULD SEEK TO SECURE MAIN ROADS TO ALLOW THE TRANSPORT OF HUMANITARIAN RELIEF POLITICAL AND IF NECESSARY MILITARY STEPS TO CONTROL THE JANJAWEIT SINCE THERE ARE STRONG INDICATIONS THAT MANY OPERATE IN COMPLICITY WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND SECURITY AGENCIES CALL IN THE MILITIA LEADERS AND ORDER THEM TO HALT OPERATIONS THIS SHOULD INCLUDE A PUBLIC CALL ON THEM TO DESIST - MOVE ON AN URGENT BASIS TO TALKS WITH THE SLA AND JEM REPRESENTATIVES WITH A VIEW TO ADDRESSING HUMANITARIAN ACCESS AND IMMEDIATE CEASE-FIRE ISSUES FOLLOW THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH MORE STRUCTURED DIALOGUE ON POLITICAL CONCERNS IN LINE WITH UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2013-09087 Doc No C05424591 Date 01 22 2014 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2013-09087 Doc No C05424591 Date 01 22 2014 PRESIDENT BASHIR'S INITIATIVE WHICH CONTAINS MANY OF THE ELEMENTS OF AN EVENTUAL SETTLEMENT - DEPLOY A SMALL INTERNATIONAL MONITORING PRESENCE TO OBSERVE IMPLEMENTATION OF CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENTS IN THE FEBRUARY 16-17 MEETINGS WE REITERATED THE OFFER TO HAVE THE CPMT OPERATE IN DARFUR 8 C PER CONVERSATIONS WITH WASHINGTON ON FEBRUARY 15-16 WINTER HAS INITIATED CONTACT WITH SLA REPRESENTATIVES TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF DIRECT TALKS WITH THE GOS WITH INTERNATIONAL FACILITATION IN ADDITION RANNEBERGER MCKINLEY AND THE CHARGE MET WITH EUROPEAN UNION REPRESENTATIVES WHO SAID THAT THEIR OWN CONTACTS WITH THE REBELS COULD LEAD TO A DIRECT REBEL-EU MEETING IN SOUTHERN DARFUR AS EARLY AS THIS WEEKEND THEY ARE PRESSING THE SLA TO DECLARE A CEASE-FIRE TO INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF HUMANITARIAN ACCESS THE REBELS HOWEVER HAVE TOLD BOTH THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR AND THE EMBASSY THAT THEY PLAN TO LAUNCH NEW OFFENSIVES TO RECAPTURE TINE AND KORNOI IN NORTH DARFUR 9 C B1 1 4 B 1 4 D 10 C THE GOVERNMENTS PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO OFFER ENOUGH CONCESSIONS TO BUY TIME FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF ALL OPTIONS THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN DARFUR AND THE CRITICAL TALKS IN NAIVASHA NO LONGER ALLOW FOR THE MEASURED AND CYNICAL APPROACH WE MADE CLEAR TO GOS OFFICIALS THAT WE AND OTHERS WILL CONTINUE TO SPEAK OUT CLEARLY ON THE SITUATION IN DARFUR 11 C THIS CABLE DRAFTED BY SPECIAL ADVISOR RANNEBERGER UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2013-09087 Doc No C05424591 Date 01 22 2014 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2013-09087 Doc No C05424591 Date 01 22 2014 AND DAS MCKINLEY GALLUCCI NNNN UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2013-09087 Doc No C05424591 Date 01 22 2014                     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