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Special Mission to Kutum on 6 September 2012

On 6 September 2012 an integrated team led by Mr. Oumar BA, OI !oO"S# and
consisting o$ t%e &olice Sector ommander, t%e OI Military Sector ommander as 'ell as
representati(es o$ O!A, !)S, AS and &A*, carried out a one"day mission to Kutum to
assess t%e current security situation in t%e Kutum area and to discuss 'it% t%e +eam Site
ommander, t%e local aut%orities and tribal leaders t%e 'ay $or'ard regarding t%e ongoing
tribal con$lict.
As t%e current situation on t%e ground did not allo' any meetings o$ t%e team 'it% t%e local
aut%orities or tribal leaders, detailed discussions too, place 'it% t%e +eam Site members a$ter
a brie$ing by t%e +eam Site ommander, -t. ol. +. Mas%alaba .Sout% A$rica/ on t%e
de(elopments in Kutum since 1 September .please see attac%ed document/. *iscussions
$ocused on t%e $ollo'ing issues0
Actions ta,en by 1#AMI*
2le(en 34& and I#5O"5oal sta$$ 'ere sa$ely e(acuated $rom Kutum to'n to t%e
+eam Site. Subse6uently, 34& pic,ed up t%eir sta$$ $rom t%e +eam Site '%ile 5oal
sta$$ 'ere airli$ted by 1#AMI* to 2l 4as%er on 7 September.
Sta$$ o$ t%e le(el 1 clinic o$ t%e +eam Site 'ent to t%e incident site and treated t%e
in8ured locals $rom Abdul S%a,ur '%ose truc, and land ro(er %ad been attac,ed by
Arab militia in $ront o$ t%e +eam Site on 7 September. In t%at attac,, one person 'as
,illed and $our persons sustained in8uries.
A$ter t%e attac,, 29 people too, re$uge in t%e +eam Site.
O$ t%e 16 people '%o %ad been treated at t%e le(el 1 clinic on 7 September, eig%t
seriously in8ured people 'ere e(acuated to 2l 4as%er.
+%e remaining patients as 'ell as t%e 29 people '%o %ad ta,en re$uge in t%e +eam
Site 'ere escorted to Kutum to'n on 7 September.
One 5oS policeman '%o %ad been stabbed at Kassab I*& camp, in a separate
incident on 7 September, 'as stabili:ed by 1#AMI*;s mobile medical team in t%e
camp. !e could not be mo(ed to t%e +eam Site due to t%e cur$e' .6 p.m. to 9 a.m./
'%ic% %ad been introduced on 7 September. !e 'as later trans$erred to 2l 4as%er $or
$urt%er treatment.
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Obser(ations and issues '%ic% need urgent attention
)econciliation0 +%ere is an urgent need $or inter"community reconciliation bet'een
t%e Arab nomadic community, o$ '%ic% t%e militia are an integral part, and t%e non"
Arab tribal groups. +%e recent incidents o$ (iolence in Kutum are potently indicati(e
o$ t%e $act t%at t%e ri(alries and inter"et%nic tensions bet'een t%e t'o communities
%a(e reac%ed a tipping point. )econciliation is doable but must be preceded by
dialogue sessions t%roug% '%ic% t%e root causes and core issues at play in t%ose
deadly ri(alries 'ill be identi$ied, discussed and recogni:ed by t%e t'o groups.
+eam Site;s current capacities0 +%e +eam Site is o(er stretc%ed in its current tas,s
and responsibilities. +%e only %ospital in Kutum %as been closed, and all
%umanitarian medical agencies 'or,ing in Kutum %a(e been relocated to 2l 4as%er.
+%e 5oS aut%orities are not properly in(ol(ed and rely on 1#AMI* to do most o$
t%e 'or,.
+%e 1#AMI* medical teams .t%e le(el 1 clinic in Kutum +eam Site and t%e
1#AMI*;s mobile medical team in Kassab I*& camp/ are currently t%e only ones
pro(iding medical ser(ices on t%e ground.
+%e +eam Site does not %a(e t%e capacity to %andle medical ser(ices on a large scale.
+%e medical teams are small and cannot pro(ide medical ser(ices $or a '%ole locality
'it%out support. +%ere are not su$$icient rooms, beds or 'ater $acilities to cater $or
many patients or a large group o$ people inside t%e +eam Site. +%e le(el 1 clinic is
only capable to %andle t%e +eam Site;s personnel.
+%e medical stoc,s are depleted as clearance 'as denied $or t%e Sout% A$rican
aircra$t bringing ne' supplies. In (ie' o$ t%e recent e(ents, t%e +eam Site is
currently 'or,ing on a list o$ re6uired medicines '%ic% 'ill be sent to Mission !<.
+%e number o$ troops and t%eir e6uipment mig%t not be su$$icient to assume a larger
protection responsibility in case t%e Kutum population or I*&s ta,es re$uge in t%e
+eam Site.
+%e O2 (e%icles badly need ser(ice, including ne' spare parts, as t%e s%ipment o$
spare parts $rom Sout% A$rica %as been delayed. +%e +eam Site ommander, as an
interim measure, %as re6uested Mission !<s to pro(ide at least si= .and ideally
$i$teen/ pic,"up truc,s.
As t%e Kutum mar,et %as been closed since 7 September, t%ere is a s%ortage o$ $ood
$or 1#AMI* ci(ilian, I>&O- and Military Obser(er sta$$. 4urt%ermore, t%e +eam
Site does not %a(e t%e capability to $eed any additional people ta,ing re$uge in t%e
+eam Site.
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Security o$ 1#AMI* sta$$ at +eam Site0 +%e team site is not MOSS compliant, as
t%e +eam Site ommander as 'ell as *SS %a(e pointed out be$ore. +%ere %a(e been
se(eral incidents o$ people, including criminals, in(ading t%e +eam Site. As
mentioned be$ore, on 7 September 2012, 29 locals entered t%e +eam Site $rom t%e
'est side o$ t%e camp, '%ere t%ere is no rein$orced $ence, to ta,e re$uge in t%e +eam
Site a$ter t%e attac, on 7 September.
+%e reasons '%y t%e Arab militia c%ose to launc% an attac, 8ust ?00 metres $rom t%e
+eam Site are still un,no'n. +%is may be seen as a clear pro(ocation and 'arning to
1#AMI* $ollo'ing pre(ious t%reats by t%e Arab militia. 4or e=ample, in @uly 2012,
t%ey t%reatened to attac, t%e +eam Site unless t%ey 'ould recei(e $inancial
compensation $rom 1#AMI* $or t%e alleged ,illing o$ ?00 o$ t%eir goats by stray
dogs roaming around at t%e +eam Site. +%ey could not pro(ide any e(idence but
continued t%reatening t%e +eam Site. According to in$ormation recei(ed by &A*
$rom t%e .Arab/ State Minster o$ 2n(ironment, Mo%amed Adam Al #a%la .#&/ on 6
September, t%e incident on 7 September s%ould not be seen as a t%reat to 1#AMI*.
As t%e Minister stated, t%e Arab militia %ad %appened to be in t%e area o$ t%e +eam
Site on 7 September '%en t%ey %ad been in$ormed by t%e local aut%orities t%at only
t%ree (e%icles o$ t%eir con(oy 'ould be allo'ed to enter Kutum to'n. It 'as
t%ere$ore in a reaction out o$ anger to t%is access denial t%at t%ey %ad attac,ed t%e
local truc, and land ro(er. According to t%e Minister, a$ter t%e attac,, t%e Arabs %ad
retreated to a nearby (illage, 5erir *amrat, to bury t%e $our dead Arab militia
members ,illed during t%e e=c%ange o$ $ire bet'een t%e 5oS police and Arab militia
on A September. +%e Minister also stated t%at in t%e ongoing negotiations, t%e Arab
militia groups o$ Kutum area .but not t%ose $rom ot%er areas, including #yala and
Kab,abiya, '%o %ad come to Kutum $or rein$orcement/, %ad agreed to stop t%e
(iolence. As also t%e +eam Site ommander con$irmed, tensions %ad calmed do'n
in t%e pre(ious 2A %ours but t%e security situation remained unpredictable on 6
September.
It 'ill be interesting to see t%e impact o$ t%e appointment o$ t%e SA4 ommander
Brig. 5en. Mo%amed Kamal Mo%ammed #ur to administer Kutum locality, including
Al 3a%a area .replacing t%e Kutum -ocality ommissioner/, on t%e ongoing
mediation e$$orts under t%e leaders%ip o$ t%e 3ali '%ic%, so $ar, %a(e not s%o'n any
concrete results. In order to reac% any compromise on t%e di$$icult root causes o$ t%e
con$lict, suc% as land issues, t%e political 'ill o$ K%artoum is re6uired to use its
in$luence on t%e Arab militia so t%at t%ey are more inclined to ma,e concessions in
t%e currently deadloc,ed negotiations.
)ecommendations
)econciliation0 1#AMI* .AS/ s%ould be ready to play a robust role as a neutral
t%ird"party mediatorB$acilitator. It is only t%roug% a $acilitated political process t%at
t%e problem bet'een Arabs and non"Arabs in Kutum can be broug%t under control.
+%is calls $or in(estment in social de(elopment and dialogue. +%ere$ore AS s%ould
organi:e dialogue sessions during '%ic% bot% sides 'ill air or (oice t%eir concerns,
$rustrations, $ears, interests, positions, needs and demands. %annels o$
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communication oug%t to be opened bet'een t%e t'o sides to ensure t%at t%eir tal,s
may brea, do'n t%e 'alls o$ long"%eld mutual mistrust and animosity. +%is 'ill %elp
to build trust, con$idence and cross"community cooperation and a 'illingness to
admit mista,es, 'rongs and atrocities committed by one community against t%e ot%er.
4urt%ermore, t%e positi(e in$luence o$ K%artoum on t%e Arab militia 'ill be (ital to
reac% a con$lict settlement.
&rotection o$ ci(ilians 0 )eser(e $orces .including medical sta$$/ and e6uipment need
to be put on standby at Mission !<s so t%at t%ey can be airli$ted to rein$orce Kutum
or any ot%er +eam Sites in case any emergency assistance is needed to protect
ci(ilians.
Security o$ 1#AMI* sta$$ at +eam Site0 +%e perimeter $ence %as to be rein$orced
immediately, $ollo'ed also by a rein$orcement o$ t%e +eam Site;s guard $orces
monitoring t%e $ence.
Medical supplies 0 A supply o$ medicines "" especially c%ild medicines .1#I24 can
be re6uested/ "" additional beds and 'ater tan,s, s%ould be sent to t%e +eam Site as
soon as possible.
4ood supplies0 One"day $lig%ts $rom Kutum to 2l 4as%er and return s%ould be
sc%eduled, as a temporary measure, in order to enable 1#AMI* ci(ilian, I>&O-
and Military Obser(er sta$$ to buy $ood. +%ey are $acing $ood s%ortages as t%ey
usually get t%eir $ood $rom t%e Kutum mar,et '%ic% %as been closed do'n since 7
September.
-ogistical support 0 At least si= .and ideally 17/ pic,"up truc,s s%ould be temporarily
allocated to t%e +eam Site. +%is 'ould enable t%e +eam Site to rein$orce its patrols
and s%o' strengt%.