SUDAN HUMAN RIGHTS MONITOR ISSUE 6

SUDAN HUMAN RIGHTS MONITOR
JUNE – JULY 2010

Feature: Humanitarian Blockade of Kalma Camp Renews Fears of Forced Expulsion
In late July, tension in Darfur’s Kalma and Almahidia internally displaced persons (IDP) camps turned deadly as clashes broke out between political rivals and amidst longstanding disputes over IDPs’ political representation in the Doha peace process. At least seven people were killed and five injured in the clashes. In the following weeks from 2 – 16 August, local authorities surrounded the Kalma camp near Nyala in South Darfur and blocked humanitarian aid, citing insecurity in the area, and intimidated IDPs. On 17 August, Sudanese authorities partially restored humanitarian access to the camps to allow delivery of food and fuel for water pumps. Those present in the camp reported wide portions of it deserted. At the time of writing, subsequent attempts to access the camp had been unsuccessful. It is estimated that there are approximately 50,000 IDPs left in Kalma camp, though the UN and other humanitarian agencies have been unable to conduct an assessment of what must be dire conditions, exacerbated by poor sanitation conditions in the rainy season.

IDPs and local organisations have objected to the blockage of access, alleging that the pretext of insecurity has been exploited to divert aid in the attempt to force IDPs out of the camps, and the Sudanese government has itself contributed to the insecurity. In an environment where humanitarian conditions in Darfur never fully recovered from the expulsion of 13 international NGOs following the March 2009 issuance of an arrest warrant against President Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court, this blockage of access is particularly dangerous. To many IDPs, the restriction of humanitarian space, both through restrictions on freedom of movement and threats to expel international organisations should they overstep their bounds, is part of a deliberate attempt to intimidate and pressure IDPs to leave the camps and the government to control them in the interim. The introduction of National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) agents in Kalma1 has been seen as a calculated effort by the Sudanese government to divide the population along ethnic and political lines, and facilitate dismantling the camp.

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