SANT'EGIDIO WANTS TO TALK TO S/E DANFORTH ABOUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 005845 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI); AF, AF/E PLEASE PASS TO S/E DANFORTH, AMB. OAKLEY FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 198/01 E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/11 TAGS: PREL PGOV SU VT SUBJECT: SANT'EGIDIO WANTS TO TALK TO S/E DANFORTH ABOUT SUDAN OFF-SITE REFS: A) KAMPALA 3571 B) NAIROBI 7097 C) VATICAN 5566 CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 05845 131607Z CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR, REASONS E.O. 12958 1.5(B),(D). ¶1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST, PLEASE SEE NEXT PARA. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: SANT'EGIDIO COMMUNITY HOPES TO HOST A CONFIDENTIAL OFF-SITE DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE GOS AND SPLM SIPDIS TO UNBLOCK THE IGAD PROCESS. SANT'EGIDIO SUDAN EXPERT RICCARDI, JUST BACK FROM KHARTOUM, WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH S/E DANFORTH AND/OR AMB. OAKLEY IN ROME IN DECEMBER. ACTION REQUESTED: POST WOULD APPRECIATE GUIDANCE ON RESPONDING TO RICCARDI'S OFFER. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) FRESH BACK FROM HIS TRIP TO SUDAN, SANT'EGIDIO SUDAN SPECIALIST FABIO RICCARDI (TOGETHER WITH MARIO GIRO, SANT'EGIDIO'S WEST AFRICA SPECIALIST) WAS EAGER TO TALK WITH EMBASSY VATICAN ABOUT HIS MEETINGS IN KHARTOUM. ON 11/09 RICCARDI TOLD DCM THAT SANT'EGIDIO HAS GOOD CONTACTS WITH BOTH SIDES ON THE CONFLICT, AND THAT IT IS NOT INTERESTED IN THE BLAME-GAME PRACTICED BY SOME OF SUDAN'S CATHOLIC BISHOPS. HE SAID SANT'EGIDIO WISHES TO ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE PARTIES AND BELIEVES THE POST 9/11 ATMOSPHERE OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SO. HE REPLAYED SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME POINTS IN REF A, FOCUSING ON THE FACT THAT IGAD HAS STALLED, AND SOME CATALYST IS NEED TO REINVIGORATE IT. HE SAID THAT NEITHER PARTY, BUT ESPECIALLY THE GOS, TAKES IGAD SERIOUSLY -- MOSTLY THEY USE IT TO SCORE PROPAGANDA POINTS ON EACH OTHER. RICCARDI PROPOSES THAT SANT'EGIDIO HOST AT ITS HEADQUARTERS IN ROME A SERIES OF CONFIDENTIAL FACE-TO-FACE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOS AND SPLM, WHICH WOULD PERMIT CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 VATICA 05845 131607Z THEM TO "AGREE TO DISAGREE AND MOVE ON" (REF B),THUS UNBLOCKING THE EXISTING PROCESS. (NOTE: THIS IS A FORMULA WHICH WORKED TEN YEARS AGO WHEN SANT'EGIDIO MEDIATED THE END TO THE MOZAMBIQUE CIVIL WAR). ¶2. (C) RICCARDI TOLD US THAT HE HAD RAISED HIS IDEA OF PRIVATE OFF-SITE MEETINGS WITH SENIOR SUDANESE OFFICIALS, INCLUDING GHAZZI SALAHADDIN AND THE FM (WHO HE SAID WAS "STUPID"),NONE OF WHOM REJECTED IT. GARANG WOULD BE AN OBSTACLE, HE SAID, INDICATING HE HAD SPOKEN WITH MUSEVENI WHILE THE LATTER WAS IN LONDON, WHO GAVE HIM STRONG SIGNALS THAT GARANG WOULD NEED PERSUADING. RICCARDI TOLD US THE U.S. WOULD BE KEY, IF THIS PROPOSAL (WE HESITATE TO CALL IT AN INITIATIVE) WERE TO GET OFF THE GROUND. IF GARANG COULD BE PERSUADED, RICCARDI AND GIRO BOTH WERE CONFIDENT THEY COULD GET MEANINGFUL GOS PARTICIPATION TOO. ¶3. (C) POST UNDERSTANDS THAT SPECIAL ENVOY DANFORTH AND AF ARE CONTEMPLATING A VISIT TO EUROPEAN CAPITALS IN DECEMBER. RICCARDI WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN MEETING THE U.S. DELEGATION IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN. WE SUPPORT SUCH A MEETING AND REITERATE OUR OFFER (REF C) TO FACILITATE MEETINGS BETWEEN THE S/E AND RICCARDI, AS WELL AS WITH ANY OTHER INTERESTED VATICAN PARTIES. NICHOLSON CONFIDENTIAL > 2001VATICA05845 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL