SUDAN'S POSITION ON IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 00185

STATE FOR AF/SPG

E.O. 12958: DECL:03/02/13;
TAGS: PREL PGOV SU AL IZ
SUBJECT: SUDAN'S POSITION ON IRAQ

REF: KHARTOUM 178

CLASSIFIED BY DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION MARGUERITA RAGSDALE.
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAS FORMALLY
SPELLED OUT THE GOVERNMENT'S VERY GENERALIZED AND
NON-CONFRONTATIONAL POSITION ON IRAQ WHICH PUTS KHARTOUM BEHIND
THE UNSC RESOLUTION AND THE WORK OF THE INSPECTORS. THE
POSITION IS MARKEDLY DIFFERENT FROM VIEWS EXPRESSED BY SUDAN'S
FOREIGN MINISTER DAYS EARLIER AT THE ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL
MEETING IN CAIRO. IN THE MEANTIME, PRESIDENT BASHIR DECLINED TO
ATTEND THE SHARM AL-SHEIKH SUMMIT IN ORDER TO ADDRESS PRESSING
ISSUES AT HOME. LOCAL PUBLIC OPINION APPEARS TO AGREE WITH
BASHIR'S CHOICE OF PRIORITIES. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS DIRECTOR FOR THE AMERICAS
DEPARTMENT AMBASSADOR MOHAMED AL-AMIN AL-KARIB CONVOKED DCM
03/01 TO CONVEY A PAPER OUTLINING SUDAN'S POSITION ON THE ISSUE
OF IRAQ. REFTEL NOTES THE CONCERTED EFFORT OF SUDAN'S FOREIGN
MINISTER DR. MUSTAPHA ISMAIL TO REPAIR DAMAGE CAUSED BY HIS
REMARKS AT THE ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL IN CAIRO. IN THOSE
COMMENTS, ISMAIL CAME OUT AGAINST ARAB STATES ALLOWING BASES AND
FACILITIES IN THEIR COUNTRIES TO BE USED IN AN ATTACK AGAINST
IRAQ. THE MINISTER'S SUBSEQUENT STATEMENTS INDICATED THAT HE
HAD BACKED AWAY FROM THAT POSITION.


2. (C) FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF THE POSITION PAPER READ BY AL-KARIB
AND HANDED OVER TO DCM AS A NON-PAPER. IT STATES THAT SUDAN'S
STANCE ON IRAQ IS BASED ON THE FOLLOWING:


A. FIRM COMMITMENT TO THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS
SECURITY COUNCIL AND THE NECESSITY OF FULL COOPERATION BETWEEN
IRAQ AND THE INSPECTORS, AS THIS IS ESSENTIAL TO AVOID WAR.


B. WEAPONS INSPECTORS ARE THE CONCERNED BODY THAT WILL DECIDE
WHETHER IRAQ HAS FULLY COMPLIED WITH SECURITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTIONS;


C. IT IS THE HOPE OF SUDAN THAT ALL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
BE REMOVED FROM IRAQ WITHOUT WAR;


D. THIS SUDANESE POSITION WILL BE VOICED OUT IN ALL REGIONAL
FORUMS SUCH AS THE ARAB LEAGUE, NAM, AND OIC. AS WELL, SUDAN
WILL ABIDE BY THE RESOLUTIONS OF THESE REGIONAL FORUMS ON THE
ISSUE;


E. IF THERE IS ANY SPECIFIC VIEWPOINT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF
THE UNITED STATES ON THE ISSUE, THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT WILL BE
READY TO HEIR THAT VIEW.


3. (C) EGYPTIAN AMBASSADOR ASSIM TOLD CHARGE MILLINGTON THAT
SUDAN'S FM REVERSED HIS POSITION ON IRAQ "BECAUSE SUDAN IS
IRRELEVANT AS FAR AS IRAQ IS CONCERNED" AND BECAUSE THE COUNTRY
RISKED LOSING CONSIDERABLE INVESTMENT POTENTIAL FROM GULF STATES
SUCH AS KUWAIT, THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AND SAUDI ARABIA.
THESE COUNTRIES HAD ONLY RECENTLY BEGUN TO INITIATE SERIOUS
INVESTMENT OPTIONS HERE SINCE THEIR BREAK WITH SUDAN FOLLOWING
THE 1991 GULF WAR.


4. (C) COMMENT: SUDAN'S PRESIDENT OMAR BASHIR DECLINED TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT AT SHARM AL-SHEIKH, CITING
"INTERNAL ISSUES RELATED TO PEACE AND SECURITY IN SUDAN."
FOREIGN MINISTER ISMAIL LED SUDAN'S DELEGATION AND READ A
STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT BASHIR THAT DID NOT GO BEYOND THOSE
INNOCUOUS REMARKS QUOTED ABOVE. PUBLIC SENTIMENT IN SUDAN
GENERALLY SUPPORTED BASHIR'S DECISION NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE
ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT. WHILE THERE IS WIDESPREAD PUBLIC OPPOSITION
TO A U.S.-LED ATTACK AGAINST IRAQ, MOST SUDANESE APPEAR TO AGREE
WITH BASHIR'S POSITION THAT THERE ARE MORE PRESSING ISSUES THAT
NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AT HOME. END COMMENT.


MILLINGTON