Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05CAIRO4681
2005-06-20 15:07:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:  

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE AND GOVERNMENT OF

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PREL EAID EG SG 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

201507Z Jun 05
UNCLAS CAIRO 004681 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL EAID EG SG
SUBJECT: NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE AND GOVERNMENT OF
SUDAN SIGN PEACE AGREEMENT

REF: CAIRO 4360

Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.


UNCLAS CAIRO 004681

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL EAID EG SG
SUBJECT: NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE AND GOVERNMENT OF
SUDAN SIGN PEACE AGREEMENT

REF: CAIRO 4360

Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.



1. (U) Summary: Officials representing the Government of
Sudan (GOS) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) signed
a peace agreement on June 18 in Cairo potentially paving the
way for the NDA to participate in the Sudanese Unity
Government, scheduled to be formed by July 9, 2005. The
"Cairo Agreement for National Reconciliation and
Comprehensive Peace in Sudan" provides for the formation of a
joint committee to supervise the implementation of the
agreement. Despite the signing, key issues remain
unresolved. End summary.


2. (U) The joint committee will consist of legal, political
and grievance subcommittees, which will consider how NDA
views might be incorporated into the new government. The
agreed-upon subcommittees will reportedly explore ways to
strengthen the process of democratization in Sudan by means
such as lifting the State of Emergency, canceling laws that
limit freedom, and enacting new laws to enhance the
independence of the judiciary. Although the subcommittees'
precise objectives and strategies remain to be defined, both
NDA and GOS officials were publicly optimistic following the
signing ceremony about the prospects for greater cooperation.


3. (SBU) Nonetheless, key issues remain unresolved. NDA
vice chairman General Abdel Rahman Saeed told poloff on June
20 that the parties had failed to resolve both the
disposition of NDA-affiliated forces and the proportionate
representation by NDA parties in interim government
institutions. The NDA seeks to have its forces merged with
the Sudanese Army. As for the proportionate share of power,
Saeed said that the NDA would like the opposition to have at
least 20 percent representation in government institutions.
Saeed added that 14 percent should be reserved for the NDA
parties alone. According to the terms of the June 18
agreement, unless the parties resolve these two matters, the
overall agreement will not take effect.


4. (SBU) However, according to Saeed, the two unresolved
issues "would not keep (the NDA) from working with the
government." In that vein, the General noted that the
parties had reached a "significant breakthrough" concerning
NDA representation on the committee responsible for drafting
the new constitution. The GOS had initially offered the NDA
only six seats (out of a total of 60) on the drafting
committee, but later increased the number to nine, a number
satisfactory to the NDA. Saeed said that the NDA's team of
nine delegates would leave for Khartoum on June 20 or 21 to
join the constitutional drafting process.


5. (SBU) The Government of Egypt (GOE) continues to be
involved in supporting efforts to achieve peace in Sudan. In
addition to hosting this last round of GOS-NDA negotiations,
the GOE, according to the Ministry of Defense, is planning to
send 800 troops to join peace-keeping missions in Sudan by
the end of June.


6. Khartoum minimize considered.


Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo

You can also access this site through the
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website.

GRAY