SUDANESE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER MEETS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 001281

SIPDIS

AF/SPG (TSMITH)
AF/RSA (DSIMS),
EUR/PPD (ACERVETTI)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2014
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV UNHRC
SUBJECT: SUDANESE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER MEETS WITH
AMBASSADOR

REF: A. OCTOBER 14 EMAIL TO SMITH/SIMS

B. DUBLIN 573

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JAMES C. KENNY, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B),(D)

Summary
--------------


1. (C) Summary. On October 14, the Ambassador met with
Sudanese human rights activist Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam. Dr.
Mudawi is in Ireland for a human rights defenders conference
and will travel to the U.S. to receive an award from Human
Rights First, a U.S.-based NGO. In the meeting with the
Ambassador, Mudawi called for an international envoy to help
settle the conflict in Sudan and criticized the efforts of
the UN and African Union as ineffective. Speaking the next
day at the conference, he expressed frustration with the slow
response of the West in terms of recognition of the problems
while the situation in Sudan continues to worsen. End
Summary.

Ambassador meets with Dr. Mudawi
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2. (C) On October 14, the Ambassador met with Sudanese human
rights activist Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam who was in Ireland
attending a conference for human rights defenders. Mudawi,
chairperson for the Sudan Social Development Organization
(SUDO),came to the embassy to apply for a visa to travel to
New York and Washington to receive an award from Human Rights
First (HRF),an NGO operating in New York and Washington DC
(ref A). Pending receipt of his visa, Dr. Mudawi will travel
to the U.S. on October 19. The HRF-Washington office is
arranging appointments for Dr. Mudawi to meet with
yet-to-be-named Congressmen as well as DOS representatives.
Mudawi was previously invited to Ireland to attend an award
ceremony held in his honor, but was prevented by the GOS (ref
B). He has been arrested three times by the GOS since
December 2003.

Appointment of Non-Muslim Envoy to Sudan
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3. (C) Dr. Mudawi relayed to the Ambassador the need for an
assignment of a permanent envoy to Sudan. When asked to
describe an ideal candidate for such a position, Mudawi
suggested a well-known and respected figure such as
Ambassador John Danforth. He noted that the envoy must be
committed to stay in Sudan, and be willing to travel
throughout the country. Mudawi opined that the envoy should
not be a Muslim. According to him, many Sudanese
increasingly identify Islam with the abuses of the current
Islamic government. He added that the Sudanese are growing
increasingly suspicious of assistance and intervention from
Islamic countries, especially Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

UN/African Union participation
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4. (C) Mudawi said that conditions in Sudan, especially in
Darfur, are continuing to worsen and that there currently is
no effective outside help. According to Mudawi, Sudan needs
the UN, but wants a UN that is willing to stay despite
dangers and hardships. He added that the African Union (AU)
is also ineffective because it does not have enough soldiers
in Sudan and because of the conflict of interest created by
Sudan's presence on the AU Peace and Security Council during
a time of conflict in Sudan.

Front Line Defenders Conference
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5. (C) On October 15, Dr. Mudawi addressed fellow human
rights defenders from more than 70 countries at a conference
here in Dublin. He explained that Sudan has a long history
of war, which has been especially brutal recently as outside
forces imposed borders and boundaries on the more than 600
tribal groups that make up Sudan. He said that the
long-standing culture and heritage of his people have been
denied and claimed that two million people have been killed
and five million have been displaced since the Darfur
conflict began. He said that there is little hope for the
displaced as they move from one IDP camp to another seeking
improved conditions. SUDO works with these groups to defend
their human rights, as well as provide them with basic needs
such as water, sanitation and medical care. Mudawi lamented
the slow response from the west to recognize the level of
suffering and to pressure the GOS to stop the atrocities. In
particular, he had sharp criticism of the UN's unwillingness
to serve in danger zones.
KENNY