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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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