OUTREACH TO DARFUR REBEL MOVEMENTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L NDJAMENA 001214

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/C, AF/SPG, D, DRL, H, INR, INR/GGI,
PRM, USAID/OTI AND USAID/W FOR DAFURRMT; LONDON AND PARIS
FOR AFRICAWATCHERS; GENEVA FOR CAMPBELL,
ADDIS/NAIROBI/KAMPALA FOR REFCOORDS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF CD SU
SUBJECT: OUTREACH TO DARFUR REBEL MOVEMENTS

REF: STATE 137022

Classified By: Political/Economic Officer Kathleen FitzGibbon for reaso
ns 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary: SuQ Liberation Movement (SLM) members
say that they will not be ready to return to the negotiating
table on August 24. Special Representative to the Darfur
Talks Ambassador John Yates, Ambassador Wall, and P/E officer
delivered points per reftel to the SLM leaders on July 29 and
in subsequent daily contacts. SLM's divisions remain
unresolved and now they have been "summoned" by the field
commanders for a conference in Darfur prior to returning to
Abuja. SLM General Secretary Mini Minawi departed Libya for
the field to prepare for a meeting. SLM members believe that
a delay of the re-start of Abuja by approximately two weeks
may be enough time for them to hold the meeting and prepare
for the talks. End Summary.



2. (SBU) On July 29, Ambassador Wall, visiting Special
Representative to the Darfur Peace Talks John Yates, and P/E
officer met with Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) members
returned from Tripoli on July 28. The group included SLM's
chief negotiator and head of delegation Abduljabar Dosa,
Bahar Arabi, Trayo Ali Ahmed, Mohammed Harin, Magzoub
Hussein, and several others. SLM leaders remained in Abuja
and met for three days after the signing of the Declaration
of Principles (DOP) and the traveled to Tripoli for two
weeks.

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TRIPOLI AND ABUJA
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3. (SBU) Ambassador Yates asked the SLM members about their
time in Tripoli and sought their views on Libyan intentions.
Bahar said that the Libyans provided a hotel and meeting
facilities for both SLM and the Justice and Equality Movement
(JEM). The Libyans arranged for SLM and JEM to sign an
agreement to cease hostilities between the two groups. Some
SLM members felt it necessary to go to Tripoli to keep an eye
on their Chairman Abdelwahid Nur and JEM President Khalil
Ibrahim. While in Tripoli, the SLM held internal meetings
and discussed options for resolving its leadership dilemma
prior to the next round of Abuja talks. However, SLM members
do not view Libyan efforts as an alternative to the Abuja
peace process and told Yates that the SLM remains fully
committed to the current AU-led talks, despite the AU's
weaknesses.


4. (SBU) Yates described his consultations in Addis Ababa
and plans for the next round of talks, including the AU's
idea of running concurrent negotiating sessions on power
sharing, wealth sharing, and security arrangements. Yates
asked if SLM would be able to name various negotiators for
this type of arrangement. Bahar said that given SLM's
unresolved divisions, it would be difficult to make it to
Abuja on August 24 to negotiate and even more difficult to
split the delegation without a significant amount of
preparation in advance. Yates noted that time is running out
on making preparations. The SLM members present were
discouraged by the lack of progress, particularly dealing
with Abdelwahid, who sat in on at least one meeting and was
"unhelpful". Dosa, SLM's chief negotiator, agreed with
Bahar's pessimism. Over the weekend of July 30, the SLM
delegation received a letter from a group of field commanders
demanding that SLM members convene a meeting in Darfur prior
to returning to Abuja. Bahar said that it is critical for
SLM members to attend. He told P/E officer that SLM may
respond to the AU invitation asking for a two-week delay so
that SLM could hold its meeting. He also requested that the
AU give to SLM a clear agenda and experts to work with SLM's
designated negotiators on the key issues for discussion.

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CHADIAN OUTREACH EFFORTS
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5. (C) On July 31, Daoussa Deby hosted the SLM members at
his home to a day-long luncheon. General Mahamat Ali,
Special Advisor to the President for International Relations

Allam-mi Ahmad, and Faki Badradine, a spiritual advisor
assigned some Darfur tasks, were also present. Daoussa, Ali,
and Allam-mi work with the members of SLM on a regular basis.
The inclusion of Badradine is an interesting development.
The rebels describe his relationship with Ali and Daoussa as
frosty at best. Badradine has unfettered access to President
Deby and has arranged previous meetings between Deby and
rebel movement members. According to Bahar, the day was
spent discussing SLM's options for resolving its leadership
differences and preparing for a meeting with President Idriss
Deby.


6. (C) On August 1, the SLM members met with the President.
Deby spoke French, while the rebels spoke Arabic and Daoussa
translated. According to Bahar and Trayo, the President said
that Chad would provide SLM whatever it needed to hold a
meeting to resolve its differences. Deby promised its
members safe passage in and out of Darfur through Chadian
territory and other logistics assistance as needed. In
addition, Deby told the SLM delegation that his invitation to
Secretary General Mini Minawi remains open and that he would

SIPDIS
like to see Mini as soon as possible. He also asked the
delegation why Mini says he is afraid to travel to Chad.
Deby assured the delegation that Mini is welcome and that as
the guest of the President, would have no problems in Chad.
Bahar told us subsequently that he and others present will
urge Mini to come. Bahar expects that Mini will accept this
latest invitation.


7. (C) On the subject of Abdelwahid, Deby said that he has
difficulty understanding the SLM's Chairman, but his
invitation is also open. (Note: On previous occasions,
Chadian officials, including Deby, have described Abdelwahid
as "unstable". End Note.) The President also expressed his
concern about Libyan meddling and asked the SLM why it
continually travels to Tripoli. SLM members told Deby that
the Libyans provided them with a venue to hold consultations
and often give them transport, but that the SLM does not
trust Libyan intentions.

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FED UP WITH JEM
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8. (C) In several meetings with P/E officer, Bahar, Dosa,
and others said that SLM is highly concerned about Dr. Khalil
Ibrahim's intentions and JEM's lack of presence on the
ground. In Tripoli, Khalil's largesse was more evident than
ever, according to Trayo. SLM members confirmed reports of
Khalil's alleged 50 million USD deal with the Sudanese
Government and the Libyans. Khalil allegedly received 6
million USD already and will get the rest after the final
peace deal is signed. As a result of some additional
"fact-finding" about Abdelwahid's relationship with Khalil,
the SLM wants the African Union to revisit JEM's presence at
the negotiating table. The SLM will likely request a
verification of forces on the ground to prove that Khalil and
JEM have no field presence. Another SLM effort underway
includes meetings between SLM members and ex-JEM commander
Mohammed Saleh to persuade him to join his forces with
theirs. (Comment: Mohammed Saleh, however, may have other
plans. He may sign a deal to bring disgruntled Movement for
National Reform and Development (MNRD) to his camp. End
Comment.)

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THE VIEW FROM ABDELWAHID
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9. (C) Abdelwahid Nur, who left Tripoli for Nairobi two
weeks ago, continues to complain about Libyan meddling
despite reports that he has also profited financially from
his relationship with Libya. He claims that Mini has
accepted Libyan material support in the form of uniforms and
vehicles. In several telephone conversations and other
communications, Abdelwahid expressed his fear of
participating in "rigged" leadership discussions. He says he
will not go to the field and insists on having a leadership
conference after the Abuja process is completed. On Tripoli,
Abdelwahid claims that Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha
and Daoussa Deby were both there to consult the Libyans and
Mini Minawi on the issue. According to Abdelwahid, the aim

of these consultations was to develop a leadership equation
for SLM based and weighted on ethnic representation. He
claimed that one of the reasons behind this included
Abdelwahid's relationship with Dr. John Garang. From
Abdelwahid's perspective, such a formula would be heavily
weighted toward the Zaghawa, leaving Fur, Masselit, and Dadjo
with less representation. Rather than a field conference,
Abdelwahid is suggesting a meeting of key leaders in Asmara
prior to Abuja. (Comment: Abdelwahid fears being voted out
at a field conference. End Comment.)

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PERSPECTIVES FROM "OTHER" CAMPS
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10. (C) On July 19, another non-Zaghawa SLM leader, Dr.
Sanusi El Sanusi told P/E officer that he supports holding a
conference in three months, after the rains stop. He does
not believe SLM's differences will be settled by any other
way and is pessimistic that they can be papered over enough
to resume in Abuja on August 24. Sanusi wanted to travel to
N'Djamena after Tripoli, but claims that the Libyans are
"holding" him and his delegation of some 40 members because
they will not accept the deal being offered to them by the
GOS through the Libyans. (Note: The Libyan Government is
dragging its feet on preparations for the SLM members'
departure. End Note.)


11. (C) On another Zaghawa front, SLM members Adam Shogar
and Sharif Harir have been on the Chadian-Sudanese border
near Bahai. The SLM leadership and the Chadian Government
have contacted them to come to N'Djamena. They reportedly
have a great deal of cash and are recruiting intellectuals,
traditional leaders, and some fighters. They intended to go
into Darfur to garner support in advance of an all-SLM
conference. Having run into difficulty in the form of Mini
Minawi's commanders, they have moved between Tine and Bahai
for the past month. JEM members and some SLM members have
expressed concern for their safety and fear that there could
be a clash between them and Mini's commanders in coming
weeks. Mini's camp's suspicions that Shogar and Harir's
moves are an attempted leadership grab are likely correct.
Harir told P/E officer prior to his departure on June 26 that
his intention was to build support among Zaghawa disaffected
with Mini to participate in SLM's leadership structure.
However, humanitarian workers report various sightings of the
group. Shogar and Harir appear to be recruiting soldiers and
Harir has been seen in a military uniform. P/E officer is in
regular contact with both Shogar and Harir and has urged them
not to undertake any military actions. Mini's camp is
willing to accept Shogar and Harir back into the fold if they
return to N'Djamena, according to Bahar.

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COMMENT
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12. (C) It is clear that many SLM representatives believe
they will not be ready to return to the negotiating table on
August 24. The momentum is building for the SLM to gather in
Darfur to settle their leadership issues. We expect that SLM
will request a delay in the re-start of the talks.


13. (U) Khartoum and Tripoli Minimize Considered.
WALL


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