CHAD: SLM REPORTS CHAD REBELS REGROUPING

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 001852 SIPDIS SENSITIVE PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV CD SU SUBJECT: CHAD: SLM REPORTS CHAD REBELS REGROUPING ¶1. (SBU) Summary: SLM General Coordinator Adam Shogar warned Charge that the Sudanese government was arming and supporting Chadian rebels in the Darfur region and that movement of new vehicles and arms indicated that the rebels were gearing up for a new attack. Shogar stated that SLM was trying to respect the cease-fire agreement, but that the fighting between the Government of Chad (GOC) and Chadian rebels was going to affect SLM bases along the border. Shogar warned that the SLM would "not wait to be attacked." End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Charge met with N'djamena-based Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) General Coordinator Adam Shogar and SLM Vice-Chairman Khamis Abdulla December 24 at their request. Shogar informed Charge that the SLM intended to have a conference once the peace talks concluded in Abuja. He noted that to date there has not been a comprehensive conference. In this context, he alluded to the problems that SLM breakaway leader Mini Minawi had caused by holding his own conference. Shogar reported that Mini was losing his supporters in the field who were defecting from Mini's camp to other groups. Shogar asked Charge to convey the message that the SLM was hard pressed by the international community to cooperate with the peace talks without being given an opportunity for the SLM to organize themselves. ¶3. (SBU) Shogar turned next to the situation on the Sudan/Chad border. He noted that there was fighting in the border between the GOC troops and Chadian rebels. Shogar stated that the Chadian rebels were "fully supported by Government of Sudan (GOS)" and claimed that SLM knew where the rebel camps were and what the GOS was supplying in terms of weapons and vehicles. By way of example, he stated that on or about December 9, Chadian rebels joined the GOS in fighting in western Darfur (Masteri, some 45 kilometers from Al-Geneina.) Shogar reported that SLM had seen the Chadian rebels moving from their camps with 17 vehicles, and meeting up with GOS forces, including 3 helicopter gunships and 2 antonovs. Shogar stated that janjaweed fighters had joined the GOS and Chadian rebels. In an aside, Shogar stated that it was difficult to distinguish between janjaweed fighters and Chadian rebels because, in his words: "most of them are Chadian arabs." Shogar also noted that some three days before the Adre attack, the Chadian rebels had also been involved in the attack on Jabal Um. Shogar said that Chadian rebels numbered more than 10,000, but less than 20,000. He explained that he reached this number by adding in "all the janjaweed." ¶4. (SBU) Shogar explained that the SLM was trying to respect the cease-fire agreement, but that the GOS was still looting, abducting and attacking. The current conflict between GOC and Chadian rebels across the border would "add fuel to the fire" of an already highly volatile situation. In the meantime, Shogar said that they had learned that the GOS had brought 300 toyota vehicles to Al-Geneina on December 23 for use by Chadian rebels. Chadian rebels, according to Shogar, were being armed and provided new vehicles and were preparing for a new attack. Shogar explained that the SLM's preoccupation was that the fighting would affect the SLM as they have bases along the border. Furthermore, he stated, that if the situation continued, the SLM would not wait to be attacked. He recognized that such acts jeopardized the cease-fire agreement, but stated that they had no alternative but to fight. TAMLYN NNNN