NETHERLANDS/SUDAN: NEXT STEPS ON DARFUR - SLM

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 002827 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV SU NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/SUDAN: NEXT STEPS ON DARFUR - SLM DIVISIONS REF: SECSTATE 190682 ¶1. (SBU) On October 18, POLOFF shared reftel proposal to move the Abuja peace talks forward with Hagar Lightvoet (Policy Officer, Sudan Task Force, Dutch MFA). Lightvoet greeted the news enthusiastically and promised to share the proposal with Fred Racke, Dutch Ambassador-at-Large for Africa. Lightvoet expressed confidence that the GONL would support the proposal to hold meetings with SLM leaders on November 8-9 ¶2. (SBU) Lightvoet asserted that the GONL is equally committed to moving forward with the Abuja talks. She added, however, that the Dutch are "sometimes doubtful that it's possible with the current leadership." Lightvoet explained that Racke, who recently returned from the Abuja talks, was disappointed to find a complete breakdown in dialogue between Menawi and Wahid as well as between the members of the SLM present at the Abuja talks and those in the field. Lightvoet attributed this breakdown to growing rifts between the two predominant ethnicities of the SLM. ¶3. (SBU) Lightvoet asked to be kept informed of British, Norwegian, and French responses to reftel proposal. She made clear, however, that the Dutch position would be determined independently. BLAKEMAN