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