SUDAN: EGYPT WELCOMES DARFUR PEACE DEAL, LOOKS TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 002702 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS PHUM EG SU SUBJECT: SUDAN: EGYPT WELCOMES DARFUR PEACE DEAL, LOOKS TO PROMOTE ITS SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Presidential Spokesman Soliman Awad told the Ambassador late May 8 that Egypt had publicly welcomed the peace deal between Darfur rebels and the Government of Sudan (GOS) signed in Abuja May 5. Awad said the Presidency issued a statement to the media welcoming the agreement(faxed to NEA/ELA),that praises the negotiators, calls upon rebel factions that did not yet sign to adhere to the deal, and expresses its "readiness to participate in peace keeping forces assigned to monitor the deal." The GOE has not made any public pronouncements yet regarding United Nations troops relacing the African Union mission (AMIS). Awad told the Ambassador that Egypt would maintain its current level of personnel in Darfur (36 AMIS "monitors"). Offering further detail on the Presidential statement, Awad said Egypt was already referring to its personnel in Darfur as "peace keeping troops" versus monitors, as it does with its 760 "peace keepers" in the South of Sudan. While it remains unstated, Egypt's willingness to see these troops rehatted from AMIS to UN forces is implicit in the statement. ¶2. (C) MFA Sudan Affairs Director Marsoum Marzouk told Poloff May 8 that besides the Presidency statement, President Mubarak had not publicly commented on the agreement, but had sent telegrams to both President Bashir and to President Obasanjo to congratulate them on finalizing the agreement and to stress Egypt's willingness to assist with its implementation. The letters were not made public, but it was Marzouk's understanding that Mubarak's correspondence did not address the issue of rehatting AMIS soldiers to UN blue helmets. Marzouk noted a separate press statement issued by Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit that also welcomed the agreement, and mentions Egypt's present contributions to the AMIS mission, but does not comment on a transition from AMIS to UN peace keeping forces in Darfur. ¶3. (C) Comment. Egyptian interlocutors continue to warmly praise the role played by Deputy Secretary Zoellick in reaching a peace agreement in Abuja, and are looking now at how best to effectively implement the May 5 deal. The Darfur-Darfur dialogue appears to be a critical component of Egyptian thinking in this regard, and their Sudan experts have indicated to us privately that they will play some role in the dialogue, either through the Arab League, the African Union, or bilaterally. Our Egyptian hosts also look forward to face-to-face talks with USG Sudan experts to address how they can most effectively work with us to regain stability in Sudan and aid in reconstruction of the country. We assess that the GOE is unlikely to take an activist role on the UN/AMIS rehatting issue, but will continue to press the GOS to be flexible and will not oppose the rehatting effort in New York. End comment. RICCIARDONE