GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN PREPARING FOR JULY 18 MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001588 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/FO, AF/SGP, AF/RSA, AND IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2016 TAGS: PREL KPKO PGOV US AU UN SU SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN PREPARING FOR JULY 18 MEETING IN BRUSSELS Classified By: CDA Cameron Hume, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: President Bashir has endorsed the proposal for a high-level government of Sudan delegation to meet with A/S Frazer in Brussels on July 18. Bashir remains committed to improving relations with the United States and to implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement. CDA Hume repeated that the USG thought it essential that transition to UN peacekeeping be agreed to by Sudan in order to secure the peace in Darfur. Although the USG would support AMIS in the interim, the AU did not have the capacity to implement the DPA. The two sides agreed to meet later in the week to prepare an agenda for the Brussels meeting. End summary. Securing Peace in Darfur Key to Improved Relations -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) CDA Hume met July 8 with Presidential Adviser Magzoub Al Khalifa to discuss proposal for a bilateral meeting in Brussels on July 18. Hume confirmed that A/S Frazer would be available for such a meeting. Hume said that Washington remained prepared to work with the Government of Sudan on outstanding questions. The goal of normalization of relations was not out of reach, but progress had to be made. The USG considered that the most urgent issue remains securing the peace in Darfur, which both sides agree on, as demonstrated in their support for the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). DPA Implementation Depends Upon AMIS to UN PKO Shift -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Hume reiterated the USG view that implementation of the DPA required a transition from AMIS to a UN peacekeeping force by the first of October. The USG would give support to AMIS in the interim period, but resources for this purpose were limited. Lack of leadership by AMIS in this period, whether the difficulty in holding meetings of the Ceasefire Commission or the lack of civilian staff in Darfur, put implementation of the DPA at risk. Peace in Darfur depended on cooperation with the UN and the international community, and Sudan,s rejection of UN peacekeeping put that goal in jeopardy. Sudan to Send High-Level Delegation to Brussels -------------- -- ¶4. (C) Al Khalifa said he had discussed with President Bashir the proposal for a bilateral meeting with A/S Frazer. Bashir endorsed this idea. The GoS would send a high-level delegation to Brussels, and during the coming days Al Khalifa, President Adviser Mustafa Ismail, and MFA Under Secretary Mutriff Saddiq were charged with preparing the SIPDIS Sudanese position. He suggested that perhaps by July 12 the two sides meet again to come up with an agenda containing the items that both would wish to discuss. Hume said that this seemed like a good way forward, and that he would ask for Washington guidance. Al Khalifa Seeks Arrival of U.S. DPA Security Verifiers -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Al Khalifa raised two other points about Darfur. First, the GoS had authorized the visas for the three U.S. military officers who were assigned to help with verification of the DPA. Nevertheless, they had not arrived. Al Khalifa said their assistance in verification was urgently needed, given the importance of this issue and the technical limitations of the AU force. Second, the SLA/Minnawi delegation in Khartoum would meet with him later in the day to present a letter suggesting the nomination for the position of Senior Assistant to the President. (Note: As previously reported, Al Khalifa expects Minnawi to be the nominee, and Bashir has already decided he would accept this nomination.) Minnawi is expected to come to Khartoum within a week for initial meetings with the government. End note.) ¶6. (C) Hume answered that the delay in arrival of the three officers was an internal bureaucratic issue and that he expected it to be resolved quickly. He reminded Al Khalifa that RADM Hunt would arrive in Khartoum on July 10 for meetings with UN and AU peacekeepers. Hume said that, if he had the opportunity to meet with Minnawi early in the week, he would again stress the importance of a broad-based approach to implementation of the DPA, aiming to involve representatives of all communities in the implementation process. FVP Kiir Visit to Washington Key; DPA to be Discussed KHARTOUM 00001588 002 OF 002 -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) Finally, Hume reiterated the important of the visit by FVP Salva Kiir to Washington. While Kiir would want to make some points as leader of the south, President Bush would want to discuss with him as well Sudan,s views on implementing the DPA, including the transition from AMIS to a UN force. Hume expected to be able to deliver letters from former Deputy Secretary Zoellick both to Kiir and VP Taha during the course of this week, and those letters would stress the U.S. conviction that early transition to a UN force was essential for implementation of the DPA. HUME