UPDATE ON DARFUR VIOLENCE: FORCES GATHER AGAINST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001668 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2016 TAGS: PREL MOPS KPKO PGOV US CH AU UN SU SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DARFUR VIOLENCE: FORCES GATHER AGAINST SLM/A-MINAWI REF: A. KHARTOUM 01648 ¶B. KHARTOUM 01637 Classified By: CDA Cameron Hume, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: SLM/A leader Minni Minawi reports that forces, including Chadian regulars, have crossed the Chadian border to link with JEM and G-19 troops to attack Minawi,s positions northwest of Birmaza. He is concerned that the international community is not doing enough to support the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA),and that many groups are actively trying to sabotage it. Minawi asked for USG assistance to pressure AMIS and UNMIS to verify the cross-border incursion and take action to prevent attacks on his forces. Minawi may try to postpone his trip to Washington as a result of these recent developments. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- HEAVILY ARMED FORCES MAY BE MOVING ON MINAWI,S POSITIONS -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) S/CRS Senior Security Advisor Tod Wilson met with SLM/A leader Minni Minawi July 14 to discuss recent ceasefire violations and ongoing security threats against his faction. According to Minawi, who had arrived back from Cairo the same day, one of his checkpoints along the Chadian border at Bahia had been attacked and then bypassed by 34 heavily armed vehicles. Armaments included 12.7 mm and 14.7 mm machineguns, 106 mm anti-tank recoilless rifles, and RPGs. He claimed that Chadian regulars were among the personnel. ¶3. (C) Minawi,s intelligence reports indicated that these troops had linked up with 21 JEM and G-19 vehicles and were moving to attack his own forces northwest of Birmaza in the general vicinity of Muzbat and Lill. He believed some of these troops would then split off and move towards Korma (Ref A) in an attempt to seize this area from SLM/A-Minawi units, turn it over to JEM and G-19 elements, and then cross back into Chad. Minawi insisted that Chadian President Deby had authorized this action in an effort to &break the peace agreement.8 He believed, however, that if the true nature of this force was verified and publicized, these enemy troops would have no choice but to break off their attack. -------------- -------------- NEED TO PRESS AMIS/UNMIS TO VERIFY INCURSION ALLEGATIONS -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Minawi was concerned that the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) would not be able to stand on its own and complained there were many groups attempting to sabotage the peace process. He criticized the international community for not doing enough to support DPA implementation. Minawi was hoping to see the AMIS Force Commander to demand that AMIS verify his claims. He asked that the USG and other members of the international community in Sudan press AMIS and the UN to take action and stop the attack. He indicated he was considering notifying the GNU so that they could confirm this cross-border incursion and register an international complaint. ¶5. (C) Wilson immediately informed the AMIS watch officer of Minawi,s allegations and requested AMIS do everything in its power to verify this report and prevent the expected fighting. The UNMIS regional coordinator could not be contacted. However, Wilson notified the UNDSS director and asked him to use UNMIS assets to both confirm the treat and press AMIS to intercede. -------------- MINAWI MAY POSTPONE TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON -------------- ¶6. (C) Minawi hinted at the need to postpone his trip to Washington by several days. Wilson informed him that high-level Washington meetings took months to reschedule, and that rescheduling at this late date may not even be possible. Minawi responded that he may only need to delay a day or two and was told that any decision to change his itinerary would need to be passed to Washington within the next two days. ¶6. (C) If Minawi continues as planned, he requested Embassy Khartoum assistance in linking his advance team in Khartoum with GoSS President Salva Kiir's people to facilitate his travel into Juba and on to Nairobi. He specifically needs their permission to fly to Juba. Minawi,s Khartoum coordinator is Dr. Hassan Hashim Elfasher, with whom Embassy KHARTOUM 00001668 002 OF 002 Khartoum is in contact (Ref B). HUME