PRESIDENT BASHIR COMMENTS ON DARFUR

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001685 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KPKO UN AU SU SUBJECT: PRESIDENT BASHIR COMMENTS ON DARFUR ¶1. Following are excerpts from an interview with Sudanese President Bashir on July 15, 2006, as published by the local Arabic newspaper, Al Rai Al Aam. (Begin text) Q: A major breakthrough has been achieved following your meeting with UN Secretary General in Banjul by extending the presence of the AU forces in Darfur for another six months. What are your options if UN insisted on deployment of international forces in Darfur? A: My meeting with the UN Secretary General came to crown meetings with his assistants who visited the Sudan, the last of these visits was by the UN Security Council. All these meetings paved the way for the meeting with the UN Secretary General to find the way out for the Darfur issue. Of course we demanded extension of the period of these forces in Darfur. Q: What was the vision of the UN Secretary General? A: He believed that even if AU forces were financed, UN cannot deploy forces before six months. It is our conviction that within the six months, we can implement the DPA. If the DPA has been properly implemented, this will spare us the need for UN forces and even for the AU forces. Q: Do you have other options? A: As far as we are concerned, the peace agreement has availed us of very excellent option, that of forming integrated units comprising 4000 troops that will be absorbed into the armed forces and in addition to other 4000 to be absorbed in the Police forces. These integrated forces will be taken into confidence of the citizens whether they are on the opposition or from the government side. There are two categories of forces rejecting the peace agreement. One of these is Abdel Wahid group that has announced its commitment to ceasefire. So long as it is committed to that there will be no serious security problem. In other words there will not be comprehensive security in the region of eastern Jebel Marra nor will there be military operations. The second group has stayed outside this agreement and ceasefire protocol and has now called itself the redemption front. It has transferred its operation to Hamra El Shiekh. We as armed forces and armed movements are capable of wiping out that group. We shall bring peace to Darfur after six months and we will not need even AU forces. Q: After meeting Abdulrahman Mossa, what impression did he leave on you? A: My first conviction was that he has come looking for peace and that he would work with the government to achieve that. If all other Darfurian leaders come with the same spirit, I believe that within two or three weeks people will see quite a different situation in Darfur. However malicious people and rumormongers who share the same agenda will continue talking about deterioration of security in Darfur although people there talk about the positive developments in this connection. Q: In one of your recent statements you pointed out that negotiation of the Darfur file has ended. That was considered by some opposition armed movements as declaration of war. How do you look at that now and what did you really mean? A: We believe that an agreement has been signed in Abuja. Those who refuse to sign are the ones who declared war. When war is declared, we are forced to reciprocate because the state is the sole party responsible for security. Q: Do you have detailed information on the French draft resolution on Darfur which will be submitted to UNSC? A: We don't have the details of that draft resolution. However it will be the same line that was adopted by the USA, Britain and France. Irrespective of the resolution to be issued by the UNSC we will not accept the transformation of AU forces into UN ones and this is a final decision. Regrettably, even if our partners did not back us, they will not impose on us another position because we have already agreed with them on a definite one. (End text) ¶2. Comment: President Bashir's view that the DPA can be implemented within six months is wildly unrealistic, especially in light of the current deteriorating security climate and AU failures to date. This is in addition to ongoing GNU manipulation of its commitments to disarm verifiably the Janjaweed, which is sure to sabotage any nascent trust between the parties. With these latest statements, President Bashir has stayed on message, consistently voicing his strident opposition to a UN transition in Darfur. STEINFELD