EASTERN FRONT AGREES TO TALK IN LIBYA

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 000207 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/SPG, DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2016 TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV SU SUBJECT: EASTERN FRONT AGREES TO TALK IN LIBYA Classified By: POL:Linnisa Wahid for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Dr. Amna Dirar, Vice President of the Eastern Front confirmed that the Eastern Front has agreed to February 7 negotiations with the Sudanese government in Tripoli and confirmed that humanitarian access to Hamesh Koreib through Sudan would be discussed. Dirar added that the Sudanese delegation must be made up from the Government of National Unity, and not only the National Congress Party. She believed that the government was not serious about negotiations. Dirar noted that JEM is not a partner to the Eastern Front. End Summary. -------------- Negotiations in Tripoli -------------- ¶2. (C) Eastern Front Vice President Dr. Amna Dirar said negotiations with the Sudanese government were scheduled to begin on February 7 in Tripoli, and would include international observers (Note: Libyan views on the event covered septel. End note.) The talks will include both a Libyan and an Eritrean mediator, and will take place in both Tripoli and Asmara. Mabrook Salim, President of the Rashaida Free Lions, would be in Tripoli as a member of the Eastern Front, despite signing a separate agreement with the Sudanese government. Poloff raised the issue of Presidential Advisor Nafi Al Nafi representing the Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli. Dirar said that she preferred Nafi to Kamal Obeid, Assistant Secretary General of External Affairs for the National Congress Party (NCP),because although Nafi was tough, he had greater authority. The Sudanese government, Dirar added, must be represented by the GNU, rather than only the NCP. She planned to speak with Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) representatives later this week to urge them to press for SPLM representation in the GNU team in Tripoli. Dirar added that she did not believe the government was serious about negotiations. -------------- Access for Humanitarian Agencies -------------- ¶3. (C) Poloff raised the issue of humanitarian access to Hamesh Koreib through Sudan. Historically, humanitarian access has been granted to agencies by transporting goods through Eritrea, making transportation difficult. Dirar said that the issue would be discussed during the negotiations. According to Dirar, if the Eastern Front opened the area to humanitarian agencies, the government would use the humanitarian access to its advantage. Therefore, she said, this issue needed to be discussed during the negotiations before access is granted to humanitarian agencies. -------------- JEM is Not Our Partner -------------- ¶4. (C) Dirar said that the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) is not a partner to the Eastern Front, although it had been in the past. She noted that JEM had requested to attend the negotiations in Tripoli; however, the Eastern Front rejected its proposal. According to Dirar, the Beja Congress is a political party and the JEM is not; the Beha Congress does not want another political party in the talks to cause confusion. ¶5. (C) Comment: Dr. Amna's remarks on the structure of the talks appear to express her personal desires, and not the arrangement made with the Sudanese government. We doubt the Sudanese government would agree to negotiations in Asmara and an Eritrean mediator, given Eritrea's support of the Eastern Front. Despite the warming relationship between Sudan and Eritrea, we doubt the relationship has become so friendly that Khartoum would welcome Eritrea hosting the negotiations. Furthermore, the presence of international observers at the talks is uncertain, because the Libyans refuse to allow international observers except for the signing of an agreement. (Note: This was confirmed during a January 24 meeting of A/S Frazer and Charge Hume with Libyan officials covered septel). We believe that the Eastern Front would not agree to negotiations in Libya without the presence of international observers to pressure the Sudanese government to engage in good faith discussions. If the Eastern Front does agree to negotiations without international observers, it would be the result of strong pressure from the Libyans. HUME