SAUDI ARABIA EXTRADITES PROMINENT SLM LEADER TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 002411 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, NSC FOR COURVILLE AND SHORTLEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2026 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PTER KCRM SA SU SUBJECT: SAUDI ARABIA EXTRADITES PROMINENT SLM LEADER TO SUDAN Classified By: P/E Chief E. Whitaker, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Prominent Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) leader and ethnic Fur Abu Alghasim Ahmed was arrested in Saudi Arabia and returned to Sudan this past week. This comes shortly after his brother, Zakaria Ahmed Abu Alghasim, was arrested in connection with the recent beheading of Sudanese journalist Mohamad Taha. Abu Alghasim was the lead negotiator at the Abuja peace talks on wealth-sharing and is a key player in the effort to arrange a Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) non-signatory conference with Ahmed Abdul Shafi. His return likely reflects Sudanese rejection of an SLM conference of DPA non-signatories. End summary. -------------- NEGATIVE REACTION -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The vast majority of SLM and civil society leaders are reacting negatively to the extradition of Abu Alghasim shortly after he had a confrontation concerning Darfur at the Sudanese Consulate in Jeddah with State Minister of Finance Ahmed Magzoub. On September 26, Saudi Security Forces arrested him at his residence. The Saudis then turned him over to Sudanese officials at the Jeddah Airport for extradition on September 28. We have reports that Abu Alghasim arrived the same night and was allowed to meet his family at Khartoum International Airport prior to his incarceration. -------------- RUMOR MILL -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Rumors abound concerning the extradition of Alghasim, running the gamut from an exchange of terrorist suspects, which includes a report of Sudanese extradition of anti-government Saudi nationals last week, to an attempt to link the Fur to the murder of Mohamad Taha. Reports have been circulating in Khartoum that the Government is claiming it has phone intercepts of Abu Alghasim and his brother plotting the murder of Mohamad Taha. Embassy suspects that the extradition had little to do with the murder investigation, terrorism, or the reported argument at the Sudanese Consulate given the speed of the extradition process. ¶4. (C) Comment: SLM/Minawi officials have reported an increase in Government harassment of SLM members and suspect the flare up on September 28 between security forces/police and SLM members was a planned event (septel). The Government has made it clear that it does not support an SLM non-signatory conference on Darfur. Recent discussions with non-signatory activists have also made it clear that they are nervous about their personal safety and potential impact of Government actions against their businesses if they are linked too closely with efforts to organize the non-signatories. Abu Alghasim,s detention may have more to do with an attempt to obstruct an SLM non-signatory conference than any other rumor that has come to our attention. Embassy,s international re-engagement group is reaching out to contacts to gain additional clarity. End comment. HUME