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