DPA: WAITING FOR CHANGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 002764

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/SPG AND AF/SE
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL AU SU UN
SUBJECT: DPA: WAITING FOR CHANGE


Classified By: P/E Chief E. Whitaker, Reason: Sections 1.4 (b) and (d)

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Summary
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1. (SBU) Over six months after the signing of the Darfur
Peace Agreement (DPA),frustration and anger about the
agreement were common themes across discussions with groups
in El Fasher. In a series of meetings in November, Poloff
spoke with members of the Fur and Tunjur communities, the
Head of Native Administration in El Fasher, SLA/Minawi
representatives, the Darfur Forum, and Al Salam IDP camp
leaders. Interlocutors cited a total absence of visible
improvement in the daily life of Darfurians since the signing
of the DPA and noted the marked rise in insecurity. All
groups expressed frustration with the inaction of the African
Union (AU) and Government of Sudan (GOS),the moribund
Cease-fire Commission (CFC),the continuing lack of
protection for civilians, and the glacial progress of DPA
implementation. Many flagged land and compensation issues
and criticized the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultation
(DDDC). The majority called for continuing negotiation with
non-signatory parties and expansion of the DPA. End summary.

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AU CFC not functioning
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2. (C) Almost every group said the first priority for Darfur
must be security, including the protection of civilians, safe
corridors for travel, and the disarmament of the Janjaweed.
Fur leader Rabie Baharaddin Ali Ninar argued that the AU has
neither the mandate nor the capability to protect Darfurians.
"Civilians must be protected. The AU can't do it. We need
the UN," he continued. "The AU are not the right people to
protect Darfur, and the pretense that they are effective has
become a barrier to peace." He further stated that the
Sudanese government is using the presence of the AU to delay
acceptance of UN forces. He noted that the AU was failing as
observers, as they did not collect accurate information about
the situation in each sector.


3. (SBU) SLA/Minawi representative Adam Ali War stated that
"the CFC is not functioning." He noted that there is a
lengthy delay in incident reports sent to AMIS headquarters,
few investigations are completed, cease-fire violations go
unpublicized, and there is no punishment for perpetrators.
In a CFC meeting last week, only five minutes of the
90-minute session were spent discussing investigations. When
the SLA representative asked about the recent killings in
Birmaza, he was told that "they weren't there to talk about
people getting killed."


4. (C) According to Mohamed El Sadiq Adam, Advisor for
Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Affairs at the Darfur
Forum, AU investigations are dropping in number. When troops
witness atrocities, they are not submitting reports to
headquarters. IDP camp omda (village leader) Abdullah Musa
stated that "if the AU is not capable of addressing even
simple problems inside the IDP camps, it cannot possibly be
part of the solution to Darfur,s problems."

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DPA: Implementation Not Visible
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5. (C) Head of native administration and king of El Fasher
Rahmhalla Mahmoud questioned what the population of Darfur
has gained since the DPA was signed. "We need a real peace
agreement," he said. "The GoS has no credibility. People
don't believe it will live up to its word when it never has
before." Rahmhalla said that the greatest damage to the DPA
has been caused by a lack of improvement in security and
infrastructure on the ground.


6. (C) The lack of progress in implementation of the DPA
shows that the Sudanese government has no intention of
fulfilling its commitments, argued Khalil Adam Abdulkareem,
Fur leader and deputy chairman of the Darfur Forum's El
Fasher office. Abdullah Musa concurred. "We know the
government does not want to implement the provisions in the
Abuja agreement, and we appeal to the international community
to deploy troops capable of protecting the people of Darfur,
otherwise all camp populations will have to leave Sudan."


7. (C) Ahmed Mahmoud al Gadi and Iddris Abdalla,
representatives of the Tunjur tribe, said that due to their
location between Zaghawa and Arab groups, attempts to remain

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neutral in the fighting have failed. Tunjur territory has
been used as a base by Zaghawa for attacks, and they are
forced to pay protection money to Zaghawa rebel factions. In
retribution, the Tunjur are targeted by the Janjaweed, who
use the Zaghawa attacks to justify raids and occupation of
Tunjur land. "We must have protection, the umbrella of the
international community," al Gadi said.


8. (C) Fur leaders flagged the importance of resolving land
ownership issues, emphasizing that Arab settlers who have
moved onto Fur land must be removed. They noted that
traditional records track legal ownership of the land. They
opposed the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultation (DDDC),
stating that it "legitimizes the government's claim that the
violence is an inter-tribal conflict." They also argued that
starting the DDDC implies that all parties involved support
the DPA. "We must sign it before we participate in the
DDDC," Abdulkareem said. Tunjur leaders requested the DDDC
be held in a neutral location, under the supervision of the
international community.

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Need for Development
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9. (C) Iddris Abdalla noted that the conflict stems from
political marginalization and an absence of development. He
conceded this was recognized in the DPA but argued that there
has been no change since the signing. "Minni Minawi brought
a check to El Fasher two weeks ago, but where has the money
gone?" Abdalla asked. He argued that Minawi had funneled
development projects to Zaghawa territory and not supported
other groups.

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Role of DPA Non-Signatories
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10. (C) Abdullah Musa castigated the international community
for accepting an agreement signed with only one movement, and
called for greater efforts to include the concerns of
non-signatory groups. Darfur Forum Legal Affairs Advisor
Babiker Mahmoud Abdullah said that the Sudanese government's
biggest mistake was to work with only SLA/Minawi and to
sideline the non-signatories and groups like the Darfur Forum
that were working for peace. Abdullah argued that the
Sudanese government must stop offensives against
non-signatories, disarm the Janjaweed, and bring the
non-signatories on board. He felt neither the Sudanese
government nor Arab senior leadership could control the
Janjaweed and that the Janjaweed would follow their own
agenda and target Fur tribes and other groups for their own
ends.


12. (C) "Minni doesn't represent us, and we must reach out to
non-signatories," argued Mohamed El Sadig Adam. "The UN
resolutions, if enforced, will contribute to peace,
especially a cease-fire agreement and a ban of military
flights over Darfur." Darfur forum leaders are planning to
visit European capitals to meet with the leadership of
various armed movements and push negotiation with the
government.

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Compensation
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13. (C) Adam Suleiman Rasheed of the Tunjur community asked
why there has been no progress in compensaQDafurians.
"People expect their villages to be rehabilitated and
provided with seeds, tools, and livestock to replace what
they lost," he said, adding that compensation for IDPs must
be both individual and community-based.


14. (C) Mohamed El Sadig Adam said "the IDPs need
compensation, and the DPA doesn't address that sufficiently."
He argued that the Sudanese government was not willing to
support a real solution and has not yet transferred the
initial funds it had agreed to in Abuja. "Darfurians don't
believe the GOS will restore their lives to them," he said.

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COMMENT
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15. (SBU) In the months directly following the signing of the
DPA, it was argued that detractors simply were not familiar
with the contents of the agreement, but were following the
guidance of their ethnically-based political leaders. To a

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certain extent, this remains an accurate assessment.
However, frustration is rising at the lack of any progress in
alleviating individual suffering in Darfur. The AU is
mistrusted and seen as a de facto ally of the Sudanese
government. IDPs are no closer to returning to their homes,
and although some political positions have been filled in
Khartoum by signatories, there is no visible improvement in
the share of national wealth and power. For the DPA to gain
traction, it needs three things: Signatories to fulfill
commitments made in Abuja, a viable cessation of hostilities,
and an expanded declaration of commitment by the
non-signatories to return to the negotiating table. End
comment.
HUME