SLA INFIGHTING SPREADS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 000685 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR D AND AF/SPG E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2016 TAGS: MOPS MASS AU SU SUBJECT: SLA INFIGHTING SPREADS Classified By: Political Officer Ron Capps for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) SLA (Minawi) forces attacked Korma, a town under the control of SLA (Wahid),and drove Wahid's forces out on March ¶15. An SLA (Minawi) defector told AMIS that Minawi had planned the attack for months. Wahid's forces plan to counter-attack to regain Korma. This may be part of a land-grab or an all-out declaration of war between Minawi and Wahid. See Paragraph 7 for Action Request. End Summary. -------------- Korma -------------- ¶2. (C) According to U.S. observers in North Darfur, the town of Korma, near Tawilla, which was under Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) (Wahid) control, has fallen to SLA forces loyal to Mini Minawi. The Military Observer Groups Site (MGS) Commander in Tawilla reported that "after three days of heavy fighting, Korma fell to Minawai's forces on 15 February." A senior SLA (Wahid) commander told U.S. observers that he intends to counter-attack. -------------- A Ruse -------------- ¶3. (C) The SLA (Wahid) representative on the AMIS Cease Fire Commission claimed Minawi's forces used a ruse in their assault, claiming to have wounded fighters who needed medical attention from the Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) clinic in Korma. Wahid's forces granted humanitarian passage to Minawi's forces. There were apparently no casualties, and Minawi's forces used the trip into Korma as reconnaissance for their attack. -------------- Expansion -------------- ¶4. (C) Local sheikhs have told AMIS they expect the fighting to spread throughout the area. This area, broadly defined, could include a wide swath from Menawashi and Shaeria to Shangil Tobayi and Tawilla and northeast to Rokiro and Golo in the eastern Jebel Mara. AMIS MILOBS and Protection forces are patrolling the area watching for movement by either side -------------- Declaration of War? -------------- ¶5. (C) MGS Zam Zam debriefed an SLA deserter who claimed Minawi had been planning this attack "for months" and that Minawi had decided to "declare war" on Wahid's forces. The SLA (Minawi) representative convinced the defector to return to the ranks in Thabit. MGS Zam Zam has had no contact with him since. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) We can expect a small number of defections from the Minawi camp following this attack. Some commanders will not support attacking other SLA units; however, their loyalty to Minawi makes it difficult to disobey orders. This may be part of a land grab by Minawi in an attempt to gain more political power in a post-Abuja peace accord. However, it may also be the beginning of an all out war between Minawi and Wahid. Local civilians will continue to support Wahid, who they see as offering them security rather than continued conflict. ¶7. (SBU) Action Request: Given renewed AU attention to Cease Fire issues, Embassy Khartoum requests that USDEL to talk in Abuja raise the issue of renewed fighting with AU mediation and SLA reps. Given AU mediator Salim's upcoming visit to New York to brief the Security Council, this issue should be raised in that venue as well. HUME