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).

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Summary
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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.

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Korma
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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.

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A Ruse
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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.

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Expansion
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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

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Declaration of War?
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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.

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Comment
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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