Local Press, AU Special Rep React to Arab

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000798 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI AL US SU SUBJECT: Local Press, AU Special Rep React to Arab League Summit and Bashir Interview with Al-Jazira Ref: Khartoum 00796 ¶1. Summary: Khartoum media coverage of the Arab League Summit was favorable, with extensive coverage on television, radio, and newspapers, both in English and Arabic. AU Special Representative Kingibe criticized Arab League offers of financial support for AMIS, referring to it as "medicine after death." Several editorials appeared in pro-government newspapers, reflecting accurate but targeted coverage of President Bashir's March 29 interview with Al-Jazira. End summary. -------------- Local Media Coverage Extensive and Positive -------------- ¶2. Media coverage of the Arab League Summit was generally positive, in both English and Arabic television and radio programming, as well as newspapers. The pro- government Sudan Vision newspaper ran a special issue on the event, with numerous color photos, under the headline, " Arab League Committed to Arab Solidarity." President Bashir's assumption of the role of Chairman also received acclaim. -------------- AU Sp Rep Kingibe: "Medicine After Death" -------------- ¶3. African Union Special Representative Baba Gana Kingibe criticized the Arab League offer to provide financial assistance to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) from October 1, 2006. On March 29 he said it was "too late as troops need immediate cash to help stop escalating violence there. This is medicine after death. We need the assistance now in order to be able to resolve the crisis." -------------- -------------- President Bashir Interview Receives Concerted Coverage -------------- -------------- ¶4. On March 30, four pro-government Arabic daily newspapers, Al-Sahafa, Alwan, Akhbar Alyoum, and Al- Hayat, published nearly identical editorials relating several of the points made by President Bashir in his March 29 interview with Al-Jazira television following the Arab League Summit in Khartoum. The text of the editorials is as follows (informal Embassy translation): (Begin text) Al-Bashir Says the American Policy of Targeting Sudan Never Stops President Al-Bashir accused the Western countries that call for deploying UN forces in Darfur of their real aim, which is to have these forces stay for good in Darfur, and not to solve the conflict. He pointed out that the American policy of targeting Sudan would not stop, even if all Sudan's conflicts were solved. He renewed Khartoum's stance of rejecting foreign forces entry to Darfur. Al-Bashir, in his interview with Al-Gazeera television, continued to say that the Arab Summit, which concluded its sessions yesterday, decided to provide financial and military support to the AU forces operating in Darfur. He went on to say that the summit did not fix a certain sum of money, but mentioned that it would fund the AU force expenses for six months as of October 2006. He added that the summit decision includes supporting the AU forces with additional force from some Arab countries from Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania. Al-Bashir considers the United States of America's policy of targeting Sudan, and believes it is due to the fact that Sudan practices its independent views and has political stances that contradict many of the American polices in Iraq, Palestine, normalization of relations with Israel, and of the commanding geographical position of Sudan and its abundant resources in oil, minerals, and water supply. Al-Bashir went on to say that one of our problems is that Sudan became one of the American internal political elements as well as became one of the American elections KHARTOUM 00000798 002 OF 002 agenda items. He confirmed that Sudan would not agree for international force to enter into Darfur, adding that whoever was behind the planned entry of the international forces into Darfur wanted this force to stay for good and not to solve the conflict. He reiterated that it is possible for the UN to have a role after peace is achieved in Darfur, with the consent of the Government of Sudan. (End text) STEINFELD