NORWEGIANS LOOK BEYOND AN EAST SUDAN PEACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 001224 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2016 TAGS: PREL KDEM SU ER NO SUBJECT: NORWEGIANS LOOK BEYOND AN EAST SUDAN PEACE AGREEMENT REF: STATE 164613 Classified By: DCM Kevin M. Johnson for reasons 1.4 b and d. (C) We delivered reftel points to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Senior Advisor, Kjell Hodnebo on October 2, 2006. Hodnebo agreed with us that the East Sudan peace negotiations should be more transparent. He also stated that recently announced agreements between Khartoum and the Eastern Front on wealth sharing and security issues were positive steps. According to Hodnebo, Norwegians are planning to engage with the USG, UK, EU, UN on building international consensus on how to implement an East Sudan peace agreement (assuming it happens). Norwegians envision something similar to, but smaller than, the UN Joint Assessment Mission that followed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Capacity building to transform the Eastern Front from a resistance movement into a true political organization would be one area of focus. On Darfur and AMIS rehatting, Hodnebo wondered how follow-up would be handled and how the US saw the best way to work with Khartoum -- through quiet contact with other partners like the AU or through more public diplomatic measures. WHITNEY