SLM DEPUTY COMING TO PARIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 003040 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2016 TAGS: PREL PHUM EAID SU CD FR SUBJECT: SLM DEPUTY COMING TO PARIS REF: A. STATE 73545 B. STATE 70240 Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah B. Rosenblatt. Reas ons 1.4b,d ¶1. (C) Discussing the prospects for bringing further Darfur rebel factions aboard the Abuja peace agreement, MFA AF DAS-Equivalent Le Gal recommended in a May 9 conversation focusing on Abdulwahid Nur, the Sudan Liberation Moverment (SLM) leader who continued to reject the deal, given Abdulwahid's stature among the Fur, the dominant Darfur ethnicity. Chad President Deby did not have much influence over Abdulwahid Nur, Le Gal believed, unlike his relationship with SLM Secretary-General Minni Minawi, who had already accepted the deal (Ref A). Noting that Abdulwahid's deputy, Abdurahman Moussa, had split from Abdulwahid to sign the Abuja accord on behalf of a splinter SLM faction on May 5, Le Gal mentioned that Abdurahman Moussa was a French resident who would visit Paris next week for meetings, including with the MFA. ¶2. (C) Le Gal judged that JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim was unlikely to shift position and accept the Abuja agreement. Again, she thought Chad President Deby would have little influence, noting he lacked sway over Khalil, who was in fact a serious rival for Deby among Zaghawa tribesman. Khalil's ambitions, she added, seemed as much linked to N'djamena as to Darfur. Whatever rapprochement had been in train between Khalil and Deby came to an end when Deby expelled Khalil for his role in the JEM's occupation of the Sudanese embassy in N'djamena in April. In any case, Deby's relationship with Khalil was mercurial and had seen worse moments. ¶3. (C) Asked about WFP's need for additional aid for use in Darfur, Le Gal commented that France had an additional one million euro in the pipeline (Ref B). Le Gal volunteered quickly that the sum paled beside U.S. contributions but she regretted she did not expect France would increase its assistance further. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton