SUDAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT-ABDELSHAFI RETURNS TO

UNCLAS KAMPALA 000917 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV UG SU SUBJECT: SUDAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT-ABDELSHAFI RETURNS TO KAMPALA REF: A. HONIGSTEIN-FITZGIBBON E-MAIL MAY 25 ¶B. 2007 ¶1. (SBU) Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) faction leader Ahmed Abdelshafi Toba returned to Uganda on May 26. On May 27, P/E Chief met with Abdelshafi on May 27, who proudly showed off photographs of the Sudanese helicopter and pilot that his faction downed, and of meetings with U.S. and United Nations officials. Abdelshafi supports efforts to bring the SLM together and prefers the facilitation of the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD). He said he would prefer the meeting to be held in Kampala, but could accept Nairobi. (Note: Abdelwahid has strong ties to Nairobi. End Note.) Members of Abdelshafi's faction are trying to put off San Egidio, which keeps calling them. He is comfortable with Andrew Marshall and CHD. He was not enthusiastic about the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM) facilitation and Juba venue, but understands that it may be important to have SPLM involvement for strategic political reasons. SPLM members had contacted him when he was in N'Djamena. ¶2. (SBU) According to Abdelshafi, many SLM commanders are ready to sit together and discuss uniting. Since the Abuja talks, a number of commanders are holding their home territories without any close factional affiliation. Abdelshafi is in contact with five of Abdelwahid's commanders, who disobeyed their boss to meet with him. He said that the timing for a leadership conference with outside facilitation was good and would give a number of key leaders, such as Dr. Saleh, Ahmed Kubur, and Abdullah Yahiya, "a place to go." According to Abdelshafi, once united, the SLM could discuss its views on the Darfur Peace Agreement. Abdelshafi said that the African Union/United Nations and the U.S. needed to consider what to do about Minni Minnawi's position if the other SLM factions united. He did not espouse any particular viewpoint on the issue, but said that Minni's role or relationship to the SLM dialogue and the DPA would need to be sorted out. CHRITTON