Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KHARTOUM1047
2007-07-02 13:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Khartoum
Cable title:  

DARFUR POLITICAL PROCESS: UN/AU PLANS STILL LACK

Tags:  PREL PGOV AU UN SU ER 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1081
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1047/01 1831346
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 021346Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7778
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI IMMEDIATE 0197
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001047 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E NATSIOS, AND AF/SPG
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2012
TAGS: PREL PGOV AU UN SU ER
SUBJECT: DARFUR POLITICAL PROCESS: UN/AU PLANS STILL LACK
FOCUS

REF: KHARTOUM 01006

KHARTOUM 00001047 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: CDA A. Fernandez, Reason: Sections 1.4 (b) and (d)

-------------------------------------
UN/AU: Can't Wait for SPLM, Abdulwahid
--------------------------------------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001047

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E NATSIOS, AND AF/SPG
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2012
TAGS: PREL PGOV AU UN SU ER
SUBJECT: DARFUR POLITICAL PROCESS: UN/AU PLANS STILL LACK
FOCUS

REF: KHARTOUM 01006

KHARTOUM 00001047 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: CDA A. Fernandez, Reason: Sections 1.4 (b) and (d)

--------------
UN/AU: Can't Wait for SPLM, Abdulwahid
--------------


1. (C) In advance of the Darfur summit meeting scheduled for
Tripoli July 15-16, the United Nations (UN) and African Union
(AU) are assessing the viability of two parallel efforts to
energize the Darfur political process: a conference for
Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) non-signatories hosted by the
Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Southern Sudan
and a meeting of non-signatory political leaders, including
Abdulwahid al-Nur, Ahmed Diraij, Khamis Abdullah, Sharif
Harir, Abdullah Yehia, and Ahmed Abdulshafi. In a briefing
for the Darfur Partners Group in Khartoum on July 1, the
UN/AU emphasized the urgency of progress on the political
track, saying that neither delays in the SPLM initiative nor
the intransigence of individual rebel leaders, such as
al-Nur, should stall the peace process.

--------------
Juba Meeting to Clarify SPLM Role
--------------


2. (C) Pekka Haavisto, the senior advisor to UN Envoy Jan
Eliasson, and Sam Ibok, the head of DPA implementation and
the co-chair of the UN/AU Joint Mediation Support Team
(JMST),will travel to Juba on July 2 for a meeting with
First Vice President Salva Kiir and Eritrean official Yemane
Gharaeb. They hope to determine what role the SPLM can play
in the Darfur political process and how the UN/AU can
increase the likelihood of a successful SPLM effort. A UN
mediation expert reported that the SPLM was in the process of
formulating its Darfur strategy and hoped to convene a
conference in three to four weeks. It remained unclear
whether the conference would include both Darfur civil
society and rebel groups. The mediation expert said that the
SPLM "recognized that it does not have a full grasp of the
situation in Darfur and sufficient contacts" and had welcomed
UN/AU assistance. The SPLM had also made clear that they

intended the conference to lead to a mediation process under
the UN/AU, not Eritrea. (Note: The July 2 meeting among the
UN, AU, SPLM, and Eritrea will confirm this point. End note.)


3. (C) Based on recent meetings in Juba, including with Kiir,
CDA said that the "the SPLM has a more mature realization of
their role" and remained committed to facilitating the Darfur
political process. The SPLM had expressed "no hesitation" in
acknowledging the UN/AU lead and were assessing the situation
in Darfur and in regional capitals, such as Asmara and
Tripoli. "I left moderately positive on the strength of SPLM
engagement," said the CDA, noting that the SPLM had expressed
a desire to be represented at the upcoming Tripoli summit.
Ibok said that he still "had deep concerns about the
initiative." Kiir had articulated realistic goals for the
SPLM that the SPLM Taskforce on Darfur then muddled. Embassy
suggested that the UN and AU consider drafting a memorandum
of understanding with the SPLM to avoid ambiguity on its role
and detail the support required from the UN, AU, and
international community.

--------------
A New Rebel Meeting?
--------------


4. (C) Haavisto was examining possibilities for an inclusive
meeting of non-signatory political leaders in the near
future. While offering few specifics, he indicated this
could take place before the Tripoli summit in order to inform
those discussions. The meeting would build on recent contact
between Diraij and Shafi, which had been facilitated by the
UK, according to Haavisto. Al-Nur, however, continued to
claim that he had his own plan to re-organize the Sudan
Liberation Movement (SLM),though he had not shared it with
the UN and AU. They had in turn concluded that they would
continue to consult with al-Nur, press him to explain his
plans, but could not delay the political process in response
to his intransigence. The French Ambassador suggested that
al-Nur is "beginning to understand that things are moving
around him" and that she had learned from Paris that he was
now mentioning the SPLM conference and the UN/AU mediation in
"positive terms." Poloff said that two initiatives currently
had momentum: the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD)

KHARTOUM 00001047 002.2 OF 002


meeting in Kenya and the SPLM conference in Southern Sudan.
He suggested that the UN/AU had the ability to "tip the
scales" in favor of both rather than focusing on a new
meeting and explained that the CHD meeting could be underway
as early as July 9. (Note: Unconfirmed reports have surfaced
that the UN and AU are also considering inviting some
non-signatories to the Tripoli summit. It is unclear how a
meeting of Darfur political leaders or the presence of
non-sigatories in Tripoli intersect with the proposed CHD
meeting in Kenya, which has received support from the UN and
AU. End note.)

--------------
Comment
--------------


5. (C) Facing a volatile political environment, the UN and AU
regularly shift their tactical focus. On June 24, the UN and
AU described their priority as repairing the rift between
Darfur political and military leaders (reftel). One week
later, they are now considering a meeting of political
leaders with no stated outcome. Through contact at all
levels, we should continue to encourage the UN and AU to
remain focused on supporting a successful CHD-organized
meeting in Kenya to mitigate the fissures in the SLM, a
conference of non-signatories in Southern Sudan to prepare
them for negotiations, and a UN/AU-led negotiating process on
the principles of "shuttle diplomacy." A firm commitment to
these steps from the UN and AU, which should be ratified
during the upcoming Tripoli meeting, would provide a center
of gravity for international efforts on the political
process. End comment.


6. (U) Tripoli minimize considered.
FERNANDEZ