CEASE-FIRE COMMISSION: FRUSTRATION WITH HASKANITA WHILE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001510 SIPDIS SENSITIVE, SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KPKO SOCI AU UN US SU SUBJECT: CEASE-FIRE COMMISSION: FRUSTRATION WITH HASKANITA WHILE MSA THREATS REMAIN -------------- -------------- JEM REP DISCUSSES SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES BUT ALSO MSA -------------- -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Force Commander Martin Luther Agwai chaired meetings of both chambers and pushed to reduce each chamber to one formal meeting per week. No report on the Kalma IDP incursion has yet been received from the sector, nor have any AMIS officials been able to investigate the Haskanita fighting. Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Representative Gen. Bashir claimed on 17 September that air strikes were continuing in Haskanita (Note: There is no corroboration of that claim in any AMIS military sitreps or daily briefings. End note.) Bashir also complained that AMIS had not followed through on several old weapons seizures and road traffic accident (RTA) compensation cases and threatened that JEM might leave the CFC. ¶2. (SBU) Agwai admitted he was not aware of the old weapons seizure and RTA compensation cases. He noted that the Second Chamber was created in response to Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)/Non-Signatory Faction (NSF) complaints that they were not represented on the CFC--the CFC did not request their representatives to attend nor imply any treatment equal to other observers. He also blamed JEM, not just the Government, for the delay in the Haskanita investigation, as the JEM had threatened to shoot down AMIS helicopters in the area. -------------- -- SE NATSIOS' COMMENTS BROUGHT UP AS ILLUSTRATIVE -------------- -- ¶3. (SBU) In the First Chamber meeting, Agwai distributed copies of the September 13 Brussels RFI interview with Special Envoy Natsios. Field Off noted that the article was not an attack against the CFC chairman and members, but a criticism of the CFC's systemic weaknesses and that SE Natsios shared concerns about the Haskanita violence. Most members concurred, although the Sudanese Government representative complained that Sudan rather than the rebel factions is often blamed for violations. -------------- -------------- AMIS CONCERNED ABOUT SLA/MM MSA SPILLOVER EFFECTS -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The AMIS Mil Sitrep and briefing covering 18 Sep recorded four separate incidents in Sector 1 (in which El Fasher is located) where AMIS patrols were queried about MSA, or, indirectly as a result, warned not to proceed without SLA/M representatives present. At the end of the 19 September AMIS staff meeting, the Chief of Staff warned that he feared more car-jackings were likely as a result. He noted the factions' continued frustration over the MSA reduction, plus the transfer from AMIS to UNAMID. FERNANDEZ