MUTRIFF DENIES GOS INVOLVEMENT IN KALMA CAMP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001661

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2017
TAGS: PREL KPKO MARR AU UN SU
SUBJECT: MUTRIFF DENIES GOS INVOLVEMENT IN KALMA CAMP
FORCED RELOCATION

Classified By: CDA Alberto M. Fernandez, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (
d)


1. (C) Summary. October 25, CDA Fernandez met with Ministry
of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Mutriff Siddiq. Siddiq
categorically denied that the GOS has a policy of forced
relocation at the Kalma IDP camp and suggested measures to
improve international community confidence in the GOS role at
the camp, said that Special Envoy Natsios would be granted
Sudanese visas in Tripoli, and accepted a U.S. proposal to
announce GOS positive action in transporting Rwandan troops
into Darfur. He complained about SPLM violations of the
spirit and letter of the CPA. End summary.

SIDDIQ DENIES GOS ROLE IN FORCIBLE RELOCATIONS AT KALMA CAMPS
-------------- --------------


2. (C) CDA Fernandez told Siddiq that there were allegations
that the Government of Sudan (GOS) is seen as forcibly
relocating internally displaced people (IDP) at the Kalma
camp to other sites. CDA Fernandez said that some in the
international and NGO community believe that this is GOS
policy. Siddiq flatly said, "To my knowledge, we have no
such policy." He noted that similar unfounded allegations
were made when Zam Zam camp was established in North Darfur
but eventually the international community realized that
there were no hidden negative intentions by the government.
Siddiq said that were the government wanted to act to
forcibly relocate IDPs, they would have done so after the
deaths of four policemen earlier this year, adding that the
recent problems resulted from inter-tribal conflict between
Zaghawa tribe members belonging to the SLM-Minawi faction and
other groups. He offered to arrange a meeting between the
international community and the Humanitarian Aid Commission
(HAC) to discuss the issue.


3. (C) Siddiq said that would be good to have meeting with
the U.S. and talk freely about the problems with the camps.
The current problems are not caused by the Khartoum
government. He added that the GOS has raised concerns before:
the camps are too big and the people are polarized against
each other, and had taken positive action with international
community objections. He emphasized, "Sudan does not have
the capacity to solve the problems of the camp ourselves; we
need outside assistance." CDA Fernandez said that if IDPs
are forcibly relocated then the U.S., as the largest
supporter of the camps, would be unable to fund any
remediation efforts. He added that such moves would be
disastrous just at the time that the GOS is seen as making
some progress in UNSCR 1769 implementation.

NATSIOS VISIT
--------------


4. (C) Asked about visas for the October 30 to November 4
visit by Special Envoy Natsios, Siddiq said, "We instructed
our embassies to grant him a visa wherever he is." CDA told
Siddiq that Natsios is coming to Sudan to talk mostly about
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) issues and not Darfur.
Siddiq looked forward to seeing Natsios in Libya.


5. (C) He added that Sudan appreciated U.S. concerns for the
CPA. Some in the regime thought that the U.S., in the form of
the former USAID officials Roger Winter and Brian DeSilva,
was behind the current crisis but he did not. CDA answered
that Winter and DeSilva have a relationship with the SPLM but
don't speak for the U.S., and noted that Sudan has a former
Republican Congressman (Mark Siljander) on their payroll as a
lobbyist. These former USAID officials are no different,
except they are unpaid. Siddiq noted that these individuals'
presence in Juba in itself a violation of the CPA since they
didn't get visas. "But we don't complain publicly every time
the south does something wrong because the elder brother
should be kind to the younger brother." There were many
issues involving sovereignty where the GOSS was bending or
breaking the law.

CDA UPDATES SIDDIQ ON RWANDAN TROOP DEPLOYMENT
--------------


6. (C) CDA briefed Siddiq on the progress of the USAF
transporting Rwandan troops into El-Fasher. CDA said that
the larger than anticipated number of flights resulted from
the Rwandan insistence that the U.S. fly out the currently

KHARTOUM 00001661 002 OF 002


deployed Rwandan troops before transporting in the Rwandan
replacements and the additional unit. CDA added that the
deployment would be completed in four to five days and told
Siddiq that the U.S. planned to publicly credit the GOS for
their role in the AU/UN troop deployment.


7. (C) In response to CDA raising a flight support issue
involving U.S. ground support personnel, Siddiq assured CDA
that GOS airport personnel would permit USG employees
supporting the C-17 arrivals and departures would have access
to the airport facilities and aircraft.


8. (C) Comment: Sudan's acceptance of 20 USAF flights into
Darfur is indeed a very tangible expression of their
commitment to UNSCR 1769. By next week, there will be an
additional 800 Rwandan peacekeepers, with armored vehicles,
on the ground. this is helpful and Sudan's role should be
acknowledged but with almost 20,000 more peacekeepers to go,
they will have to continue to show their compliance by active
cooperation.
FERNANDEZ