FUR ELDER BRIEFS CDA AFTER MEETINGS WITH REBEL LEADERS

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001765 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL UN AU SU SUBJECT: FUR ELDER BRIEFS CDA AFTER MEETINGS WITH REBEL LEADERS ¶1. (SBU) Recently returned to Northern Sudan from visits to Paris, Juba, Kampala, and Nairobi to meet with Darfur rebel leaders, the legitimate Maqdoum (literally, "viceroy," one of the traditional Darfur tribal titles) of the Fur, Ahmed Abdelrahman Rijal, told CDA Fernandez on November 12 that he is working with the UN and AU to form an advisory body of IDPs to participate in the second phase of the Darfur peace process. Disheartened that Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) faction leader Abdulwahid al Nur refused to meet with him in France, Rijal hopes that the advisory body will be a vehicle for the IDPs to "represent themselves" rather than through Abdulwahid, who Rijal characterized as "not sound of mind." ¶2. (SBU) Unification meetings in Juba among five rebel factions--including SLM/Ahmed Abdul Shafie, SLM/Khamis Abdullah, and two factions of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)--are proceeding, according to Rijal. He intimated that he supported Abdul Shafie as a more viable Fur leader than Abdulwahid. Rijal had briefed UN and AU officials in Khartoum on the findings of his trip and had presented his proposal for the formation of the IDP advisory body to Senior UN Political Advisor Moin Shrim. ¶3. (SBU) CDA Fernandez was supportive of IDPs "organizing their voice" and underscored the importance of participating in negotiations in order to achieve their political aims. He said that recent meetings between U.S. officials and National Congress Party (NCP) leaders had demonstrated that the Sudanese Government is suspicious of a role for the IDPs in the political process and the UN/AU's role in organizing the process. Rijal acknowledged that he and several other tribal and civil society representatives were unable to attend the UN/AU-sponsored meeting in Sirte that began October 27 due to the Sudanese Government's interference. ¶4. (SBU) Rijal also attributed ongoing tribal conflicts in South Darfur--such as those between the Turjum and the Northern Rizeigat--to NCP manipulation. "They (the tribes) can't even buy jalabas, so where else are they getting land cruisers and heavy machine guns (Dshkas)?" he questioned. The Government's unilateral declaration of a cessation of hostilities at the Sirte meeting still allows them to deny responsibility for the actions of the Arab tribes, said Rijal, and the NCP "will play this card indefinitely." CDA Fernandez suggested that the international community make a clear public declaration that it will not tolerate the NCP using Arab violence as an excuse for continued hostilities and will regard attacks by Arab tribes allied to the government as equivalent to attacks by their patrons in the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). ¶5. (SBU) Note: S/E Natsios issued a statement in Sirte on November 1 that "the Government must also be held accountable for the actions of Darfur's Arab tribes or the Arab tribes must be brought directly into the process and held to the same commitments as the other parties." Embassy will continue to deliver this message both publicly and to the GOS directly. End note. FERNANDEZ