ELIASSON, SALIM: POLITICAL PROCESS TAKING OFF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000235

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: 02/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV AU UN SU CD LI US
SUBJECT: ELIASSON, SALIM: POLITICAL PROCESS TAKING OFF

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Classified By: CDA Cameron Hume, Reason: Sections 1.4 (b) and (d)

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Summary
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1. (C) The UN Secretary General's Special Envoy Jan Eliasson
and the Africa Union's Special Envoy Salim Ahmed Salim
briefed ambassadors near the conclusion of their February
12-17 visit to Sudan. Despite the deteriorating humanitarian
situation, they underscored the renewed willingness of the
Sudanese government and the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA)
non-signatories to engage in a constructive political process
and the importance of diffusing bilateral tensions between
Chad and Sudan. They also called for a coordinated
international effort to take advantage of this moment of
opportunity. CDA Hume promised the full support of the USG
for efforts to advance the political process, both on the
ground in Darfur and in the UN Security Council. End summary.

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Political Process Takes Off
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2. (C) In a February 16 briefing for ambassadors near the
conclusion of their visit to Sudan, UNSYG Special Envoy
Eliasson and AU Special Envoy Salim noted the "credible
beginning of a negotiating process" and called on the
international community for assistance in continuing positive
momentum on Darfur. "The process is starting to take-off,"
said Eliasson, adding that unification of the DPA
non-signatories and a decrease in violence would prove that
the nascent process is meaningful. "Nothing dramatic has
occurred during our visit," explained Salim, "but we didn't
expect that. Anyone who knows Darfur couldn't." The envoys
announced the creation of a joint AU-UN task force in
Khartoum and Darfur to advance political dialogue and
acknowledged that the Darfur crisis was "a Sudanese problem"
that required sustained engagement on the ground.

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Non-Signatories
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3. (C) Eliasson and Salim reported that Sudan had rejected
the two extreme approaches to a negotiating process on the
DPA: "take it or leave it" and "renegotiation." However,
Sudanese officials, including Foreign Minister Lam Akol,
Director of the National Intelligence and Security Service
(NISS) Salah Ghosh, Presidential Advisors Nafie Ali Nafie and
Maghzoub Al Khalifa, and North Darfur governor Yousef Kibbir
requested assistance in facilitating constructive discussions
with the DPA non-signatories. Noting that he considered the
DPA the basis of their mandate, Salim stated that he would
not be "dogmatic" in his approach and recognized that
additions would need to be made to the agreement.


4. (C) Both envoys met with representatives from the Sudan
Liberation Army (SLA) and G-19 in North Darfur on February

15. Eliasson and Salim observed a "real desire" among the
commanders to engage in productive dialogue and, despite
their rhetoric opposing the DPA, continued to refer to
provisions in the agreement as a basis for discussion. Salim
lauded SLA commander Jar Al Naby's statement "that we all
made mistakes" in Abuja as a sign of their willingness to
move forward. Eliasson and Salim said that their message to
the rebels had been "united you stand, divided you fall" and
had encouraged them to prepare for negotiations by focusing
on their priorities. While stating that they welcomed any
initiative to bring non-signatories into a productive process
(including the recent Eritrean efforts toward a conference in
Libya),Eliasson and Salim called for international
coordination so the parties would not be able to play off
stakeholders against each other.

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Chad and Regional Dynamics
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5. (C) Recognizing that many of the strongest rebels were in
Chad, the envoys expressed their concern that bilateral
tensions between Sudan and Chad were impediments to a
successful political process and indicated that elements on
both sides of the border, both in and outside the two
governments, still believed in an military solution to the
conflict. "There will not be a durable solution to Darfur
unless we resolve the crisis between Sudan and Chad," said

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Salim. "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose
your brothers." They called for international cooperation to
bring about a lasting peace agreement between the two
neighbors, but noted the difficulty in achieving such an
agreement. "The borders of Africa don't respond to cultural
and historical facts," said Eliasson, who later warned of a
"growing military confrontation" between the two countries.

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Humanitarian Operations Fragile
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6. (C) Eliasson and Salim acknowledged the "relative control"
that still existed in the distribution of food and medicine
but warned that humanitarian operations were fragile.
Eliasson said that he saw "fatigue, frustration, and fear" in
many of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Darfur
and said that this could lead to a "breakdown" in operations.
CDA Hume echoed these concerns. The envoys said that they
had discussed at length the humanitarian situation with
Al-Khalifa at a three-hour meeting earlier in the week, when
UNSYG Deputy Special Representative for Humanitarian Affairs
Manuel da Silva had detailed the deteriorating situation.
The Sudanese government later released a statement
re-affirming its commitment to protect civilians, noting its
appreciation for international humanitarian operations --
particularly the work of NGOs -- and acknowledging the
sacrifices of aid workers. Eliasson and Salim had also
raised this critical issue in their meetings with the DPA
non-signatories.

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AU/UN Deployment
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7. (C) In each meeting with Sudanese officials, Eliasson and
Salim urged a prompt response to the UNSYG's January 24
letter regarding the UN heavy support package for the African
Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). Eliasson said that he was
"under the impression that there was an agreement on phase
two" after a meeting with President Bashir in Addis Ababa on
the margins of the recent AU summit. The envoys pledged to
raise the issue again during their second meeting with Al
Khalifa and with President Bashir on February 17. Salim
called on the international community to recognize that the
AU and UN "moved slowly" and were operating under "high
expectations" and "tough conditions," particularly in the
area of security.

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Comment
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8. (C) Darfur is a tortured place, but an opportunity for
constructive dialogue with the Sudanese government,
surrounding countries, and the DPA non-signatories now
exists. Approaching CDA Hume after the briefing, Eliasson
expressed concern that the "drums" in the U.S. would drown
out the possibility of advancing the political process at a
critical moment and that it was important to "strike a
balance" between confrontation and dialogue. He said that
influential members of the regime want to solve the Darfur
crisis in cooperation with the international community. We
recommend operational support for the efforts of the joint
UN/AU task force by encouraging them to use the pre-existing
Darfur Peace Secretariats in Khartoum and El Fasher. In
addition, the USG should put the Chadian and Libyan
governments on notice that their links to Darfur rebel groups
are destructive to peace. End comment.


9. (C) Tripoli minimize considered.
HUME