UN ENVOY ELIASSON VISITS SUDAN

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000054 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL AU SU UN SUBJECT: UN ENVOY ELIASSON VISITS SUDAN ¶1. (SBU) In his first trip to Sudan as the UN Secretary General's (UNSYG) Special Envoy for Darfur, Jan Eliasson underscored the UN's commitment to advancing the political process in Darfur. He called for a visible reduction in violence between the Sudanese Government and Darfur rebel groups, which would prove to be a confidence-building measure for constructive political dialogue. Eliasson said that such a reduction of violence would be a demonstration of the parties' political will to further the peace process, which he hoped would bear fruit prior to the one-year anniversary of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) in May. ¶2. (SBU) During a January 11 press conference and a January 12 briefing for chiefs of mission, Eliasson characterized his conversations with Sudanese officials -- including President Bashir, Foreign Minister Lam Akol, Intelligence Chief Salah Gosh, Presidential Advisor Mustafa Osman Ismail, Presidential Assistant Nafie Ali Nafie, and Senior Assistant to the President Minni Minawi -- as "fruitful, substantive, and positive." He noted that a Ministry of Foreign Affairs' statement regarding his visit said the November 16 Addis Ababa and November 30 Abuja agreements would form the basis of the peace process in Darfur. The statement also indicated the Sudanese Government's willingness to hold talks with DPA non-signatories at any time. Eliasson said that Sudanese officials had told him that military force would only be used in self-defense. ¶3. (SBU) Eliasson emphasized that he would collaborate with African Union (AU) Envoy Salim Ahmed Salim to advance the political process in a joint AU-UN effort. "There has to be a peace to keep," said Eliasson, "and it is a great step forward for the AU and UN to work on the political process." He said that Sudanese officials and rebel leaders' concurrence that there was no military solution to the Darfur crisis could be the starting point for the political process. ¶4. (SBU) At the chiefs of mission briefing, CDA Hume applauded the UN and the AU's strong engagement, noting that an attempt to advance the political process would require "a firm hand on the tiller." He outlined a series of issues that continue to be the basis of disagreement, including compensation, and said that Janjaweed disarmament should be a priority. He called on Eliasson to effect implementation of the DPA, rather than revisiting the agreement, and highlighted the importance of institutional shifts, such as the establishment of the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority. Eliasson said that he would attempt to strike a "delicate balance" to implement the DPA and to address legitimate grievances of the non-signatories. ¶5. (SBU) Eliasson indicated that he would develop a plan for engaging non-signatories in preparation for UNSYG Ban Ki-Moon's attendance at the AU summit in Addis Ababa on January 29. He expressed his hope that the proliferation of initiatives to engage non-signatories could be rationalized. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: We need the UN to take the lead on advancing the political process in Darfur. At present, the UN has no qualified political officers in the field. While providing support when possible -- both in Sudan and in New York -- the USG should encourage the UN to increase its capacity to engage non-signatory groups in an effort to hold a conference of rebel commanders in the near future. Such a conference would lay the groundwork for broader political dialogue in support of peace. HUME