DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH SUDANESE STATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000574 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF/SE NATSIOS AND IO A/S SILVERBERG, NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2017 TAGS: OVIP NEGROPONTE JOHN EAID MOPS PGOV PINR PREF PREL, PHUM, KPKO, UN, AU-1, SU SUBJECT: DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH SUDANESE STATE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AS SAMMANI KHARTOUM 00000574 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: CDA C. Hume, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d ¶1. (C) Summary: Meeting with Deputy Secretary Negroponte, State Minster for Foreign Affairs As Sammani appealed for dialogue to "unlock" the situation in Darfur and urged the U.S. to push the non-signatory rebel groups to join the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). The Deputy Secretary urged the Sudanese to adhere to the agreement reached in Addis Ababa in November and to open the way for a peacekeepers, under full UN command and control, to deploy to Darfur. The Sudanese described the March 28 agreement to improve humanitarian access to Darfur as "a landmark." The Deputy Secretary said that the United States will be watching to see the practical effect of the agreement on access. End Summary. ¶2. (U) State Minister for Foreign Affairs As Sammani Al Waseela As Sammani met with Deputy Secretary Negroponte the evening of April 12 at his residence in Khartoum. The meeting was followed by a working dinner to welcome the Deputy Secretary and his party to Sudan. ¶3. (C) The Deputy Secretary opened his remarks by stating that the reason for his visit is Darfur. He stressed that recent agreements, including the one reached in Addis Ababa November 16, 2006 must be implemented. A follow-on peace-keeping mission, under full UN command and control, must then be deployed in Darfur. Resolution of the crisis in Darfur is key to improvement in the bilateral relationship. He noted that humanitarian and security issues are intertwined. Successful implementation of a UN mission in Darfur would deprive critics of Sudan of their arguments. Success could build on success, creating a positive, upward spiral. -------------- Political Process in Darfur -------------- ¶4. (C) In reply, As Sammani stated that he welcomed the visit as an opportunity for dialogue. He stressed that dialogue is needed to "unlock" the situation and move on to the next step. Briefly recounting the history of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA),As Summani expressed appreciation for the efforts of former Deputy Secretary Zoellick and Charge' Hume for their help in negotiating the agreement in Abuja and appealed to the U.S. for continued engagement. As Summani returned repeatedly to the need to bring the non-signatory rebel groups onboard the agreement, saying that no peace can be sustained if some of the main players are not part of it. He appealed to the U.S. to put pressure on the non-signatory groups. He complained that the leaders of these groups are "staying in five-star hotels" and visiting foreign ministries in Europe, and thus have little incentive to reach an agreement on the ground. -------------- Good Faith Efforts Unrewarded -------------- ¶5. (C) As Sammani emphasized that there is a feeling that Sudan had made good faith efforts, but had not received the recognition and benefits that should have followed. He complained that after signing the November 16 agreement in Addis Ababa, Sudan had been "bombarded" with negative media attention. In addition, donors were not as supportive as had been hoped. He cited the case of the World Food Program (WFP),claiming that shortly after the peace agreement was signed, WFP cut its program, forcing the government of Sudan to replace 20,000 tons of food that it felt had been pledged by WFP. USAID advisor Garvelink interjected that while WFP had initially indicated it would have to reduce food shipments, in the end the full amount was delivered. -------------- --- Humanitarian Agreement Claimed as a Breakthrough -------------- --- ¶6. (C) Director General for Humanitarian Affairs Yousuf reiterated his government's committment to humanitarian aid in Darfur, saying the March 28 agreement is a "landmark" and explained that, for the first time, there is a mechanism to deal with problems as they emerge. The agreement sets up a KHARTOUM 00000574 002.2 OF 002 tripartite structure with the UN, Government and NGOs to meet monthly to identify and resolve problems. Commenting on the UN heavy support package, Yousuf stated that all issues but one (attack helicopters) have been resolved and that one remaining issue is the subject of ongoing consultations. He also urged that pressure be put on the non-signatories to negotiate and asked what the U.S. could do to persuade the non-signatories to come on board. Charge' Hume replied that it is difficult to force people to talk. It is necessary to create the right conditions first. Saying that a military offensive is clearly not the right way, he commended the Sudanese government for its restraint as efforts were made to bring together a commanders' conference. Assistant Secretary Frazer said that a credible and neutral peacekeeping force would help to create the conditions for dialogue. She stressed the need for a single forum for discussions, the UN/AU being the best option. -------------- UN Command and Control -------------- ¶7. (C) After As Sammani invited everyone to "concentrate on more dialogue," conversation turned to the issue of deployment of a peace-keeping mission in Darfur and the importance of UN command and control. As Sammani asked whether the U.S. would support an agreement reached between the UN, the AU and the government of Sudan. The Deputy Secretary replied that, if the agreement is reasonable, the SIPDIS U.S. would support it. Director General Yousuf, a lawyer, stated that in his view, the issue of command and control will be governed by the mandate and it is imperative that the mandate direct the peacekeeping mission to assist with the implementation of the DPA. ¶8. (U) Participants: U.S. The Deputy Secretary Jendayi E. Frazer, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Cameron Hume, Charge d'Affairs Bobby Pittman, Senior Director for Africa, National Security Council Gustavo Delgado, D staff Bill Garvelink, USAID Curtis Stewart (Embassy Notetaker) Government of Sudan As Sammani Al Waseela As Sammani, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Sirajuddin Hamid Yousif, Director General for Humanitarian Affairs Ambassador Abdel Basit Badawi al Sanousi, Director, Americas Division Abdel Rahman Sharfi, Minister Plenipotentiary HUME