DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH SENIOR ASSISTANT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000581

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: 04/15/2017
TAGS: OVIP NEGROPONTE JOHN PREL MOPS PINR KPKO UN
AU-1, SU
SUBJECT: DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH SENIOR ASSISTANT
TO THE PRESIDENT MINNI MINAWI


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Classified By: CDA C. HUME, REASON: SECTION 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Summary: On April 15, Deputy Secretary Negroponte met
with Senior Assistant to the President and Sudanese
Libaration Movement (SLM) leader Minni Minawi. Minawi
characterized the security situation in Darfur as "fragile"
and urged the international community to push for a political
solution. He called on international support for the
Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA) and stressed
the need for immediate implementation of the Darfur Peace
Agreement (DPA). Minawi also said that the Darfur Joint
Assessment Mission (DJAM) should be revived, and that
reconstruction and develoment in Darfur are of the highest
priority. End summary.

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STAGNANT DPA IMPLEMENTATION
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2. (C) The Deputy Secretary opened the discussion by asking
Minawi to describe the progress of DPA implementation thus
far. Many different efforts have been undertaken by local,
regional and international actors, Minawi said, but DPA
implementation remains at a standstill. Without stability
between the governments of Sudan and Chad, he continued,
Darfur will remain a "war field." Minawi stressed that the
main problem is security, and that Darfur requires a
political solution. All tribal groups must be disarmed, he
said, and there must be negotiations with non-signatories on
both the political and military levels. Though the DPA was
signed almost one year ago, not even half of it has been
implemented, Minawi said. "Even 70 to 80 percent
implementation would help us recover." Minawi also called for
strong international support for the DPA-mandated TDRA,
noting that the delegation accompanying him to the meeting
were all TDRA members. One of the delegation added that the
SLA also needs assistance in making the transformation from a
guerilla organization to a political one.


3. (C) The Deputy Secretary underscored the US government
committment to both the CPA and DPA, and told Minawi that his
April 14 trip to Darfur had served as personal confirmation
of many of the things he'd been told prior to his vist.
Insecurity continued, he said, and though the humanitarian
situation has stabilized, it could deteriorate once again if
security and political issues are not addressed. The Deputy
Secretary mentioned his meeting with AMIS Force Commander

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Aprezi, saying that one of his messages to the Sudanese
government has been that the AU/UN hybrid peacekeeping forces
must be deployed as quickly as possible.


4. (C) The Deputy Secretary agreed with Minawi's advocacy of
a swift political solution with respect to bringing
non-signatories into the peace process, and welcomed Minawi's
views on the initiatives proposed by Vice President Salva
Kiir and the AU/UN envoys. He added that much more could be
done on the part of the Sudanese government, including
cutting off support for Janjaweed forces. The Deputy
Secretary offered to convey Minawi's concerns to the

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governments of Chad and Libya during his upcoming meetings in
N'djamena and Tripoli.

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RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS NEEDED
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5. (C) Regarding the stalled DJAM process, Minawi
characterized it as being "held hostage" by non-signatories
and stresed the need to begin real reconstruction and
rehabilitation efforts in Darfur. (Note: the DJAM was
suspended last fall when fighting between Sudanese goverment
forces and the non-signatory "Redemption Force" made it too
difficult for the mission to carry out its assessment. End
note.) The Deputy Secretary asked Minawi to identify where
such efforts should be concentrated, and Minawi pointed to
the many regional commissions set up by the DPA, saying that
they have a "vision" as to where such efforts would have the
most effect. The Deputy Secretary agreed that focus needs to
be placed on reconstruction and development, in addition to
continued humanitarian assistance.


6. (C) Minawi requested a more private meeting at his

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residence later in the day, attended by Minawi, Ali Trayo,
the Deputy Secretary, the Charge, the Assistant Secretary and
the NSC senior director. At this meeting Minawi conveyed that
the government/NCP planned to kill him at the recent incident
in Omdurman at which several of his supporters were killed.
He also said the government is arming militias that signed
the Declaration of Commitment (DOC) to dilute his influence
and that his forces will be integrated into the national
army. Finally he asked for USG support promised by Ambassador
Zoellick at Abuja (military and technical advice) and asked
Deputy Secretary Negroponte to clarify USG commitment to an
AU/UN force that would have strong UN commmand and control.


7. (U) Participants:
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
Colonel Dennis Giddens, DoD advisor
Bill Garvelink, USAID
Gustavo Delgado, D staff
Jennifer Larson (notetaker)

Government of Sudan/SLM:
Minni Arko Minawi, Special Assistant to the President
Ahmed Ali Trayo, senior advisor to Minni Minawi
Mohamed Basheer Abdalla, office director for Minni Minawi
Abdul Hafiz Mustafa
Abdul-Aziz Sam
Abdul-Gabbar Dawsa
Dr. Hassan Fashir
Nasur Eldeen Abdalla
Mohamed Tigani
Dr. Mohamed Suliman
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