RESPONSE: SUDAN - SUPPORTING THE TDRA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000697 SIPDIS SENSITIVE 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: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM EAID SU AU SUBJECT: RESPONSE: SUDAN - SUPPORTING THE TDRA REF: A. SECSTATE 58734 ¶B. KHARTOUM 00409 ¶C. KHARTOUM 00228 ¶1. (SBU) Senior Assistant to the President and Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) leader Minni Minawi is traveling in Darfur to inaugurate the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA). His earliest expected return date to Khartoum is May 6. Per Ref. A, Post will contact Minawi upon his return and report septel. ¶2. (SBU) In a May 2 conversation with Poloff, a member of Minawi's inner circle discussed the status of appointments to the TDRA and proposed methods for USG support. He emphasized that the SLM could benefit from political, communications, and financial/management advisors. Strengthening the capacity of the SLM in these areas, he said, would facilitate the proper establishment of the TDRA and reduce the likelihood of assistance going to those elements of the TDRA that do not share the SLM's goals. Minawi's advisor said that the current infrastructure for the TDRA headquarters in Khartoum -- provided by the Sudanese Government -- was adequate. He noted that Minawi would be well-placed to identify the infrastructure needs of the TDRA offices in the three Darfur states after his return to Khartoum. -------------- Security Arrangements -------------- ¶3. (SBU) According to Minawi's advisor, the chairmen of five out of six TDRA commissions have been nominated or appointed. The National Congress Party (NCP) appointed Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) General Al Dabi to chair the Security Arrangements Commission, which the SLM is protesting. The movement is also opposed to some proposed appointments to the "council" of the Security Commission, which should consist of the following: three representatives from the Darfur rebel movements (not yet nominated); one representative from the NCP (not yet nominated); one representative from the African Union (AU) (not yet nominated); the head of the Security Advisory Team (SAT) (not yet nominated); the governors of the three Darfur states (appointed over SLM opposition); and a representative from the National Commission for Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration, established under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). On technical grounds, the SLM has objected to the NCP's nominee for the last post, who was chosen from the Northern sub-commission of the overall body. Minawi's advisor underscored the importance of ensuring that a suitable, Western general is appointed to head the SAT in the near future and requested USG assistance on this issue (Ref. B). -------------- Land, Resettlement/Rehabilitation, DRDF -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The NCP and the SLM have agreed on the chair of the Land Commission, SLM political leader Abdulrahman Adam. However, the NCP announced the appointments to the three state land commissions before Adam's nomination and without his input. Ibrahim Madibbo, a signatory to the Declaration of Commitment (DoC),assumed the chairmanship of the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Commission. Though the SLM had supported his nomination as the governor of South Darfur, they view his chairmanship of this commission to be ineffectual because he is a Rizeigat (Ref. C). The NCP and the SLM agreed to the appointment of SLM member Abdulkabar Dousa to chair the Darfur Reconstruction and Development Fund (DRDF),though agreement has not been reached on the composition of the "council" to advise him. The main sticking point is the member representing the Ministry of Finance. -------------- Compensation, Peace/Reconciliation -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The SLM nominated Abdulhafiz Mustapha, a Masaleit member of the movement, to chair the Compensation Commission. After rejecting Mustapha's nomination on the grounds that the chairman should be "neutral," the NCP nominated Ali Hassan Tajeldin, a member of the break-away Umma Party faction that is included in the Government of National Unity (GNU) and a former advisor to President Bashir. The SLM opposes this nomination. Appointments to the Peace and Reconciliation Commission are on hold pending the start of KHARTOUM 00000697 002 OF 002 the Darfur Darfur Dialogue and Consultation (DDDC). The SLM asserts that the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) non-signatories must be brought to the agreement, and thus accorded participation in this commission, before its inauguration. -------------- Federal Appointments -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The two state minister slots allocated to signatories of the DPA have assumed their positions: DoC signatory Abdulrahman Musa as State Minister of Cabinet Affairs and SLM Secretary General Mustapha Tirab as State Minister of Federal Government. According to Minawi's advisor, Musa has lost legitimacy among his own supporters, who believe the NCP has co-opted him. The NCP considers Presidential Advisor Abdullah Masar, who hails from Darfur and held the post prior to the DPA, as the Darfurian advisor -- a formulation that the SLM rejects. The SLM plans to reserve the federal minister slot for Darfur to accommodate the DPA non-signatories. -------------- State Governors -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Yousef Kibir and Al Hajj Attal Mannan, both NCP members, remain in their posts as the governors of North and South Darfur, respectively. Though the deputy governors should come from the Darfur rebel movements, the NCP has moved to appoint a second NCP deputy as well in each state. DoC signatory Abdulgassem Imam, considered a tool of the NCP, assumed the governorship of West Darfur in early 2007. POWERS