Summary of the CFC Meetings, Week of May 14

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000822 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY SENSITIVE, SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO AU CD SU SUBJECT: Summary of the CFC Meetings, Week of May 14 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The Cease-fire Commission (CFC) did not meet on May 14. During the May 16 meeting of the Second Chamber, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) sparred with the Deputy Force Commander over access to helicopters and the restructuring of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) into three sectors. Discussions in the First Chamber concentrated on the investigation of the April 1 attack on AMIS forces in Umm Barru. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) There were no meetings on May 14. Meetings were held May ¶16. On that day, Deputy Force Commander (DFC) Ephrem Rurangwa introduced Brigadier General Pierre Roques as the new Second Vice Chairman and EU Observer to the CFC. He replaces Brig. Gen. J.G. Sintes, who left El Fasher the same day. Roques will be in this position for the next six months. -------------- Second Chamber Meeting -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Col. Abdo of Sudan Liberation Army/Non-signatories Faction (SLA/NSF) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) representative General Bashier attended the meeting. The DFC remarked that General Bashier had been absent from recent CFC meetings. Bashier accused the DFC of bias against JEM. He claimed that he had been refused a helicopter flight back from Abeche, Chad, whereas both Minni Minawi and the Sudanese Government representative were granted access to the flight. The DFC replied that he had not been told that Gen. Bashier would be absent from the Second Chamber and had not received a request for any transportation. He also convinced Bashier to discuss the matter in private after the meeting. ¶4. (SBU) The Secretariat presented a table of data on the recent spate of carjackings, including the types of vehicles stolen, their owners, and the areas from which they were stolen. Noting the lack of any analysis, the DFC ordered the Secretariat to present a more comprehensive report at the next meeting. Bashier said that JEM was ready to help if their representatives were notified in a timely manner and could intercede. Col. Abdo also reiterated his willingness to help. ¶5. (SBU) Bashier asked the DFC for the status of the letter requesting that non-signatory representatives be allowed to return to the sectors. The DFC said that no official written reply had yet arrived but that the GOS had informed him that they would not allow it. The DFC asked whether Bashier had received a copy of the Communiqu from the Joint Commission, which calls for re-deployment of party representatives. Bashier said that he did not have a representative at the Joint Commission, and that the Commission and its decisions do not apply to him or his movement. However, Bashier said he understood that AMIS was going to consolidate to three sectors, which he considered to be contrary to the Ndjamena agreement. If that was so, he said there was no basis for JEM to continue attending Second Chamber meetings. ¶6. (SBU) The Deputy Force Commander scolded the Secretariat for failing to obtain a report of bombings in Sector 6 that was alleged at the last meeting. (Note: The Secretariat is often unable to obtain reports from the sub-sectors. End note.) -------------- First Chamber Meeting -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The minutes of the meeting were distributed to the members only moments before the meeting started. The DFC ordered that they be distributed earlier to afford members the time to read them. The DFC also distributed a copy of the Joint Communiqu released May 9 and asked members to read it, but no discussion ensued. Instead, the Chamber again focused on the Umm Barru investigation. SLM/Minawi submitted a paper outlining its position. The SLM/Minawi asserted that there had been no justification for the killing of the three local Sudanese on April 1, that the report's conclusion of SLM involvement was based on false information, and that it contained too many errors in analysis. On these grounds, the SLM/Minawi asked that the report be rewritten. The other CFC members objected to a complete rewrite but suggested that the report could be reviewed to remove any biased commentary. S/CRS Poloff will chair the review committee, which will report back to the CFC on May 28. ¶8. (SBU) The JEM-Peace Wing representative informed the Chamber that the Sudanese Government had begun bombing its people in Deim Bishara, and the DFC directed the Secretariat to contact Sector 2 to investigate. KHARTOUM 00000822 002 OF 002 POWERS