Ceasefire Commission Week of June 4, 2007

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000903 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: Ceasefire Commission Week of June 4, 2007 REF: Khartoum 884 ¶1. (SBU) As the incident between AMIS and SLA Minawi near Labado on May 30 (reftel) occupied the majority of the CFC's time this week, the First Chamber meeting on June 4 and Second Chamber meeting on June 6 were cancelled. The tone of the meetings held was subdued. An investigation team for the incident was convened on Friday, June ¶1. The team made day trips to Muhajeria on June 2, Labado on June 3 and Muhajeria again on June 5 to take the testimony of witnesses. General Aprezi is expected to return to El Fasher by June 10. -------------- JEM on carjackings -------------- ¶2. (U) In the Second Chamber meeting of June 4, Justice and Equality Movement representative Gen. Bashier insisted that the Chamber take action on security in the area around AMIS and on stemming carjacking, and said that the CFC should not consider any other business until it does. He said that if carjacking does not stop, it would dissuade NGOs from distributing needed aid to those in need, including his own people. -------------- GoS Janjaweed Disarmament Plan -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In the First Chamber meeting of June 6, CFC Acting Chairman and Deputy Force Commander (DFC) Rurangwa directed Second Vice Chair BG Roques of the EU, Col. JR Waswa of the AU and Col. Thinus Van Staden of UNMIS to provide their expert advice on the Janjaweed Disarmament plan submitted by the Government of Sudan to the African Union several weeks ago. The experts are expected to make their recommendations and present the final plan to the CFC shortly for adoption. -------------- DFC: Frustrated over vehicle seizures -------------- ¶4. (SBU) POLOFF had two impromptu meetings with AMIS Deputy Force Commander Ephrem Rurangwa this week. He was frustrated that his vehicles had not yet been returned by the SLA after the Labado incident. While one SLA rep told POLOFF the seizure of the vehicles was justifiable since one of their own was killed in the incident, Rurangwa lamented that his efforts to take care of the SLA's wounded were not acknowledged in the least by the SLA. Worse, he said, was that the SLA had released a fabricated statement that 14 of its members were killed, whereas only two had been killed of the 13 total passengers. FERNANDEZ