Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KUALALUMPUR984
2007-06-06 12:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Cable title:
PM ABDULLAH URGES NEW APPROACH TO DARFUR, SEEKS
how-toVZCZCXRO7048 PP RUEHBC RUEHCHI RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHNH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHKL #0984 1571214 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 061214Z JUN 07 FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9405 INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0002 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1021 RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000984
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EAP/MTS, AF, IO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL PREF MARR KISL UN SU MY
SUBJECT: PM ABDULLAH URGES NEW APPROACH TO DARFUR, SEEKS
OIC FUNDING
Classified By: CDA David B. Shear, reasons 1.4 (b, d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000984
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EAP/MTS, AF, IO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL PREF MARR KISL UN SU MY
SUBJECT: PM ABDULLAH URGES NEW APPROACH TO DARFUR, SEEKS
OIC FUNDING
Classified By: CDA David B. Shear, reasons 1.4 (b, d).
1. (C) Summary: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi,
in a June 4 meeting with visiting General Peter Pace,
described his "new approach" to Darfur focused on returning
IDPs to their homes with security guarantees from Khartoum.
Abdullah has asked wealthy OIC countries to contribute to a
new humanitarian fund. The Prime Minister may write to
President Bush regarding Darfur. End Summary.
2. (C) Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi outlined the
need for a "new approach" to ending the Darfur humanitarian
crisis, in his June 4 discussion with visiting Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace and the
Ambassador (septel). Based on his one-day visit to Darfur in
April, PM Abdullah said the international community and Sudan
should pursue a strategy of returning IDPs to their home
villages and providing aid in these villages. The current
centralization of humanitarian aid served as a magnate for
villagers and a disincentive for them to return home. The
current situation in the IDP camps "is a mess," while the
"real towns of Darfur are doing well" with food and other
supplies in their shops. For its part, the Sudan government
should provide security guarantees for the villages, and
Abdullah said he had encouraged President Bashir to take this
action.
3. (C) PM Abdullah said that as OIC chairman he had written
to select OIC countries to seek urgent funding for
humanitarian projects in Darfur, including for provision of
food and medicines, as well as education. Malaysia also
would assist, possibly through Petronas, Malaysia's
state-owned oil and gas company that has major investments in
Sudan. PM Abdullah indicated he may write to President Bush
regarding Darfur. "We cannot abandon Sudan," the Prime
Minister concluded.
4. (C) Following the meeting, the Ambassador sought
clarification on the Darfur comments from the Prime
Minister's Foreign Policy Advisor Abdul Kadir Mohamad. Abdul
Kadir confirmed that PM Abdullah had written to heads of
state in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Brunei, among others,
seeking contributions that would be deposited with the
Islamic Development Bank (IDB) for use in aiding IDPs in
Darfur. The IDB would identify the projects for funding. PM
Abdullah had been motivated by the "terrible conditions" he
witnessed in the IDP camps and his belief that aid efforts
should encourage the displaced to return home. Abdul Kadir
noted that the Prime Minister raised the issue in the meeting
with General Pace because PM Abdullah wanted President Bush
to be aware of his (Abdullah's) activities related to Darfur.
5. (C) Comments by Malaysian Foreign Ministry Under
Secretary for the OIC, Ibrahim Abdullah, tracked closely with
SIPDIS
Abdul Kadir's. Ibrahim added that Malaysia's semi-official
aid organization, Mercy, is working in Darfur. When we
checked with Mercy, however, they informed us that had closed
their Darfur operations after handing over a clinic to
Sudanese authorities.
SHEAR
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EAP/MTS, AF, IO
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2017
TAGS: PHUM PREL PREF MARR KISL UN SU MY
SUBJECT: PM ABDULLAH URGES NEW APPROACH TO DARFUR, SEEKS
OIC FUNDING
Classified By: CDA David B. Shear, reasons 1.4 (b, d).
1. (C) Summary: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi,
in a June 4 meeting with visiting General Peter Pace,
described his "new approach" to Darfur focused on returning
IDPs to their homes with security guarantees from Khartoum.
Abdullah has asked wealthy OIC countries to contribute to a
new humanitarian fund. The Prime Minister may write to
President Bush regarding Darfur. End Summary.
2. (C) Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi outlined the
need for a "new approach" to ending the Darfur humanitarian
crisis, in his June 4 discussion with visiting Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace and the
Ambassador (septel). Based on his one-day visit to Darfur in
April, PM Abdullah said the international community and Sudan
should pursue a strategy of returning IDPs to their home
villages and providing aid in these villages. The current
centralization of humanitarian aid served as a magnate for
villagers and a disincentive for them to return home. The
current situation in the IDP camps "is a mess," while the
"real towns of Darfur are doing well" with food and other
supplies in their shops. For its part, the Sudan government
should provide security guarantees for the villages, and
Abdullah said he had encouraged President Bashir to take this
action.
3. (C) PM Abdullah said that as OIC chairman he had written
to select OIC countries to seek urgent funding for
humanitarian projects in Darfur, including for provision of
food and medicines, as well as education. Malaysia also
would assist, possibly through Petronas, Malaysia's
state-owned oil and gas company that has major investments in
Sudan. PM Abdullah indicated he may write to President Bush
regarding Darfur. "We cannot abandon Sudan," the Prime
Minister concluded.
4. (C) Following the meeting, the Ambassador sought
clarification on the Darfur comments from the Prime
Minister's Foreign Policy Advisor Abdul Kadir Mohamad. Abdul
Kadir confirmed that PM Abdullah had written to heads of
state in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Brunei, among others,
seeking contributions that would be deposited with the
Islamic Development Bank (IDB) for use in aiding IDPs in
Darfur. The IDB would identify the projects for funding. PM
Abdullah had been motivated by the "terrible conditions" he
witnessed in the IDP camps and his belief that aid efforts
should encourage the displaced to return home. Abdul Kadir
noted that the Prime Minister raised the issue in the meeting
with General Pace because PM Abdullah wanted President Bush
to be aware of his (Abdullah's) activities related to Darfur.
5. (C) Comments by Malaysian Foreign Ministry Under
Secretary for the OIC, Ibrahim Abdullah, tracked closely with
SIPDIS
Abdul Kadir's. Ibrahim added that Malaysia's semi-official
aid organization, Mercy, is working in Darfur. When we
checked with Mercy, however, they informed us that had closed
their Darfur operations after handing over a clinic to
Sudanese authorities.
SHEAR