QADDAFI HOSTS SIGNING OF CHADIAN PEACE ACCORDS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TRIPOLI 000918 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/28/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL LY CD SUBJECT: QADDAFI HOSTS SIGNING OF CHADIAN PEACE ACCORDS REF: NDJAMENA 792 CLASSIFIED BY: Chris Stevens, DCM, Embassy Tripoli, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) CLASSIFIED BY: Chris Stevens, DCM, Embassy Tripoli, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (SBU) On the eve of the Darfur peace conference, Libyan leader Mu'ammar Qaddafi presided over the signing of a separate peace agreement October 25 in Sirte between the Chadian government and four Chadian rebel groups. The agreement was signed by chief Chadian negotiator (and Infrastructure Minister) Adam Younousmi and the leaders of rebel groups RFC, CNT, UFDD and UFDD Fondamentale, including the UFDD's Mahamat Nouri and the RFC's Timan Erdimi. Also witnessing the signing were the presidents of Chad and Sudan, delegations from their respective governments, about 100 individuals associated with the rebel groups, and P-5 heads of mission (DCM stood in for Charge', who was meeting S/E Natsios that day in Tripoli; the Chinese were invited but skipped the event). ¶2. (SBU) In a lengthy, extemporaneous speech after the signing, Qaddafi praised the rebel leaders for taking the path of peace, chastized them and other would-be rebels for resorting to violence ("I am your friend and brother but I am not with you if you take up arms"),asserted the right of sovereigns to forcefully quell uprisings (citing with approval the California National Guards' quelling of riots in Los Angeles in the early 1990s),and emphasized that it is in the interest of Africans and the world community that peace and unity prevail in Africa. ¶3. (C) Comment: It was apparent by virtue of the presence of international press and P-5 ambassadors that the GOL, particularly now that it has been voted onto the UN Security Council, wants to highlight its increasingly active diplomacy in Africa. The Libyans' key players on Africa were of course all present: the MFA's Ali Treiki, CEN-SAD's Madani, and intelligence chiefs Musa Kusa and Abdullah Sanussi. Despite recent rumors of health problems including a possible stroke, Qaddafi appeared healthy if somewhat slow-moving and delivered lengthy, coherent remarks without reference to notes. MILAM