SE NATSIOS URGES ENHANCED PRC ENGAGEMENT ON CPA,

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001119 SIPDIS SIPDIS IO AND AF FOR FRONT OFFICE; PLEASE PASS TO SE NATSIOS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2017 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SU MOPS SUBJECT: SE NATSIOS URGES ENHANCED PRC ENGAGEMENT ON CPA, UNAMID Classified By: Ambassador Jackie Wolcott for Reasons 1.4 B/D. ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: During a November 26 meeting with Chinese PermRep Guangya Wang, U.S. Special Envoy for the Sudan Andrew Natsios urged the Chinese to be more proactive in encouraging Sudan's Government of National Unity to demonstrate flexibility on implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and UNAMID deployment. AMB Wang concurred on the need to work cooperatively towards a sustainable peace in the Sudan, but countered that the U.S. needed to use its influence on the Government of Southern Sudan and the Darfur rebel groups. END SUMMARY. -------------- Natsios: China Must Engage With GOS on CPA -------------- ¶2. (C) SE Natsios told AMB Wang November 26 that the North-South tensions in the Sudan were becoming increasingly dangerous and intertwined with the Darfur conflict. Natsios urged the Chinese to encourage Sudan's Government of National Unity (GNU) to return to negotiations and demonstrate more flexibility on implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The longer the issue of Abyei's status remained unresolved, the higher the risk of an "explosion" between SPLM and NCP forces. ¶3. (C) AMB Wang responded that China appreciated the dangers involved in the current SPLM-NCP standoff and concurred that the CPA needed to be fully implemented. Wang promised to pass the request for enhanced engagement with the GNU on the CPA to Beijing. On the fundamental issue of CPA implementation, AMB Wang emphasized that there is a "lot of common ground between the U.S. and China." In regard to the SPLM, Wang said that the U.S. was in a much better position to influence the Southern Sudanese. -------------- GOS Must Agree to UN-AU TCC List -------------- ¶4. (C) SE Natsios told AMB Wang that the GNU must accept the UN-AU TCC list without further delay. Natsios noted President Bashir's statements blaming UN DPKO for UNAMID deployment delays and faulting Darfur rebel groups for failing to participate in the October 27 Darfur Peace Talks in Sirte, Libya. Natsios argued that the best way for the GOS to steal the rhetorical high ground on these issues would be to accept the UN-AU TCC list without further delay. ¶5. (C) AMB Wang responded with his often-stated talking point that the remaining UNAMID deployment issues were primarily technical and urged the U.S. not to "further politicize" the issue by bringing it back to the Security Council. In regard to the political process, AMB Wang said the "problem is with the rebels" and added that Beijing had appreciated U.S. condemnations of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) threats to attack the Chinese engineers deployed with UNAMID. ¶6. (U) SE Natsios' staff cleared this message. Khalilzad