DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO AUSTRIA: ADDITIONAL U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L VIENNA 001649 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2017 TAGS: PREL ETRD ETTC UN SU AU SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO AUSTRIA: ADDITIONAL U.S. SANCTIONS ON SUDAN REF: STATE 73693 Classified By: Acting Economic-Political Counselor Phillip R. Nelson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Acting EconPol Counselor met on June 14 with Caroline Gudenus, Head of the MFA's Sub-Saharan Africa Division (DAS-level),to discuss recent USG sanctions and press for Austrian support for targeted bilateral and/or EU sanctions on Sudan. Gudenus expressed skepticism as to the efficacy of economic sanctions on the Khartoum regime. The GoA, according to Gudenus, preferred to keep the threat of UN sanctions as a last resort to employ when the political process reached a dead end. Acting EconPol Counselor emphasized that the U.S. continues to support political negotiations, but sanctions were necessary because of the regime's intransigence. ¶2. (C) Commenting on the various Sudan initiatives, Gudenus said it was important to bring them together under one framework. Otherwise, the rebels will go "initiative shopping" seeking the best terms. According to Gudenus, the GoA believes China is slowly, but surely, re-evaluating its role in Sudan, i.e., it is more willing to consider using its political influence on the Khartoum regime to further the political process. Kilner