Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASMARA592
2008-12-12 09:24:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Asmara
Cable title:
SLM/UNITY OFFICIAL ON DARFUR DYNAMICS
how-toVZCZCXRO4571 RR RUEHROV DE RUEHAE #0592 3470924 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 120924Z DEC 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0064 INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA 0122 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL RUEPADJ/CJTF-HOA J2X CAMP LEMONIER DJ RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000592
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS SU ER
SUBJECT: SLM/UNITY OFFICIAL ON DARFUR DYNAMICS
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000592
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS SU ER
SUBJECT: SLM/UNITY OFFICIAL ON DARFUR DYNAMICS
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d).
1. (C) DARFUR FRACTIONALIZATION: Darfur rebel leader Sharif
Harir, SLM/Unity's chief of Foreign Relations, claims his
organization has surpassed JEM in terms of size and clout to
become the largest of the many Darfuri rebel groups. Meeting
with Emboffs at the Peacebuilding Center for the Horn of
Africa on December 11, Harir provided his views on current
Darfuri and Sudanese political dynamics. Harir contended
that the Darfur opposition is highly fractionalized due to
blatant careerism among aspiring leaders, not to policy
differences. He said his cousin Minni Minawi, for example,
would not give up his "comfortable seat and nice suits" for
an opportunity to unite the Darfuri groups. Harir said with
a chuckle, "we lack the imagination to think up new names and
don't want a rival to have a clear claim on an existing
organization, so we just add a slash and a factional name,
such as SLM/Free Will; some of these factions are only one
person."
2. (C) SKEPTICAL ON QATAR: When asked about the Qatari
initiative, Harir said he and others in SLM/Unity remain
skeptical and had not been approached by Qatar or the Arab
League. "What does Qatar know about Darfur?" he mused.
Harir said Qatar has focused its attention on JEM due to
JEM's ties to Hassan al-Turabi, who Harir claimed has
connections with influential Islamic scholars in Qatar.
Harir opined that JEM reached its high-water mark with the
May raid on Omdurman and has since been eclipsed by SLM/Unity
in terms of military capability.
3. (SBU) BACKGROUND ON DR. HARIR: Dr. Harir is in Asmara for
approximately two weeks visiting old colleagues. His wife
and three children reside in Oslo. He recently spent a
considerable amount of time in Darfur (November 2007- March
2008) and has plans to return to work on SLM's political
reorganization after his time in Asmara. Harir spoke
knowledgably of Darfur history and politics. Harir, a former
professor of anthropology, left Sudan in 1991 to found the
Democratic Solidarity for Justice and Equality, the largely
Zegawa-based political party. Worried about the
ineffectiveness of a party with limited ethnic scope, Harir
left the DSJE in 1994 to form the multi-ethnic Sudan
Democratic Federal Alliance with former governor of Darfur,
Ahmed Dere. The SDFA eventually evolved into today's Sudan
Liberation Movement.
MCMULLEN
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/E
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS SU ER
SUBJECT: SLM/UNITY OFFICIAL ON DARFUR DYNAMICS
Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d).
1. (C) DARFUR FRACTIONALIZATION: Darfur rebel leader Sharif
Harir, SLM/Unity's chief of Foreign Relations, claims his
organization has surpassed JEM in terms of size and clout to
become the largest of the many Darfuri rebel groups. Meeting
with Emboffs at the Peacebuilding Center for the Horn of
Africa on December 11, Harir provided his views on current
Darfuri and Sudanese political dynamics. Harir contended
that the Darfur opposition is highly fractionalized due to
blatant careerism among aspiring leaders, not to policy
differences. He said his cousin Minni Minawi, for example,
would not give up his "comfortable seat and nice suits" for
an opportunity to unite the Darfuri groups. Harir said with
a chuckle, "we lack the imagination to think up new names and
don't want a rival to have a clear claim on an existing
organization, so we just add a slash and a factional name,
such as SLM/Free Will; some of these factions are only one
person."
2. (C) SKEPTICAL ON QATAR: When asked about the Qatari
initiative, Harir said he and others in SLM/Unity remain
skeptical and had not been approached by Qatar or the Arab
League. "What does Qatar know about Darfur?" he mused.
Harir said Qatar has focused its attention on JEM due to
JEM's ties to Hassan al-Turabi, who Harir claimed has
connections with influential Islamic scholars in Qatar.
Harir opined that JEM reached its high-water mark with the
May raid on Omdurman and has since been eclipsed by SLM/Unity
in terms of military capability.
3. (SBU) BACKGROUND ON DR. HARIR: Dr. Harir is in Asmara for
approximately two weeks visiting old colleagues. His wife
and three children reside in Oslo. He recently spent a
considerable amount of time in Darfur (November 2007- March
2008) and has plans to return to work on SLM's political
reorganization after his time in Asmara. Harir spoke
knowledgably of Darfur history and politics. Harir, a former
professor of anthropology, left Sudan in 1991 to found the
Democratic Solidarity for Justice and Equality, the largely
Zegawa-based political party. Worried about the
ineffectiveness of a party with limited ethnic scope, Harir
left the DSJE in 1994 to form the multi-ethnic Sudan
Democratic Federal Alliance with former governor of Darfur,
Ahmed Dere. The SDFA eventually evolved into today's Sudan
Liberation Movement.
MCMULLEN