PRC/SUDAN: MORE FROM SPECIAL ENVOY LIU GUIJIN ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 000912

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2028
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV KPKO MARR UNSC SU CH FR UK
SUBJECT: PRC/SUDAN: MORE FROM SPECIAL ENVOY LIU GUIJIN ON
HIS DARFUR/CHAD VISIT

REF: BEIJING 845

Classified By: Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Aubrey Carls
on. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) Summary: The Government of Sudan is ready to engage
with rebel groups at any time, and Western nations should
pressure rebel groups to participate fully in the peace
process, Chinese Special Envoy for Darfur Liu Guijin told
Beijing-based diplomats March 12. Press reporting on the
Government of Sudan should be more balanced, because
unbalanced negative reporting creates a disincentive for
Sudanese Government cooperation. Sudan's conflict with Chad
is intrinsically connected to the Darfur issue and will be
difficult to solve, but mediation by the Republic of the
Congo and Libya has produced positive results. End Summary.


2. (C) In a March 12 briefing for Beijing-based diplomats,
Chinese Special Envoy for Darfur Liu Guijin expounded on his
recently-completed trip to the UK, Sudan, Chad and France.
The briefing supplemented a March 7 press conference for
journalists and diplomats (reftel).

Pressuring Rebels is Key
--------------


3. (C) In addition to reiterating points covered in his March
7 press briefing, Liu emphasized the need for the
international community to pressure Sudanese rebels to engage
fully in the peace process. He said the Sudanese Government
is willing to hold talks with "any rebels at any time and in
any place" and is willing to consider new requests from the
rebels. Despite having limited influence in the region, Liu
said, China has been pressuring the rebel forces to join the
talks and urges the rest of the international community to
create a conducive environment for the peace process. Liu
blamed much of the current situation on a "deep
misunderstanding" between the international community and the
Sudanese government and urged the resumption of dialogue as a
means of building trust and mutual understanding.

Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative
-------------- --


4. (C) Citing the five areas in which the government of Sudan
had taken steps to facilitate UNAMID deployment -- Status of
Forces Agreement, night flight clearance, land-use rights,
customs clearances and visas for peacekeepers (reftel) -- Liu
noted that the Western media ignore good news in Sudan, which
creates a disincentive for the Government of Sudan to
cooperate. He urged a more "balanced" approach and said
positive reporting will encourage greater cooperation from
the Sudanese Government. China fears that if the problems in
Sudan are not solved, Darfur will turn into a "permanent
problem, like Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia." He added that
China seeks a "holistic approach" in which all stakeholders,
including the African Union, UN, and P5, make efforts toward
a solution and applauded recent UK and French efforts to
reduce tensions with Khartoum.

Chad: A Critical Piece
--------------


5. (C) Liu stressed that Sudan needs to repair relations with
neighboring countries, particularly Chad, because the
conflict between Chad and Sudan is linked to Darfur. He
noted that China is not a formal mediator between the two
countries and lauded efforts by Libya and the Republic of the
Congo to mediate the conflict. Liu cited plans for the
leaders of Sudan and Chad to meet March 12 at a regional
conference in Senegal as a positive sign of progress, but
noted pessimistically that the conflict will ultimately not
be easy to solve.
RANDT