DELIVERY OF RESPONSE TO ARAB LEAGUE "SOLUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001833

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, AF/SPG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/19/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SU AL EUN
SUBJECT: DELIVERY OF RESPONSE TO ARAB LEAGUE "SOLUTION
PACKAGE" FOR SUDAN

REF: A. STATE 84386

B. CAIRO 1603

Classified By: Minister Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs
William R. Stewart for reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) We conveyed the U.S. position on the Arab League's
solution package to Samir Hosni, Director of the Arab
League's African Affairs Office on August 7 (ref A). We also
encouraged the Arab League to press the Government of Sudan
to take positive, concrete steps to improve the situation in
Darfur. Hosni opined that the Arab League (AL) solution
package had already resulted in concrete steps by the
Sudanese Government to name a new prosecutor to investigate
crimes in Darfur as a step toward achieving justice, and an
agreement to restore Sudan-Chad relations. Hosni declared
that the Sudanese Government was ready to enter into
negotiations with the rebels without any pre-conditions and
that the Arab League, United Nations and African Union would
continue to play a role in Sudan.


2. (C) However on August 18, Arab press covering the visit to
Cairo of Mustafa Othman Ismail, the political advisor to the
Sudanese president, quoted Ismail as saying that Sudan still
had some reservations on the Arab initiative to resolve the
crisis with the ICC. On August 18, we queried Mohammad
el-Rashed Sid Ahmed, political counselor at the Embassy of
Sudan in Cairo, on this topic. Ahmed told us that the
Government of Sudan (GOS) and the Arab League have been in
constant contact to find a political solution to the ICC
crisis. He stated that the GOS was in complete agreement
with the AL political plan, but there were still some details
to be worked out on the legal solution to the ICC indictment.
He said that the position of the GOS was that there was no
need for an international court because the Sudanese
judiciary was capable of dealing with the crimes committed in
Darfur. He highlighted Sudan's creation of an internal
criminal court and praised the work of the newly-appointed
special Darfur prosecutor, stating that he had already made
progress on investigating crimes in Darfur.


3. (C) Comment: Although not specifically stated by Ahmed,
the sticking point between the Arab League and the Sudanese
Government is likely over the role of the Arab League,
African Union (AU) and United Nations in the judicial
process. The AL "solution package" called on Sudan to allow
a panel of legal experts from the AL, AU, and UN access to
the legal process to ensure the consistency and
comprehensiveness of the Sudanese laws, and the diligence of
the litigation process. Although the GOS wants widespread
participation in the political process, Ahmed was skittish
about any type of "interference" in the judicial process,
which he viewed as a serious threat to regime stability.
SCOBEY