Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08CAIRO2079
2008-09-22 15:20:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Cairo
Cable title:  

ARAB LEAGUE WORKING WITH AFRICAN UNION TO ADDRESS

Tags:  PREL SU SO MR IT QA EG 
pdf how-to read a cable
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INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
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RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CAIRO 002079 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, AF/SPG, AF/W, AF/E

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018
TAGS: PREL SU SO MR IT QA EG
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE WORKING WITH AFRICAN UNION TO ADDRESS
KEY AFRICAN CONCERNS

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CAIRO 002079

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, AF/SPG, AF/W, AF/E

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2018
TAGS: PREL SU SO MR IT QA EG
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE WORKING WITH AFRICAN UNION TO ADDRESS
KEY AFRICAN CONCERNS

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


1. (C) Summary: According to senior officials at the Arab
League and African Union, the two bodies are working closely
to address key issues in Sudan, Somalia and Mauritania. AL
SYG Amr Moussa and AU SYG Jean Ping head an Arab Ministerial
committee on Darfur, and AU Peace and Security Commissioner,
Ramatane Lamamra, participated in the recent Arab League
ministerial discussions on African issues. The two
organizations have similar policies, tactics and strategies
on Sudan and Somalia, and are working on efforts to bring
Sudanese parties together for talks and provide aid to
Somalia. However, there is some variance in tactics on
Mauritania, which could lead the Arab League to tacitly
accept the recent coup. Arab League efforts to engage with
the African Union on important African issues bear watching,
but only time will tell if the two organizations can
coordinate their efforts enough to affect some positive
changes on the African continent. End Summary.


2. (C) Zeid al-Sabban, Arab League (AL) Advisor to the
Security General on African Affairs told us on September 16
that discussions during the September 8-9 AL ministerial
meetings focused on working multilaterally to resolve issues
that affect Arab countries. In Africa, this means working
closely with the African Union (AU) to resolve the problems
in Sudan, Somalia, and Mauritania. Muftah Zawam, the AU's
Head of Delegation in Cairo told us on September 15 that the
AU was keen to work with the AL on African affairs, and is
cooperating with the League on Sudan, Somalia, and
Mauritania. Zawam stated that the role of the AU's office in
Cairo was to coordinate with the AL on African issues and
opined that the League has a role to play in Africa because
"Arabic is the most prevalent language on the African
continent, Islam is the largest religion, and 2/3 of all
Arabs reside on the African continent."

--------------
Ministerial Committee Formed on Sudan
--------------


3. (C) Sabban told us that the recent Arab League ministerial

meetings led to the establishment of a ministerial committee
working group on Darfur. The committee is headed by AL SYG
Amr Moussa, AU SYG Jean Ping, and Qatari Foreign Minister
Sheikh Hamad al-Thani. The committee includes the African
Arab countries of Egypt, Algeria, Libya, and Morocco as well
as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Sabban informed us that
there were also requests from African capitals, such as
Nairobi and Abuja, to join the committee, but he said it may
be "too early in the process to allow them to do so."
However, Sabban was excited to tell us that "for the first
time we have an Arab League ministerial with an AU commission
chair, and together we can be honest brokers." He also said
that the committee was in close consultation with UN-AU Chief
mediator on Darfur, Djibril Yipene Bassole, and would try to
meet with him and possibly UN SYG Ban at UNGA.


4. (C) Sabban told us that the Arab League and African Union
are committed to working together, and with the international
community, to resolve the Darfur issue. He emphasized that
the AL ministerial committee had organized talks on Darfur,
which will be held in Doha. Sabban stated that now is the
time to fix "the catastrophe in Darfur" and opined that the
AL needs to bring all rebel groups, civil society leaders,
IDP leaders, and tribal leaders to Doha where they can put
all the issues on the table including "blood money." He
informed us that Sudanese Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs, Ali Kurti, told the ministerial committee that the
Government of Sudan was supportive of AL efforts on Darfur
and pledged GOS cooperation. However, Siddique Ander, the
president of a Darfuri Arab rebel group, the Democratic
Popular Front (DPF)--which is allied with the Justice and
Equality Movement and factions of the Sudan Liberation
Army/Movement--told us on September 18 that "the Arab League
doesn't really care about Darfur," and is too closely aligned
with the Government of Sudan (GOS) to be an honest broker.
He stated that while there is respect for the Arab League as
a whole, and Qatar as a country, he feels that without the
participation of a government that can pressure Sudanese

CAIRO 00002079 002 OF 003


President Bashir, like the U.S. or France, the Doha talks
will not be successful.


5. (C) We mentioned to Sabban that Darfur rebel groups had
been quoted in the Arab press as being unwilling to
participate in the Doha talks. He told us that he was in
indirect communication with some rebel leaders and he said
that the rebel leaders had not refused to participate in the
talks, but were frustrated because they feel the Arab League
let them down by not taking action on Darfur sooner. Sabban
dismissed claims that the AL would not be an impartial
arbiter by stating that the Arab League, since 2004, has
acknowledged "massive violations of human rights in Darfur by
both the government and the rebels." Sabban added that the
role of the Qataris and Saudis would be critical to the
success of the Doha talks because "they understand the tribal
mentality" and that will allow them to be more effective in
engaging the various Sudanese groups. Zawam told us that the
AU was in favor of the Doha talks because the Qataris could
bring their financial resources to the table to help get
widespread participation. However, he also noted that there
was a need to put pressure on leaders like Abdul Wahid al-Nur
and Minni Minawi to participate in the talks.

--------------
Focusing on Aid to Somalia
--------------


6. (C) According to Sabban, the AL's ministerial committee
discussed ways to improve the situation in Somalia, and
decided to pursue two avenues of aid. The AL is trying to
set up a donor's conference for development and
reconstruction aid. Sabban told us that the League had two
proposals to hold the conference, one from the Saudi
Government, and the other from the Government of Italy. He
said that the AL thought it may be best for both governments
to host conferences, and target the participation of
different countries in the two conferences.


7. (C) Sabban said the AL was working to resolve what he
called an "unbearable humanitarian situation" and "a
reoccurrence of the 1990's" where it was impossible to
deliver assistance to those in need due to the hijacking of
aid convoys. He stated that the AL is working with the AU to
ascertain how to best deal with this problem. He told us
that the AL would work to provide aid supplies, while AU
Ugandan troops would provide protection for the aid convoys.
Zawam confirmed that the AU was on the same path with AL in
Somalia. He said that the AL ministerial committee discussed
ways to use the AU military mission in Somalia offer
humanitarian support to ward off growing concern of famine in
Somalia. Zawam also said there were ministerial discussions
on the need to support the Djibouti Agreement between the
Transitional Federal Government and the Alliance for the
Re-liberation of Somalia.

--------------
Varying Tactics on Mauritania
--------------


8. (C) Both the AL and the AU stated that one of their most
important issues is the governmental crisis in Mauritania.
Zawam told us that the AU and AL are involved in "united"
discussions on to resolve the situation in Mauritania.
Sabban and Zawam both told us that the continued arrests of
the president and prime minister are unacceptable and that
the democratic process must be restored. However, Zawam
indicated that although the "AU and AL share the same goal,
they do not have the same tactics."


9. (C) Sabban stated that the presence of the foreign
minister of the coup government at the Arab League
ministerial was "embarrassing," and was not an endorsement of
the coup government. He insisted that the AL did not invite
him, but as an institution had no ability to reject his
presence. Sabban informed us that the Arab League has a
three-step plan to resolve the situation in Mauritania. The
plan calls for the release of President Abdallahi, the
resignation of President Abdallahi in front of parliament,
and the institution of a transitional period, in which the
coup leaders must step aside and not interfere in a new

CAIRO 00002079 003 OF 003


democratic process. We pointed out that there had already
been a democratic process and the current president had been
democratically elected. Sabban stated that the AL concluded,
after several missions to Mauritania, that the president no
longer has the support of the parliament, or society so he
should step aside and the parliament can decide on the
process for new elections.


10. (C) The African Union views the path forward on
Mauritania differently. Zawam stated the AU charter does not
recognize unconstitutional changes of government like the
coup. Therefore, the AU cut relations with the coup
government and will not restore them until the "situation in
Mauritania is resolved." Zawam advised us that the AU
remained firm that President Abdallahi must be returned to
power and democracy must be restored. He told us that the AU
plans to discuss how to resolve the situation in Mauritania
during the UNGA meetings. Despite the differences between
the Arab League and the African Union on Mauritania, Sabban
believes that the current Mauritanian Government cannot play
the Arab League against the African Union.


11. (C) Comment: The Arab League is putting considerable
effort into African issues, by sheer necessity if not out of
desire. Sudan was one of the major topics on the agenda for
the recent Arab League ministerial, and the Arab League
invited AU Peace and Security Commissioner Ramatane Lamamra
to participate in ministerial discussions on African issues.
The Arab League and the African Union seem to be in agreement
on the approach to resolving the crises in Sudan and Somalia.
However, very little progress has been made since the end of
the Arab League meetings. Despite both AL and AU support,
progress organizing the Doha talks on Sudan appears stalled
because key Darfur rebel leaders do not view the Arab League
and some Arab countries as impartial brokers. Somalia
remains a problem due to the lack of a credible domestic
negotiating partner for combined AL/AU efforts, and the
limited ability of Ugandan troops to provide security for aid
shipments.


12. (C) On Mauritania there seems to be considerable daylight
between the Arab League solution and the African Union
position. Despite Sabban's embarrassment over the
participation of Mauritanian coup government's foreign
minister in the Arab League ministerial, the Arab League
allowed him to fully participate and has taken a position
that endorses the consequences of the coup and is out of step
with the African Union's condemnation of the coup. Arab
League efforts to engage with the African Union on important
African issues bear watching, but only time will tell if the
two organizations can coordinate their efforts enough to
affect some positive changes on African continent.
SCOBEY