CHADIAN REBELS SEEK NEGOTIATIONS WHILE WAITING FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 001038 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR A/S FRAZER, S/E WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG AND AF/C NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2018 TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO UN AU SU SUBJECT: CHADIAN REBELS SEEK NEGOTIATIONS WHILE WAITING FOR NEXT DRY SEASON REF: KHARTOUM 908 Classified By: CDA Alberto M. Fernandez, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Chadian rebels are allegedly as strong and united as ever, but don't plan a major strike on Ndjamena until the next dry season, according to UFDD spokesman Mukhtar Yaya. In a meeting with polchief July 9 in Khartoum, Yaya claimed the UFDD is in control of two small towns in the northeast of Chad, Modehema and Am Djerema. Yaya said he had the blessing of the Sudanese National Intelligence Service to meet with US officials, and also reported that the Sudanese had asked the Chadian rebels to "lay low" for a while (implying no further attacks during the rainy season). ¶2. (C) Yaya claimed that the UFDD had two columns of one thousand fighters each (but separated by several hundred kilometers) at the time of the defeat of the first UFDD column at the hands of the Chadian army at Am Zoer June 17 (reftel). He said the UFDD fighters went up against several Chadian tanks at Om Zoer, but ran out of SPG-9 rockets and therefore lost this particular battle, having defeated a JEM column earlier in the day. Yaya said the second UFDD column had now joined the first at Am Djerema and has now been re-supplied with additional arms and SPG-9s, but refused to divulge where the weapons came from. Seemingly caught off-guard, Mukhtar reddened and smiled when asked if the weapons were supplied by the Sudanese, but then rapidly shifted into exaggerated claims of the UFDD having gained "all of its weapons from JEM and the Chadian army" following successful raids. ¶3. (C) Mukhtar claimed UFDD's Aboud has allied himself with the UFCD's Hasabalah and RFC's Erdimi and that together they have a strength of "not less than 10,000 men." Despite this (alleged) impressive unified field strength, Mukhtar repeated several times that the UFDD is not contemplating any major attacks on Chadian army positions at this time. "We may consolidate our locations in the region, but cannot make any moves on Ndjamena until the rains end," he said. During the four to six month break, UFDD plans to reach out to other countries in the region as well as the African Union, i$7QQL-k}Qoud Khan (Mauritanian) who allegedly promised to raise the issue of mediated talks between President Deby's government and the Chadian rebels with AU Chairman Jean Ping. Mukhtar said Ambassador Khan had encouraged the National Alliance to write an open letter to AU Chairman Ping stating that the alliance is open to talks with the Deby regime hosted by the AU. He said UFDD advisor Abakar Tolli is now in the Ivory Coast and will travel to other countries in the region seeking support for AU mediation between the rebels and Deby. Mukhtar urged US support for this initiative and asked if a sponsored visit to Washington would be possible. Polchief replied that current discrete contacts can continue, but requested that Aboud and others in the National Alliance contact AF/C Director Wycoff regarding any additional requests. FERNANDEZ