SE WILLIAMSON'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KHARTOUM 001235

SIPDIS

AF FOR AF/SPG, A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON
NSC FOR HUDSON AND PITTMAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2018
TAGS: KPKO PGOV PREL SU
SUBJECT: SE WILLIAMSON'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR
SALAH EDDIN

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Alberto M. Fernandez for reasons 1.4(b
) and (d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) Special Envoy Williamson and NCP strategist and
presidential advisor Dr. Ghazi Salah Eddin sparred over
Sudan's progress in implementing the CPA, cooperating on
Darfur, and the future of bilateral relations. Ghazi
implored SE Williamson to look past the details of visas and
containers and focus instead on the "big picture" of Sudan's
modest progress on Abyei, CPA implementation, and Darfur. SE
Williamson responded that the details matter to the people on
the ground and reiterated that the alleviation of human
suffering in Darfur and the South are the USG's number one
priority in Sudan. He warned Ghazi that the GoS must move
beyond the half-hearted measures of the past and take
concrete steps to improve the situation in Darfur and
implement the CPA for the USG to take it seriously. The
meeting ended on a hostile note, when Ghazi told SE
Williamson, "we can live without you and we can continue to
live without you." End Summary.

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SE WILLIAMSON ON ABYEI AND DARFUR
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2. (U) Salah Eddin began the meeting by asking SE Williamson
for his read on current situation in Sudan. On Abyei, the SE
stated that the USG was pleased to see movement, albeit slow,
on the implementation of the June 8 Roadmap, particularly
joint training and deployment of Abyei Joint Integrated Units
(JIUs),establishment of Joint Integrated Police Units
(JIPUs) and the NCP/SPLM agreement in naming an administrator
and deputy administrator for the Abyei interim
administration. He cautioned that the May Abyei crisis
demonstrated how fragile the situation is between the North
and the South. Furthermore, he warned that pursuing
international arbitration is not "the smartest way" to deal
with the determination of Abyei's borders. SE Williamson
proposed that the Naivasha peace partners should pursue a
political settlement simultaneous to arbitration and
encouraged the parties to work out an oil revenue-sharing
mechanism for Abyei that can be used as a model for
determining wealth-sharing arrangements post-2011.


3. (C) On Darfur, SE Williamson expressed disappointment that
there has not been more progress on achieving peace and
security and making a good faith effort to find a political
settlement with rebel groups, civil society, and other key
actors on the ground. He stated that the alleviation of
human suffering in Darfur is the USG's number one goal in
Sudan. He expressed frustration over the slow deployment of
UNAMID, as well as GoS impediments to allowing the
international community to assist with establishing security
and mitigating human suffering by restricting night flights
and hardening the process of visa and travel permit
acquisition. The SE told Salah Eddin that he had met with
Chadian President Idris Deby before arriving and Sudan and
expressed to Deby USG concern for Chadian government support
to Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels. At the same
time, SE Williamson said that it is not useful for the GoS to
arm Chadian rebels in Darfur. SE Williamson expressed
concern over Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) leader and DPA
signatory Mini Minnawi's marginalization by the GoS and
warned that if the GoS continues to ignore the DPA, it will
be difficult for the international community to convince
other rebel leaders to join a comprehensive peace agreement
for Darfur. He emphasized that Darfur is Sudan's problem and
only the GoS can solve it.

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GHAZI RESPONDS: LET US LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE
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4. (C) GoS Presidential Advisor Salah Eddin prefaced his
remarks by telling the SE that his role in the regime is to
assess the big picture and overall trends, answering
questions such as "are we (the GoS) negotiating our
obstacles?" "You have more details on Abyei than I do,"
remarked Ghazi. "Abyei has always been a difficult issue, and
the (US brokered) Abyei Protocol made it worse," he said.
"The Protocol was forced upon us (the Sudanese, and
particularly the NCP)," by negotiators such as the US.
However, Ghazi announced that he is one of the staunchest
supporters in the NCP of sticking to the agreement and
implementing it as it is written. He noted the complexity of

KHARTOUM 00001235 002 OF 004


the issue, stating that decisions taken in the high-level
negotiating environment of Khartoum may not be entirely
accepted by people on the ground. What we (the SPLM and the
NCP) have achieved with the Abyei Roadmap, said Ghazi, is a
positive sign and demonstrates that the parties are serious
in finding a solution. I believe we have made "considerable
headway lately" on Abyei, he continued, and "the US should
support this process until the end." Although he agreed with
the SE that it may be difficult to enforce an arbitrated
result on Abyei's borders, he insisted that the parties
should accept the result. "As far as the NCP is concerned, I
think we are going to abide by it," he said.


5. (C) Ghazi stated that he is known among his colleagues to
be an internal critic of the GoS handling of Darfur.
However, he acknowledged that "it is a difficult issue." He
agreed with SE Williamson that security should be the number
one priority, but requested that the SE look at the bigger
picture. "It's not an issue of a few visas or a few
containers here and there," he said. "We may have dragged
our heels in the past and been skeptical of international
demands" on Darfur, but "the GoS has shown good faith as of
late" in implementing UNSC Resolution 1769, said Ghazi. He
listed security, resettlement (and development as it relates
to allowing people to resettle),and finding a political
solution to Darfur as the most important issues to address.
He stated that the GoS would like to find an inclusive
solution to the Darfur crisis by involving other political
factions, Chad, and players on the ground in Darfur. He
explained that the GoS has embarked on a national initiative
to allow political forces other than the NCP and the SPLM
(such as Umma Party's Chairman Sadiq Al-Mahdi) to give input
to finding a solution to the crisis. He complained that
trying to negotiate with Darfurian rebel movements is
difficult because the rebel groups, such as Minnawi's SLM,
have not yet transformed into political movements and do not
know how to play the political game. Still, he expressed
hope that the GoS would be supported by the international
community with regard to the national initiative, and asked
that this process "be protected from the ICC." The ICC
indictment, said Ghazi, "is a real threat to the future of
this country, the North and the South, the CPA, and the DPA."
How can our peace agreements be protected when the guarantor
of these agreements, President Al-Bashir, is turned in as a
criminal? The GoS has made some mistakes, said Ghazi, but
that doesn't mean we should be "taken to the guillotine."


6. (C) "We have made great headway on elections," said Ghazi
(who leads the NCP's parliamentary majority),citing the
GNU's recent ratification of the electoral law and the
establishment of the National Electoral Commission (NEC)
which is in the process of forming. He asked for
international support for Sudan on elections, claiming, "I
don't care if NCP comes out on top, the important thing is
that we reconstruct the political system through an electoral
process."


7. (C) Ghazi told SE Williamson that the GoS is "committed to
talking" to the US, but that it is interested in having
discussions about the long-term, rather than immediate
details. If our relationship focuses only on containers and
visas, said Ghazi, I am not interested in it. My sincere
advice, he continued, is that the US and Sudan should strive
to work toward the unity of Sudan. "I do not want to see
hell break loose, and hell will break loose if the South
secedes in 2011," he said. We want long-term objectives to
be discussed in our dialogue with the US, continued Ghazi,
however the USG calls the shots.

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SE WILLIAMSON: THE GOS AND THE GOS ONLY DECIDES SUDAN'S FATE
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8. (C) In response, SE Williamson stated that only the GoS
can decide what lies ahead for Sudan. "I am very
disappointed in many things you have said," said Williamson.
"If you want to talk long-term objectives, talk to your
friends. We do not call the shots in Sudan, you make the
decisions in Sudan." Responding to Salah Eddin's proposal
for a national initiative to solve the Darfur crisis,
Williamson remarked, "that dog won't hunt, because you won't
follow through." Williamson observed that "buildings are
built by details: one brick at a time." He emphasized the
importance of details, particularly with regard to the
situation in Abyei and Darfur, remarking that details are
what matter to the people on the ground.


KHARTOUM 00001235 003 OF 004



9. (C) SE Williamson agreed with Salah Eddin that there are
"unique pressures" on Sudan right now due to the ICC
indictment and a potential arrest warrant for President
Al-Bashir. The SE stated that the US is not a member of the
ICC and has no official dialogue with the ICC. He explained
that the US administration has not made a decision on how it
will vote on an Article 16 resolution if brought before the
UNSC. "We will make a decision," said Williamson, "based on
what we think the merits are: practical progress on the
ground in the implementation of the CPA and in Darfur." We
don't want a political declaration without results, he
continued. Williamson added that he thought it would be wise
for the GoS to engage with the ICC.

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GHAZI FIRES BACK: "WE CAN LIVE WITHOUT YOU"
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10. (C) Deeply offended by the SE's remarks, Ghazi said that
he was not surprised by the SE's "diatribe" and incorrect
stereotypes and characterizations of the GoS. "You have been
trying to harangue us for the past 20 years," said Ghazi,
"and you have failed miserably." "You attacked us with
cruise missiles and yet you still have failed," he continued.
Ghazi expressed deep disappointment of his meeting with the
SE and said he had hoped that the two could "make new
ground." The US has never been serious in its engagement
with Sudan, claimed Ghazi, "and we have never gotten anything
in exchange from you, regardless of the fact we let your
containers through." "Do not lecture us on honesty. You are
not honest," said Ghazi. "The CPA is holding whether you
like it or not." If there is any meaning to our engagement
and if there are going to be any results on our part, the USG
must focus on big ideas.


11. (C) Williamson agreed with Ghazi that there has been some
progress on implementation of the CPA. However, he clarified
that it is it the GoS regime that makes the decisions on
Darfur, Abyei, and CPA implementation, not the US.
Williamson offered to take Ghazi's obstructionist attitude
back to the US Administration, "or I can tell them you are
willing to talk and cooperate." "I think we have a decision
to make," said Williamson. "You don't like us, and we don't
trust you." He continued, "If it is not going to be
beneficial to talk, that's fine." Difficult times lie ahead
for Sudan, but in those times may lie opportunities, said
Williamson. However, "you are pre-determining your fate on
some things."


12. (C) "I am aware of your cloaked threats," said an
emotional Ghazi, "and they do not scare us. We've been
getting them for the last 20 years. You don't control our
destiny." If you want to scare us, he continued, tell the US
Administration that we are unwilling to cooperate. If you
want to write an honest report, tell the Administration that
we don't hate the US, we are not against you, and we have
been very constructive with you, especially on terrorism.
Furthermore, we are willing to listen to you. If you have
new ideas, present them to us. Ending on what Ghazi called a
"positive note," Ghazi said "we believe we can live and
continue to live without you." "The sun will rise without
you, the day will dawn without you" said Ghazi, quoting
"Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady". We see that a lot of good
has been done in making progress on tough issues in Sudan,
and we are ready to engage with you but only on honest and
equal terms, nothing less than that.

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COMMENT
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13. (C) Apparently frustrated that the regime has not
received more credit for its recent actions, an emotional
Presidential advisor Ghazi Salah Edin responded
(unfortunately and inaccurately) that Sudan does not need the
US, which is not the message the regime wants to communicate
based on its engagement with us since the CPA and especially
in the last 6 months. He seemed to miss the point (as the
regime often does) that an accumulation of small things such
as visas and containers make a difference, particularly on
UNAMID deployment and the bilateral relationship. It is
possible that this meeting was intended as a test in advance
of meetings on the final day of SE Williamson's visit, such
as with the more powerful presidential advisor Nafie Ali
Nafie and Bashir confidante Minister of Finance Awad al Jaz
August 14 (septels). It remains to be seen whether the
regime is interested or even capable of taking dramatic steps
to solve the crisis in Darfur, while also cooperating on

KHARTOUM 00001235 004 OF 004


small but critical issues like visas. However the regime
would like easy credit for recent progress in Abyei and on
elections, despite its inability to make progress in Darfur,
and Ghazi was frustrated by the realization that this
certainly will not be enough to convince the US and the rest
of the international community to help it with the ICC.


14. (U) SE Williamson cleared this cable prior to
transmission.
FERNANDEZ