Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KHARTOUM311
2008-03-03 12:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Khartoum
Cable title:
MINAWI: ERDIMI REJECTS KHARTOUM'S PUSH FOR RENEWED OFFENSIVE
how-toVZCZCXYZ0281 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHC #0311 0631215 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 031215Z MAR 08 FM SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC TO RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0090 INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/CJTF HOA IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 000311
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/C BETHEA, AF/SPG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV USDELFESTTWO SU CD
SUBJECT: MINAWI: ERDIMI REJECTS KHARTOUM'S PUSH FOR RENEWED
OFFENSIVE
REF: A. STATE 19672
B. KHARTOUM 00273
CLASSIFIED BY: CDA ALBERTO M. FERNANDEZ, REASON: SECTIONS 1.4 (B) AND (
D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 000311
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/C BETHEA, AF/SPG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV USDELFESTTWO SU CD
SUBJECT: MINAWI: ERDIMI REJECTS KHARTOUM'S PUSH FOR RENEWED
OFFENSIVE
REF: A. STATE 19672
B. KHARTOUM 00273
CLASSIFIED BY: CDA ALBERTO M. FERNANDEZ, REASON: SECTIONS 1.4 (B) AND (
D)
1. (C) POLOFF DELIVERED REQUESTED DEMARCHE TO SENIOR
ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND SUDAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT
(SLM) CHAIRMAN MINNI MINAWI ON MARCH 1 (REF. A). MINAWI
REPORTED THAT HE LAST SPOKE TO RALLY OF FORCES FOR CHANGE
(RFC) PRESIDENT TIMAN ERDIMI ON FEBRUARY 29. ERDIMI TOLD HIM
THAT NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY SERVICE (NISS)
DIRECTOR GENERAL SALAH GHOSH MET WITH HIM AND OTHER CHADIAN
OPPOSITION LEADERS, INCLUDING MAHAMET NOURI, IN EL GENEINA,
WEST DARFUR "IN THE LAST THREE DAYS" AND PRESSED THEM TO
LAUNCH A RENEWED OFFENSIVE AGAINST PRESIDENT IDRISS DEBY'S
GOVERNMENT WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
2. (C) ERDIMI INDICATED THAT GHOSH DEMANDED HE SUPPORT NOURI
AS THE LEADER OF A UNITED CHADIAN OPPOSITION AND PRESUMPTIVE
SUCCESSOR TO DEBY. ERDIMI CLAIMED THAT GHOSH TOLD HIM THAT
THE NATIONAL CONGRESS PARTY (NCP) LEADERSHIP "DISLIKED THE
ZAGHAWA" AND WOULD THUS NOT SUPPORT ERDIMI TO LEAD THE
OPPOSITION. ERDIMI EXPLAINED TO MINAWI THAT, HAVING BEEN
DENIED A LEADERSHIP POSITION AMONG THE CHADIAN REBEL
MOVEMENTS, HE WILL REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN A NEW ATTEMPT TO
OVERTHROW DEBY'S REGIME AND WILL HEAD TO JEBEL MAWIA TO WAIT
OUT EVENTS.
3. (C) ERDIMI CONSIDERS THE AFRICAN UNION (AU) MEDIATION
EFFORT LED BY CONGO AND LIBYA TO BE BIASED AND UNCREDIBLE,
PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF LIBYAN SUPPORT FOR AHMED SUBIAN--AN
ARAB. THE RFC PRESIDENT REITERATED HIS REQUEST FOR NEUTRAL
MEDIATION FROM THE U.S., SAID MINAWI. (NOTE: MINAWI IS
LIKELY TO RAISE THIS ISSUE WITH A/S FRAZER AND OTHER USG
OFFICIALS DURING HIS TRIP TO WASHINGTON FROM MARCH 2-8. END
NOTE.)
4. (C) MINAWI POSITED THAT EVEN IF SUDAN SUCCEEDS IN
INSTALLING NOURI IN N'DJAMENA, HIS TENURE IN OFFICE WILL BE
SHORT-LIVED. KHARTOUM'S ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO ESTABLISH AN
ARAB GOVERNMENT IN CHAD, ACCORDING TO MINAWI, AND ONCE A
PUPPET GOVERNMENT REPLACES DEBY, THEY WILL MOVE QUICKLY TO
REPLACE NOURI WITH SUBIAN. SUCH A GOVERNMENT COULD PRESUMABLY
GARNER NEW SUPPORT FROM IMPORTANT REGIONAL STATES SUCH AS
LIBYA AND SAUDI ARABIA.
FERNANDEZ
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/C BETHEA, AF/SPG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV USDELFESTTWO SU CD
SUBJECT: MINAWI: ERDIMI REJECTS KHARTOUM'S PUSH FOR RENEWED
OFFENSIVE
REF: A. STATE 19672
B. KHARTOUM 00273
CLASSIFIED BY: CDA ALBERTO M. FERNANDEZ, REASON: SECTIONS 1.4 (B) AND (
D)
1. (C) POLOFF DELIVERED REQUESTED DEMARCHE TO SENIOR
ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND SUDAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT
(SLM) CHAIRMAN MINNI MINAWI ON MARCH 1 (REF. A). MINAWI
REPORTED THAT HE LAST SPOKE TO RALLY OF FORCES FOR CHANGE
(RFC) PRESIDENT TIMAN ERDIMI ON FEBRUARY 29. ERDIMI TOLD HIM
THAT NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY SERVICE (NISS)
DIRECTOR GENERAL SALAH GHOSH MET WITH HIM AND OTHER CHADIAN
OPPOSITION LEADERS, INCLUDING MAHAMET NOURI, IN EL GENEINA,
WEST DARFUR "IN THE LAST THREE DAYS" AND PRESSED THEM TO
LAUNCH A RENEWED OFFENSIVE AGAINST PRESIDENT IDRISS DEBY'S
GOVERNMENT WITHIN TWO WEEKS.
2. (C) ERDIMI INDICATED THAT GHOSH DEMANDED HE SUPPORT NOURI
AS THE LEADER OF A UNITED CHADIAN OPPOSITION AND PRESUMPTIVE
SUCCESSOR TO DEBY. ERDIMI CLAIMED THAT GHOSH TOLD HIM THAT
THE NATIONAL CONGRESS PARTY (NCP) LEADERSHIP "DISLIKED THE
ZAGHAWA" AND WOULD THUS NOT SUPPORT ERDIMI TO LEAD THE
OPPOSITION. ERDIMI EXPLAINED TO MINAWI THAT, HAVING BEEN
DENIED A LEADERSHIP POSITION AMONG THE CHADIAN REBEL
MOVEMENTS, HE WILL REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN A NEW ATTEMPT TO
OVERTHROW DEBY'S REGIME AND WILL HEAD TO JEBEL MAWIA TO WAIT
OUT EVENTS.
3. (C) ERDIMI CONSIDERS THE AFRICAN UNION (AU) MEDIATION
EFFORT LED BY CONGO AND LIBYA TO BE BIASED AND UNCREDIBLE,
PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF LIBYAN SUPPORT FOR AHMED SUBIAN--AN
ARAB. THE RFC PRESIDENT REITERATED HIS REQUEST FOR NEUTRAL
MEDIATION FROM THE U.S., SAID MINAWI. (NOTE: MINAWI IS
LIKELY TO RAISE THIS ISSUE WITH A/S FRAZER AND OTHER USG
OFFICIALS DURING HIS TRIP TO WASHINGTON FROM MARCH 2-8. END
NOTE.)
4. (C) MINAWI POSITED THAT EVEN IF SUDAN SUCCEEDS IN
INSTALLING NOURI IN N'DJAMENA, HIS TENURE IN OFFICE WILL BE
SHORT-LIVED. KHARTOUM'S ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO ESTABLISH AN
ARAB GOVERNMENT IN CHAD, ACCORDING TO MINAWI, AND ONCE A
PUPPET GOVERNMENT REPLACES DEBY, THEY WILL MOVE QUICKLY TO
REPLACE NOURI WITH SUBIAN. SUCH A GOVERNMENT COULD PRESUMABLY
GARNER NEW SUPPORT FROM IMPORTANT REGIONAL STATES SUCH AS
LIBYA AND SAUDI ARABIA.
FERNANDEZ