SUDANESE FONMIN ON SPECIAL ENVOY NON-PAPER AND CONGRESSMAN

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000314 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SE WILLIAMSON AND AF/SPG NSC FOR HUDSON AND PITTMAN ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM MARR SU SUBJECT: SUDANESE FONMIN ON SPECIAL ENVOY NON-PAPER AND CONGRESSMAN PAYNE MEETING ¶1. (SBU) FOREIGN MINISTER DENG ALOR TOLD CONGEN JUBA STAFF ON MARCH 1 THAT PRESIDENT BASHIR'S MEETING WITH SPECIAL ENVOY WILLIAMSON WENT "EXTREMELY WELL," AND THAT ALOR EXPECTED POSITIVE FORWARD MOVEMENT. ALOR CLAIMED THAT BASHIR HAD NOTED IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING THAT "ONLY A MAD MAN DEFIES THE UNITED STATES." WHILE CONCEDING WITH A LAUGH THAT BASHIR HAS SAID THIS QUITE CONSISTENTLY IN THE PAST, DENG AFFIRMED "WE (GNU) WILL BE ESTABLISHING A JOINT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE TO STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE PAPER." IT WILL BE STAFFED WITH TECHNICAL EXPERTS AND POLITICIANS, "AND THE SPLM WILL BE REPRESENTED ON ALL ISSUES - OBVIOUSLY ON ABYEI AND PARTICULARLY ON DARFUR." ALOR RETURNS TO KHARTOUM ON MARCH 3 TO CHAIR THE INAUGURAL COMMITTEE MEETING AND RETURN WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM FIRST VICE PRESIDENT SALVA KIIR MAYARDIT. ¶2. (SBU) THAT SAME EVENING, ALOR TOLD CONSUL GENERAL DATTA OF A FEBRUARY 14 MEETING IN WASHINGTON HE HAD WITH U.S. CONGRESSMAN DONALD PAYNE THAT INCLUDED PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR MUSTAFA OTHMAN ISMAIL. ACCORDING TO ALOR, PAYNE TOLD ISMAIL THAT HE WAS ONLY SEEING ISMAIL AT ALOR'S REQUEST, AND THEN REPORTEDLY ADDED POINTEDLY THAT THE NCP "IS NOT TRUSTED." FURTHER, A CHANGE OF ADMINISTRATION WOULD LIKELY MEAN THAT HE, PAYNE, WOULD HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO THE WHITE HOUSE IN THE FUTURE, AND THAT WITH A PHONE CALL HE COULD GO SEE THE PRESIDENT AND TELL HIM "TO HIT SUDAN AGAIN," REFERRING TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED UNDER THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION. ALOR SAID ISMAIL RELATED THIS TO BASHIR IN ALOR'S PRESENCE UPON THEIR RETURN TO KHARTOUM, BUT THE CONVERSATION WAS INTERRUPTED BEFORE ALOR WAS ABLE TO GAUGE BASHIR'S REACTION. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: ALOR WAS CLEARLY QUITE PLEASED BY THE SE WILLIAMSON VISIT AND VISIBLY RELAXED BY ITS OUTCOME. ALOR HAS COMPLAINED TO CONGEN STAFF IN THE PAST ABOUT BEING UNHAPPY WITH VICE PRESIDENT KIIR'S DECISION TO MAKE HIM FOREIGN MINISTER, AND INFORMED SOURCES TOLD CONGEN POLOFF THAT ALOR WAS "FRANTIC" IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO HIS INAUGURAL VISIT TO WASHINGTON, HAVING RECEIVED NO INSTRUCTIONS FROM KIIR. (NOTE: KIIR DID MEET WITH ALOR 48 HOURS BEFORE ALOR BOARDED A PLANE AND 24 HOURS BEFORE THE MEETING WITH BASHIR, TAHA, ISMAIL, AND KIIR. END NOTE.) WORRIED HE WAS BEING PLACED IN A POSITION THAT WOULD DAMAGE HIS STANDING IN THE SPLM, HIS OWN MEETINGS IN KHARTOUM AND READOUTS ABOUT THE SE'S VISIT TO JUBA APPEAR TO HAVE STRENGTHENED ALOR'S HAND AND HEART. FERNANDEZ