LIBYAN AMBASSADOR RESPONDS TO USG OFFER TO BE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NDJAMENA 000384 SIPDIS PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS DEPT FOR AF/C AND AF/RSA E.O. 12958: 07/14/18 TAGS: PREL LY SU FR EU IR IS SA ER CD SUBJECT: LIBYAN AMBASSADOR RESPONDS TO USG OFFER TO BE HELPFUL ON TRIPOLI'S "TRILATERAL INITIATIVE." REF: A) N'DJAMENA 336, B) N'DJAMENA 334 CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR LOUIS J. NIGRO, JR. FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) I met with Libyan Ambassador Shlback on Thursday, August 14. He said he wanted to respond to my request for Tripoli's thinking on how the United States might usefully support Libya's recent "Trilateral Initiative" to bring peace between Chad and Sudan. He said that he had spoken to Dr. Ali Trekki about USG interest in Libyan efforts in Chad and Sudan. ¶2. (C) Shlback said that Libya wanted to limit the interference of some countries in the Chad-Sudan crisis. The three countries that were of most concern to Libya as it sought to reduce tensions between Chad and Sudan were Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. He said that Sudan used Chad-Israeli interaction against Chad with other Arabic and Muslim countries, charging that Chad was the tool of a conspiracy by the West -- the U.S., the Israelis, the EU -- aimed at Sudan. He said that he suspected that GOC officials had made unannounced trips to Israel recently and it was known that Chad bought arms from Israeli firms. Shlback said that Saudi Arabia provided assistance to UFDD rebel leader Mahamat Nouri, which is why Saudi diplomatic facilities and residences were targeted by GOC security forces in February. He said that Iran was trying to increase its influence in the region by fishing in troubled waters. ¶3. (C) Shlback said that Tripoli would take care of Iran, attempting to limit Teheran's involvement and influence. If the USG wanted to assist the Libyan initiative, he said, it could try to limit Tel Aviv's and Riyadh's activities in Chad. The US should use its influence with both countries to reduce activities in Chad, such as Israeli arms sales to the GOC and Saudi assistance to Mahamat Nouri, at least for the time being, to facilitate Libya's reconciliation initiative. ¶4. (C) I asked if any other countries were seen as interfering in Libya's efforts to reduce Chad-Sudan tensions, such as Eritrea. Shlback replied in the negative. I told him that I would pass this request to Washington. 5.Q(C) COMMENT: We know that the GOC has bought arms from Israeli private arms merchants. Former FORMIN and current UN PermRep Allam-Mi told me two months ago that he thought it likely that Chad and Israel would establish formal diplomatic relations by "the end of the summer." NIGRO