USUN INSTRUCTION: CALL P-3 MEETING REGARDING

S E C R E T STATE 094825 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2018 TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN SU UNSC SUBJECT: USUN INSTRUCTION: CALL P-3 MEETING REGARDING SUDAN SANCTIONS REF: A. USUN 486 ¶B. PARIS 1005 ¶C. PARIS 1038 ¶D. STATE 56630 ¶E. STATE 61842 Classified By: IO Acting A/S Warlick for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) This is an action request. USUN is to request a P-3 meeting be held before COB Friday, 5 September. The U.S. intends to propose the four names in para 2 be added to the consolidated asset freeze and travel ban list maintained by the Committee established pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan (the UNSC Sudan Sanctions Committee). The purpose of the P-3 meeting is to inform the French of our intention and discuss concerns they may have. USUN may draw on the points in paragraph 4 when speaking to the UK and the French Missions in New York. USUN may also draw on the points in paras 5 and 6 for use with the French. -------------- INDIVIDUALS TO BE PROPOSED -------------- ¶2. (U) The U.S. would like to submit the following four individuals to the UNSC Sudan Sanctions Committee for inclusion on the Consolidated Travel Ban and Assets Freeze List maintained by that Committee: - Khalil Ibrahim Mohamed Achar Foudail TAHA a.k.a. Khalil IBRAHIM a.k.a. Khalil Ibrahim MOHAMED DOB: 15 June 1958 POB: El Fasher, Sudan Nationality: Sudanese Proposed for designation under UNSCR 1591 for impeding the peace process, for constituting a threat to stability in Darfur and the region, and for violating the ban on the sale or supply of arms and related material to the region. Ibrahim is leader of the Darfur-based rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM),which launched violent attacks on Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman on May 10 and has shown no interest in achieving a peaceful settlement to the crisis in Darfur. He was also co-founder of the now defunct National Redemption Front. According to the 1591 Committee's Panel of Experts' September 2007 report, Ibrahim shipped arms to a non-State armed group commander in Northern Darfur. - Awad Ibn AUF a.k.a. Awad Muhammad Ibn AUF a.k.a. Awad Ahmad Ibn AWF a.k.a. Awad Mohammed Ahmed Ebni NAUF a.k.a. Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn OAF a.k.a. Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn OUF DOB: circa 1954 Nationality: Sudanese Proposed for designation under UNSCR 1591 for impeding the peace process, constituting a threat to stability in Darfur and the region, and committing violations of international humanitarian or human rights law or other atrocities. Auf is believed to be the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sudanese Armed Forces. Formerly, Auf was Sudan's head of Military Intelligence and Security and has acted as liaison between the Sudanese government and the Government-supported Janjaweed militias, which have attacked and brutalized innocent civilians in the Darfur region. He has also provided logistical support for the Janjaweed and directed attacks. - Ahmad Muhammed HARUN a.k.a. Ahmed Mohamed HAROUN a.k.a. Ahmed Mohammed HAROUN a.k.a. Mawlana Ahmad Muhammad HARUN DOB: 1964 POB: Kordofan, Sudan Nationality: Sudanese Proposed for designation under UNSCR 1591 for impeding the peace process and for constituting a threat to stability in Darfur and the region. Harun is Sudan's State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and has been accused of war crimes in Darfur by the International Criminal Court in the Hague. He has acted as liaison between the Sudanese government and the Government-supported Janjaweed militias, which have attacked and brutalized innocent civilians in the Darfur region. He has also provided logistical support for the Janjaweed and directed attacks. Previously, Harun was the coordinator of the Popular Police Forces and also served as State Minister for the Interior, playing a central role in coordinating and planning military operations in Darfur between 2003 and 2005. - Daoussa DEBY ITNO a.k.a. Daoussa DEBY a.k.a. Daussa DEBY ITNO DOB: 1 January 1953 POB: Berdoba, Chad Nationality: Chadian Proposed for designation under UNSCR 1591 for impeding the peace process, for constituting a threat to stability in Darfur and the region, and for violating the ban on the sale or supply of arms and related material to the region. Deby, half brother to Chad's President Deby, has provided material assistance to Darfur rebel groups, including Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Army. According to the 1591 Committee's Panel of Experts' September 2007 report, Deby has played a central role in the provision of support to non State armed groups, including facilitating the provision of or directly providing weapons and military vehicles. -------------- STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The goal is to impose multilateral targeted sanctions on these four individuals in order to underscore the seriousness with which we view the situation in Darfur and the ongoing violence there. The UK previously agreed to this approach. France is likely to continue to oppose the listing of Daoussa DEBY, but we have requested they reevaluate their position based on DEBY's destabilizing activity in the region and support for rebel activity in Darfur. The U.S. has made a policy decision to propose all four names in the UNSC Sudan Sanctions Committee, with the goal of achieving consensus. Some countries otherwise inclined to oppose sanctions against Sudanese officials (i.e., China) may calculate that their national interests are better served by not opposing any of the four names in Committee, which would avoid a very public vote in the Security Council to designate the four individuals. ¶4. (SBU) The following points may be used to garner support from the UK and France: - The UNSC Sudan Sanctions Committee has the authority to impose an asset freeze and travel ban against designated individuals who impede the peace process, constitute a threat to stability in Darfur and the region, commit violations of international humanitarian or human rights law or other atrocities, violate the arms embargo, or are responsible for offensive military overflights in and over the Darfur region. - The violence in Darfur continues. The continued bombing of villages, such as the egregious May 4 bombing of villages that killed innocent civilians in North Darfur by the Government of Sudan, and the subsequent May 10 attack by Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels on Omdurman are representative of activities that need a response from the international community. It is time to add the additional individuals named above to the 1591 Committee list. - In its report of 10 September 2007, the UNSC Sudan Sanctions Committee Panel of Experts specifically recommended adding Daoussa Deby and Khalil Ibrahim to the Committee's consolidated list of designated individuals. The May 10 JEM attack on Omdurman, under the direction of Khalil Ibrahim, further substantiates the need to single him out as an aggressor in the Darfur conflict. The United States designated Ibrahim in 2007 out of our strong bilateral concerns for his contribution to violence and instability in Darfur and strongly encourages his designation now as his militaristic acts and extremist views continue to chip away at the prospects of peace in Darfur. - The ties between Chadian authorities and Sudanese rebels, their utility as proxy fighters in the ongoing conflict between Chad and Sudan, and the impact of their activities on the ground in Darfur should not be ignored. The designation of suspected arms trafficker and half-brother to Chadian President Deby, Daoussa Deby Itno, based on his destabilizing activity in the region and support for rebel activity in Darfur, is an important acknowledgment of his disastrous role in the conflict. - The Government of Sudan must be held accountable for its actions on the ground, especially bombings that kill civilians in Darfur such as the May 4 attacks. The United States domestically designated Haroun and Auf in 2007 for their egregious activities in Darfur and we believe that the UNSC should undertake these additional designations. - Designating these four individuals will make a strong statement by demonstrating that the international community takes the May 4 bombings in Darfur and the May 11 attack on Omdurman seriously. The Security Council has designated only four individuals under the Sudan sanctions regime thus far (UNSCR 1672 in 2006); the Council, through its Sudan Sanctions Committee, should take a proactive stance towards another round of designations given recent events on the ground. - We are hopeful that UNSC action on Khalil Ibrahim will send a clear message to other rebels that pursuing peace is the only acceptable means of ending the crisis. ¶5. (C/Rel France) For USUN to use with French Mission in NY: - We understand France's political concerns regarding Doussa DEBY's ties to his brother, Chadian President Idriss Deby. However, we strongly request France agree to listing DEBY. - Daoussa DEBY is being proposed for designation under UNSCR 1591 for impeding the Darfur peace process, for constituting a threat to stability in Darfur and the region, and for violating the ban on the sale or supply of arms and related material to the Darfur region and rebel groups operating there. DEBY has provided material assistance to Darfur rebel groups, including Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Army. According to the UNSC Sudan Sanctions Committee's Panel of Experts' September 2007 Report (see para 81),DEBY plays a central role in the provision of support to non-State armed groups, including facilitating the provision of or directly providing weapons and military vehicles. This information provides a sound factual basis for his designation. - Despite DEBY's substantial influence within the Government of Chad (GOC),his current honorary title of "grand ambassador" belies French views that he is not a senior government official on par with those on the Sudanese side which are being proposed or were accepted for sanction under UNSCR 1591. - Furthermore, we remain concerned over intelligence and eyewitness reports that both JEM and Chadian rebel groups may already be planning renewed offensives in advance of the end of the rainy season in October. A strong sanctions resolution now would put pressure on those groups planning destabilizing attacks to reconsider and/or refrain from future actions. The absence of new violence at the end of the rainy season would likely also increase support for the renewal of MINURCAT. - Assistant Secretary Frazer has made a number of attempts over last two months to speak to her counterpart at the Elysee, Deputy Diplomatic Advisor Bruno Joubert, regarding our proposal to designate these four individuals. Unfortunately, Assistant Secretary Frazer has not been given the opportunity to discuss this with Joubert, which is why we feel compelled to push ahead and propose these names in the Sudan Sanctions Committee. We would like to move forward with French support. In addition to underscoring the aforementioned points, Assistant Secretary Frazer would specifically like to address directly with Joubert political concerns regarding France's engagement with President Deby and EUFOR. ¶6. (C/Rel France) IF RAISED by the French, USUN may use the following points with the French Mission in NY regarding the French counter-proposal to designate six Chadian rebels: - We understand that the Government of France is willing to pursue sanctions on Chadian rebels, specifically Mahamat Nouri (UFDD-F),Abdelwahid Aboud Mackaye (UFDD-F),Timane Erdimi (RFC),and Tom Erdimi (RFC),for their roles in the attack on N'Djamena in February 2008, and on JEM members Gibril Ibrahim (whom Paris described as JEM's silent second-in-command),and Ali al Hajj Mohamed (JEM financier). - The U.S. would be willing to work with the French to designate some (one or two) of these Chadian rebels if that ensures French support for the inclusion of Daoussa DEBY in our proposal of four names now. - Given the framing of the existing U.S. domestic sanctions legislation with respect to Darfur, if France would like to propose these individuals for designation, we request they provide the kind of information for each target that is found in para 2 above, which includes identifiers and information demonstrating that each targets meets the criteria for designation under UNSCR 1591 (2005). -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶7. (U) On May 29, 2007 Awad Ibn AUF, Ahmad Muhammed HARUN, and Khalil IBRAHIM were domestically designated in the U.S. under Executive Order 13400, which blocks assets of persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury to have constituted a threat to the peace process or stability of Darfur; to be responsible for conduct related to the conflict in Darfur that violates international law; or to be responsible for committing violence in Darfur. The United States determined that these three individuals sufficiently met the designation criteria and that their designation was necessary to underscore our commitment to holding accountable those responsible for violence in Darfur. To date, the United States has domestically designated seven individuals responsible for violence in Darfur; four of those individuals have also been designated at the UN under UNSCR 1672 and added to the list maintained by the UNSC Sudan Sanctions Committee. ¶8. (S/NF) The continued violence in Darfur, including the egregious May 4 bombing of villages in North Darfur by the Government of Sudan (GOS),the subsequent May 10 attack by Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels on Omdurman, and continued reports of bombings in Darfur justify these renewed efforts to push through the UN Security Council a sanctions package that "multilateralizes" our domestic sanctions on Sudan. Khalil IBRAHIM, leader of the JEM and already designated under U.S. law for his actions in Darfur, and Daoussa Deby, brother to Chad,s President Deby and suspected arms trafficker, are included in this effort for their deleterious activities taking place in or having a negative impact on Darfur. Officials from the Government of Sudan also bear responsibility for recent violence against civilians and should be included in any multilateral effort to designate individuals for violence in Darfur. Thus, we are also proposing the listing of the two GOS officials previously designated by President Bush in May 2007 - Awad Ibn AUF and Ahmad Muhammed HARUN. -------------- POC AND REPORTING DEADLINE -------------- ¶9. (U) Jean Clark (clarkjt@state.sgov.gov; 202-736-7736) in IO/PSC is the Point of Contact. Response is requested by Monday, September 8. ¶10. (U) Department appreciates Mission's efforts. RICE