ISAIAS TELLS MINAWI TO BE PROACTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000002 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E AND AF/SPG LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV ER SU SUBJECT: ISAIAS TELLS MINAWI TO BE PROACTIVE REF: A. KHARTOUM 1848 ¶B. ASMARA 592 Classified By: CDA Melinda Tabler-Stone for reason 1.4(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Sudanese senior presidential advisor Minni Minawi met with President Isaias December 25 and 26 (ref A), reportedly complaining about Bashir's inability to bring about peace and his own lack of influence within the Bashir government. Isaias reportedly told him he should take action rather than complain. Minawi also met with former Sudanese rebels, Dr. Tasier and Dr. Sharif, against the wishes of the Sudanese Embassy in Asmara. End Summary. ¶2. (C) According to Dr. Taisier of the Peacebuilding Center for the Horn of Africa (PCHA),Minawi candidly told him that in his meeting with President Isaias, he complained that Bashir lacked the political will to bring about peace in Sudan. Minawi also openly expressed to Isaias his disappointment in his limited role in the government. In response, Isaias asked Minawi what he was doing to foster peace in Sudan other than waiting for Bashir to act. ¶3. (C) Minawi's meeting with Taisier and Dr. Sharif, also with the PCHA, took place despite the opposition of the Sudanese embassy. The ambassador, who accompanied Minawi on all his other meetings, refused to attend. (Note: Dr. Sharif is a co-founder of SLM/Unity and an estranged cousin of Minawi's. Dr. Taisier is a former Sudanese rebel who was captured and tortured by the Bashir government). In addition to providing the read-out on his meeting with Isaias, Minawi also expressed a desire to work more with the PCHA on its USG-funded peacebuilding workshops. ¶4. (C) Dr. Sharif explained to PolOff that Khartoum was reluctant to allow Minawi to travel, particularly to Chad or Eritrea. The goverment fears Minawi might re-align with rebel groups in Chad, and in Asmara he might be swayed by Eritrea's holistic approach to the Sudanese peace process. Dr. Sharif defined the GSE-approach to Sudan as a multi-stakeholder effort where solutions come from all parts of Sudan rather than simply from Khartoum. However, he went on, Eritrea recognizes its own limitations in influencing these matters and has settled on interacting with Khartoum where it can in order to effect these goals. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: The GSE openly hosts various Sudanese factions (SLM/Unity, JEM, SLA, etc.) in hopes of influencing a broad-based peace in Sudan and ultimately claiming credit for making peace. At the same time, the GSE hedges its bets by cozying up to Khartoum. END COMMENT. MCMULLEN