DEMARCHE DELIVERED: RENEWING THE SUDAN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000679 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEAPRTMENT FOR AF/E, IO/RHS AND DRL/MLGA AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PASS TO AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/06/11 TAGS: PHUM PREL SU DJ SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: RENEWING THE SUDAN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR MANDATE REF: STATE 59451; STATE 55852; DJIBOUTI 169; DJIBOUTI 325 CLASSIFIED BY: J. Swan, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (SBU) DCM and PolOff discussed reftel points with GODJ Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director of Bilateral Relations Mohamed Ali Hassan June 11. ¶2. (C) Hassan said that the GODJ had not yet taken a position on the issue. In general, he noted, the GODJ often tended not to "take a clear-cut position" early on, until hearing from all sides and waiting for general consensus to emerge. Hassan said that he would convey the USG points to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and to Djibouti's Ambassador in Geneva. ¶3. (C) COMMENT. In March, the GODJ strongly condemned the International Criminal Court indictment of Bashir (ref C). However, press reports that the GODJ had invited Bashir to visit Djibouti were completely erroneous (ref D). Djibouti is likely to look for any emerging consensus among the Arab League, African Union, and/or Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) before taking a definite stance on this question. END COMMENT. SWAN