QATAR REPORTS SIGNIFICANT DARFUR PROGRESS; REMAINS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DOHA 000200 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DHAKA FOR P/E E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2019 TAGS: PREL SU CD QA SUBJECT: QATAR REPORTS SIGNIFICANT DARFUR PROGRESS; REMAINS CONCERNED ABOUT EGYPT REF: A. STATE 24927 ¶B. DOHA 179 Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b and d). -------------- (C) KEY POINTS -------------- -- At a March 18 meeting, MFA Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Al-Mahmoud presented Ambassador with a copy of what appears to be a significant agreement Al-Mahmoud and senior Libya officials helped negotiate earlier this month with five Darfur rebel groups in Tripoli, Libya. (See para. 6 for Embassy translation of full text.) -- The "Tripoli Charter" was signed by (a) "The Unity Leadership", Movement/The Sudan Liberation Army; (b) "Presidency of Khamis 'Abdallah Abkar", Movement/The Liberation Army of Sudan; (c) "Yusuf Ibrahim 'Izzat", Front of the United Revolutionary Forces; (d) "Idris Ibrahim Azraq", Movement of The Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement; and (e) "Muhammad Salih", Movement/The Sudan Liberation Army Movement "Juba Unity". -- The Charter contains the rebel groups' agreement to: (a) unify as one delegation for Round 2 of the Doha talks; (b) develop a single negotiating position; (c) identify a single leader; and (d) adopt a new name. -- Al-Mahmoud also asked for USG help in getting France to pressure Abdul Wahid Al-Nur to participate in Round 2. -------------- (C) COMMENTS -------------- -- In Ambassador's last meeting with Al-Mahmoud (Ref B),the Minister of State requested our weighing in with Egypt in support of Qatar's Initiative on Darfur. Given the apparent progress made by Qatar in Tripoli with the rebel groups, Embassy recommends that the USG demarche the GOE, either in Washington, Cairo, or both. -- The Qatari Initiative, along with UN (and African Union) Mediator Djibril Bassole's work on it, risks being seriously undermined by Egypt, if Al-Mahmoud's concerns are accurate. -- Al-Mahmoud said he kept Bassole fully informed of the Tripoli negotiations, and that Bassole remained completely supportive of Qatar's actions on Darfur. End Key Points and Comments. ¶1. (C) At a March 18 meeting, MFA Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Al-Mahmoud presented Ambassador with a copy of an agreement signed in Tripoli on March 15 by five rebel groups in Darfur. The "Charter of Tripoli" was concluded after recent talks between rebel leaders in the Libyan capital, assisted by Al-Mahmoud and Libyan Foreign Ministry officials, including new Foreign Minister Moussa Kossa. Sudan Liberation Movement leader Abdul Wahid al-Nur was absent from the meetings. ¶2. (C) Al-Mahmoud said the meetings were designed to bring all of the various factions into the process because attempts to isolate other parties would only lead to future problems. ¶3. (C) Al-Mahmoud stated that he had asked the meeting participants to do four things: to unify as one delegation for Round 2; to develop a single negotiating position; to identify a single leader; and to adopt a new name. The parties agreed in writing to all four of these terms, though they have not yet chosen their new name and leader. Al-Mahmoud asked for USG help in getting France to pressure Paris-based Abdul Wahid Al-Nur, who has refused to participate in talks as long as the Sudanese government continues to engage in military operations in Darfur, to participate in the Doha talks. ¶4. (C) Al-Mahmoud said he had already briefed Special Envoy Bassole and the French Special Envoy on these developments. He noted that Bassole is currently in France for medical treatment, and that no date had been set for convening Round 2 discussions. DOHA 00000200 002 OF 003 ¶5. (C) Ambassador asked about Qatar's position on Egypt's proposal to convene an international conference on Darfur (see Ref A). Al-Mahmoud acknowledged that the GOQ had heard about this, but had no details. Al-Mahmoud expressed his suspicion that Egypt would try to damage the Doha Initiative and take the lead in the Darfur peace process. He again asked for USG help in both supporting the Qatar-led Darfur initiative and in helping keep Egypt from undermining it. ¶6. (SBU) Following is an unofficial Embassy translation of the text of the Tripoli Charter: Tripoli Charter between Darfur Revolutionary Movements To promote revolutionary action underscoring the resolution of our people in resisting all varieties of oppression, exclusion, marginalization and dominance and in accordance with our nation's desire for unity; From our conviction that separatist and schismatic movements have obstructed the course of revolution and prolonged the suffering of our people; Considering the deterioration of humanitarian conditions and to hasten the course of action in order to alleviate the suffering of our refugees and displaced people; Believing that the unity of revolutionary movements is the ultimate prerequisite dictated by reality to achieve the hopes of our people who aspire to create a bright future where justice, freedom, progress, and welfare prevail; We, the revolutionary movements in Darfur, have held a series of historic meetings at the Libyan Capital of Tripoli from March 3 to 15, 2009 under the auspices of the historic leadership of the Great Al-Fatih Revolution historic command as well as the Chairperson of the African Union, jointly addressing various military leaderships in the liberated territories and the political leaderships at home and abroad. According to the aforementioned, We, the undersigned, agree upon the Charter of Tripoli summarized in the following items: We acknowledge that the revolutionary action has been spontaneous and marred by failures and confusions in vision and organization which have required assessment and review as well as correction in the course of revolution. We assert that the unity of all revolutionary movements in Darfur represents an urgent need to our strategic action project and that we shall abide by all conditions therein until it becomes reality in Darfur. We shall commit to implementing the plan of unity, approved earlier, in order to reach complete unity and address all past failures and develop a political and military project supported by all the elements of our society. We shall protect our people in displacement camps, villages, cities and wildernesses from any threat, commit to facilitating the operations of humanitarian organizations, open roads and routes, abide by humanitarian international law, and respect human rights. We shall commit to taking serious action to stop our society from internecine fighting and restore social peace. The peaceful solution being negotiated is the optimal alternative; We shall adhere to participating in any talks with one negotiation team and a unified negotiation stance expressing the just issues and legitimate demands of our people. The undersigned movements shall confirm cooperation in both political and military fields to reach complete unity. The undersigned parties shall form a joint mechanism to implement the items mentioned herein. We invite all compatriots in this struggle to work together on the unity project, excluding no one, and to support the project with their experience. We demand that our people in Darfur, especially the national administration leaders, the Sudanese civil society organizations, the political powers, the effective figures, and activists abroad, support and take part in the unity project. We demand that the international and regional society embodied in the United Nations, the European Union, the neighboring states, and Non-Governmental Organizations support and uphold the unity project. Signatories: Sudan Liberation Army/ Movement "The Unity Leadership" The Sudan Liberation Army Movement "Khamis 'Abdallah Abkar Presidency" United Revolutionary Forces' Front (Signature Yusuf Ibrahim 'Izzat) The Justice and Equality Movement "Idris Azraq" (Signature Idris Ibrahim Azraq) DOHA 00000200 003 OF 003 The Sudan Liberation Army Movement "Juba Unity" (Signature (Muhammad Salih) Tripoli On March 15, 2009. LeBaron