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