SE GRATION MEETING WITH SUDANESE PRESIDENTIAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000284

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM QA SU
SUBJECT: SE GRATION MEETING WITH SUDANESE PRESIDENTIAL
ADVISER GHAZI

DOHA 00000284 001.2 OF 002


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(SBU) KEY POINTS
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-- Dr. Ghazi Salah-Eddin, adviser to the President of Sudan,
told the President's Special Envoy (SE) to Sudan Gration that
Qatar and UN/African Union Mediator Djibril Bassole should
try to achieve a cease-fire as a first step toward the
political framework agreement.

-- Further, Libya and Chad need to pressure JEM to sign on to
a cease-fire or it will not happen.

-- Salah-Eddin urged SE Gration to study the Chad situation
very carefully, noting that President Deby feels threatened
internally, and he recommended promoting economic projects
and special ties to Chad that would draw in the Chadian
rebels.

-- Down the road, Salah-Eddin said, a cease-fire agreement
must be followed by a broad-based disarmament that is
implemented and monitored by UNAMID.

-- Dr. Ghazi said the international community could assist
with the monitoring of any Chad-Sudan agreement coming out of
the Qatar-Libya talks.

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(SBU) COMMENTS
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-- Dr. Ghazi provided the regime's moderate views of a
variety of issues to include making the argument for
augmenting UNAMID's capacity and mandate if a ceasefire
package and Darfur peace deal could be struck. He was also
open to non-African troops from the sub-continent if the US
could sell it as part of an overall peace package for Darfur.


-- With regard to the potential for JEM to attack South
Kordofan, Ghazi reacted sharply and stated emphatically that
the government would react strongly and without hesitation.

-- SE Gration pressed Ghazi hard to endorse a May 4-5
resumption of the Doha talks in combination with the
Chad-Sudan talks and increased focus on Chad. SE Gration
noted that the combination of: (1) upcoming Chad-Sudan talks;
(2) renewal of Doha talks between JEM, other rebel groups and
the Government of Sudan; and (3) focus on Chad's internal
situation and potential to support the integration of Chadian
rebels into the government could prove to be a winning
strategy.

End Key Points and Comments.


1. (SBU) In an April 28 meeting with Dr. Ghazi Salah-Eddin,
Sudanese Presidential Adviser, (joined by the Sudanese
Ambassador to Qatar, his DCM and another Sudanese official)
told Special Envoy (SE) to Sudan Gration (joined by
Ambassador, S/USSES Deputy Tim Shortley and P/E Chief Rice),
that Qatar and UN/African Union Mediator Djibril Bassole
should try to achieve a cease-fire as a first step toward a
political framework agreement.


2. (SBU) Chad and Libya, noted Salah-Eddin, are the keys to a
cease-fire. Having a cease-fire would help lay the framework
to encourage skeptical Chadians to be more forthcoming.
Incentives for Chad are needed, he stressed, to provide Deby
with space to cut JEM off and to put pressure on the Justice
and Equality Movement (JEM).


3. (SBU) Libya and Chad need to pressure JEM, in
Salah-Eddin's view, to sign on to a cease-fire or it will not
happen. The Sudanese Ambassador to Qatar agreed, noting that
JEM is focused everything but peace to include consolidating
their position as well as prisoner exchanges, the return of
NGOs to Darfur, but not on improving the security
environment. SE Gration responded that the return of NGOs
was largely resolved and that he would explain this in his
upcoming meeting with JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim.


4. (SBU) Salah-Eddin urged SE Gration to study the Chad
situation very carefully, noting that President Deby feels
threatened internally. "Right now, JEM is an ally of Deby,"
and the stability of Chad and its government psychologically
are essential for Deby. It is vital, concluded Salah-Eddin,
to address Deby's perceptions.


5. (SBU) Asked how to keep JEM from expanding its reach

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within Sudan to new areas (to include South Kordofan),
Salah-Eddin recommended telling JEM "point blank" it is a red
line that cannot be crossed. "All of us should say it." It
should, he continued, be part of the discussions in Doha and
endorsed by the international community.


6. (SBU) Salah-Eddin encouraged SE Gration to promote
economic projects in Chad and special ties with the Chadian
government that would draw in the rebel groups. He also
noted that other Darfur rebel groups could accept a
cease-fire without JEM's acquiescence as a means to exert
pressure on JEM to join it.


7. (SBU) JEM, said Salah-Eddin, needs incentives to
participate in Qatar's Initiative, but it also "may need
sticks if that doesn't work." Reiterating that Deby as their
backer is key to a solution, Salah-Eddin encouraged SE
Gration to get at JEM through Deby.


8. (SBU) DISARMAMENT: Down the road, Salah-Eddin continued,
a cease-fire agreement must be followed by disarmament, which
also must figure in the provisions of any cease-fire. Small
guns, big guns, all weapons need to be taken from the
movements when the time is right.


9. (SBU) UNAMID: Salah-Eddin said monitoring of the
cease-fire must be part of any cease-fire package and be
addressed in an context of the UNAMID mandate - to include
bolstering its capabilities and mandate. He cautioned,
though, that these issues must be negotiated directly with
Sudanese President Bashir.


10. (SBU) EGYPT: Asked how to approach Egypt, Salah-Eddin
advised that SE Gration should always make a stop in Cairo
when in the region and keep them briefed on what he is doing
so that they will included and there are no surprises.


11. (SBU) CHAD-SUDAN TALKS: SE Gration discussed the
upcoming Sudan-Chad talks with Ghazi and noted that it was
important that the international community and the region
work together to monitor any agreement with additional
capacity along the Chad-Sudan border. He stressed that the
combination of: (1) upcoming Chad-Sudan talks; (2) renewal of
Doha talks between JEM, other rebel groups and the Government
of Sudan; and (3) focus on Chad's internal situation and
potential to support the integration of Chadian rebels into
the government could prove to be a winning strategy.


12. (U) SE Gration has cleared this message.
LeBaron