AU LIAISON ANALYSES PEACE AND SECURITY MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 001279 NOFORN NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF PHUM SU SUBJECT: AU LIAISON ANALYSES PEACE AND SECURITY MEETING REF: A. ABUJA 2010 ¶B. NDJAMENA 0438 Classified By: CDA Robert E. Whitehead for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C//NOFORN) SUMMARY: On November 09, Poloff met with Boitshoko Mokgatlhe, African Union (AU) Liaison Officer for Sudan. Mokgatlhe went over the main points recommended by the 207th meeting of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) in Abuja (ref. A) and quietly confirmed the widespread speculation that the call for Mbeki's expanded mandate was spurred by the AU's disappointment in Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole's sluggish progress in Darfur. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) A communique issued by the PSC called for the recently-adjourned AU panel on Darfur (AUPD),headed by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, to be re-launched as the "AU High Level Implementation Panel" (AUHIP). The re-christened panel would operate under an expanded, renewable, one-year mandate to "assist in the implementation of all aspects of the AUPD recommendations, as well as to assist...in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)." Mokgatlhe, who did not attend the meeting of the PSC, said that the recommendations of the council would be presented to the Government of Sudan (GoS),and to the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) for approval. He said he expected the proposal would be well-received by both sides. ¶3. (C//NOFORN) The PSC recommendations, which "welcomed" the steps of Joint Chief Mediator on Darfur Djibril Bassole, simultaneously requested the AU Commission to "exercise due oversight over the process of the Mediation," and expanded Mbeki's mandate into matters currently controlled by Bassole. Mokgatlhe confirmed rumors that the PSC was dissatisfied by Bassole's mediation process. He characterized Bassole's mediation attempts as inept, and confided that Bassole had ducked out of several opportunities to meet Mbeki, either canceling on short notice, or sending a junior officer in his place. Mokgatlhe reaffirmed AU support for Special Envoy Gration's work in Darfur, and intimated that Bassole was out of step with the AU as a whole, and with U.S. efforts in the region. ¶4. (C//NOFORN) Comment: Mokgatlhe showed a surprising level of frankness in his comments regarding Bassole, and speculation about AU dissatisfaction with its Joint Mediator is already quite widespread. The PSC communique is vague on its intentions towards Bassole, but the wording of the document does not rule out the possibility that Bassole would be sidelined somewhat by the sweeping new mandate proposed for Mbeki and his panel. END COMMENT. WHITEHEAD