INFORMING SUDAN OF U.S. CONCERNS REGARDING MISSILE

S E C R E T KHARTOUM 000177 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/SPG, ISN/MTR, EAP/K E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2039 TAGS: PARM MTCRE PREL KN SU SUBJECT: INFORMING SUDAN OF U.S. CONCERNS REGARDING MISSILE PURCHASES FROM NORTH KOREA REF: STATE 10394 Classified By: CDA Alberto M. Fernandez, for reasons 1.4 (b),(c) and ( d). ¶1. (S) Charge d'Affaires Fernandez delivered talking points and non-paper (reftel) on February 8 to MFA Undersecretary Mutriff Siddiq. Siddiq had no specific response to the demarche except to note that he would pass the information on to the appropriate channels, and that Sudan has no aggressive or hostile intent towards any of its neighbors, nor against the Government of South Sudan and the SPLM. He asked whether Sudan is alleged to have received such missiles or "merely discussing acquiring them." CDA Fernandez referred him to the points in reftel. ¶2. (S) Siddiq added that Sudan is a member of the international community, and respects all UNSC resolutions but that it has a right to defend itself. He noted that the SPLA had recently acquired T-72 tanks and other war materiel from Ukraine (on a ship seized and just released by Somali pirates) and that Sudan had pressed both the Russians and Ukrainians (through their Embassy in Cairo) about the inadvisability of such sales. He further alleged that the American company Dyncorp had also been involved in the transaction. CDA responded that he believed the claim of Dyncorp involvement in arms sales to South Sudan is false. FERNANDEZ