MESSAGE OF CONGRATULATIONS FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA FROM THE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000204 DEPT FOR S/ES-CR, S/ES-OS, AF A/S, AF/SPG, SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL SU SUBJECT: MESSAGE OF CONGRATULATIONS FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN REF: STATE 118192 ¶1. (U) Post has received a letter of congratulations (text in para. 2) for President Obama from the President of the Republic of the Sudan, H.E. Omer Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir. A copy of the original letter is being transmitted to the Department via pouch. ¶2. (U) Begin Text: February 11, 2009 Note Verbal The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America in Khartoum and has the honor to enclose herewith the signed original of the letter of congratulations from H. E Omer Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir President of the Republic of the Sudan to H. E Barack H. Obama President of the United States of America on the occasion of his swearing in as the 44th President of the United States of America. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States the assurances of its highest considerations. To: The Embassy of the United States - Khartoum Dear Mr. President, It gives me great pleasure to extend on behalf of myself and that of the people of the Sudan, my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of your swearing in as the 44thpresident of the United, States of America. Winning the trust of the majority of the American people of different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds is a source of pride and drive to serve a great nation which managed to transcend all human limitations and set a model for others to emulate. The Government of National Unity, and the entire Sudanese people appreciate the United States Government's role and its immense efforts in helping the parties to reach and sign the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA),the historic peace deal which ended more than two decades of war and destruction between the North and South Sudan. A similar peace agreement was concluded thereafter which brought to an end another conflict in Eastern Sudan. It was hoped that success in concluding those peace accords would provide a model to address similar conflicts in other parts of Sudan based on the principles of equitable sharing of power and wealth. Unfortunately, the rebellion in Darfur erupted in early February 2003, and has caused ever since a huge humanitarian tragedy. In this context, I must acknowledge and commend the efforts made by the United States to end the conflict during the arduous Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks in Abuja, Nigeria, mediated by the African Union and facilitated by the international community. As a result of the rebel insurgency, civilians left their villages and sought refuge and security in government - controlled areas in Darfur. The allegations that certain Darfurian communities are subjected to genocide and war crimes are belied by the fact that the government provided security, shelter and basic services to the (IDP's) and war-affected civilians before the international community and the (NGO's) arrival to the scene with humanitarian assistance. It is our unshakable conviction that peace in Darfur can only be realized through negotiations. Rebels who are so far been intransigent need to be seriously pressured to sit for negotiations. The one-sided pressure and the sanctions imposed on the government along with the proceedings of the International Criminal Court (ICC) send wrong and mixed signals to the rebels and encourage them to continue with violence as means for political gains. I avail myself of this opportunity to reassert my commitment and readiness to cooperate with your administration, as we did in the past, to achieve a durable and peaceful settlement in Darfur. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration. Signed Omer Hassan Ahmed AI-Bashir President of the Republic of Sudan To: ¶H. E. President Barack H. Obama President of the United States of America The White House Washington, DC End text. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: This letter is shocking in its revision of history and lack of acknowledgment of the government's own brutal role in the crisis in Darfur - in arming Arab tribes and using them and the SAF to wipe out entire areas that were sympathetic to rebel demands. While it is true that more pressure is needed on the rebels to push them toward the negotiating table, the government could have taken many unilateral steps long ago to improve the situation in Darfur. The letter is an accurate reflection of the regime's real interest in improving relations with the US but also shows the constant disconnect between intentions and actions. Lately the regime continues to harass humanitarian NGOs and the very day we received this letter, the GOS forced the head of a major USAID implementing partner to leave the country, because he had the temerity to ask for the Embassy's intervention in attempting to resolve a dispute over the disposition of the project's property (septel). The regime continues to be vicious, calculating, and untrustworthy and any engagement from the US must be carefully calibrated to ensure that we will see tangible progress in deeds rather than words, in results rather than process, from the Sudanese before anything other than confidence-building measures are offered from our side. End comment. FERNANDEZ