FUR SHURA COUNCIL PROPOSAL TO UNITE DARFURIANS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000208 DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/E, AF/C NSC FOR CHUDSON ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: FUR SHURA COUNCIL PROPOSAL TO UNITE DARFURIANS ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Abdul Wahid has cemented his role as leader of the Fur through his close contacts with the popularly-elected IDP camp sheiks, members of the Fur Shura Council told poloffs on February 8. The camp sheikhs have gained power at the expense of the traditional tribal leaders, they said, and Abdul Wahid maintains frequent contact with them by telephone. Abdul Wahid also benefits by the Fur people's legendary patience and their desire to remain united under one leader, they said. The Fur Shura Council members hoped that by uniting the vision of all Darfurians towards peace, they could convince the recalcitrant Abdul Wahid to accept peace talks or otherwise marginalize him. With this in mind, they presented poloffs with a proposal to convene a conference of Darfurian intellectuals in Khartoum, followed by popular consultations in Darfur, to unite all Darfurians towards peace. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On February 8, poloffs met with Dr. Idris Yousif Ahmed and El Amid Mahmoud Mohamed Osman of the Fur Shura Council to follow up on their discussion with Senior Representative for Sudan Tim Shortley (ref A). Yousif and Osman noted that the Fur Shura Council was an umbrella organization of intellectuals, separate from the native administration system. (Note: the native administration is the traditional administrative and judicial system dating back to the period of the Fur Sultanate. In this system, tribal chiefs carry different titles including Demengawi, Umda, Shartai, Al-Basi, Malik (King),Sultan, Elsheikh, Magdoom, Elnasir, Fursha, and Dimlij. End Note.) Yousif stated that while the native administration remains an integral part of Fur society, its influence has waned during the years of the most recent conflict and it has been challenged by the a parallel leadership structure formed in IDP camps. ¶3. (SBU) Since the outbreak of the conflict in Darfur, displaced persons have created their own system of administradion by enectin' kamp {hEiks,`eypl!ilel Iochf.Sm-e b`tlEse0heqde~rQ se`Q c&ShfIoQIm&~"e]ckf-v, {mm0uBgQtmO'@ap]tqcT8hfQeiFD':kfQjkpQKle