COMMUNIST PARTY HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER: "I DON'T REPRESENT THE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000209 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: COMMUNIST PARTY HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER: "I DON'T REPRESENT THE FUR IN NEGOTIATIONS" REF: A) 08 KHARTOUM 1504 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: In a February 16 telephone call, renowned human rights lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman told poloff he is attending the Doha negotiations as a parliamentary observer from the Sudanese Communist Party, and stressed that he is not entitled by the Fur people to participate in negotiations. Osman expressed a desire to hold SLM leader Abdul Wahid al Nur accountable for his intransigence, but also warned that any attempt to replace him will require a time-consuming consultative process amongst Fur leaders. Meanwhile, SPLM South Darfur MP (and Abdul Wahid's father in law) Abulgasim Seifeldin told poloffs that while the Fur people need broader representation, it would be a mistake to exclude or marginalize Abdul Wahid, because he maintains significant popular support. He suggested mobilizing Fur and civil society leaders behind a soon-to-be-published document aimed at providing a unified, comprehensive view of Darfurian civil society, and using this document platform for civil society leaders to engage Abdul Wahid in Paris. Post recommends that the USG support a visit by Seifeldin to Washington and, if possible, Paris. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Speaking by telephone from Doha on February 16, renowned human rights lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman told poloff that he is attending the Doha negotiations as a parliamentary observer from the Sudanese Communist Party, and stressed that he is not entitled by the Fur people to participate in negotiations as a Fur leader. Concerned that its talks with the GOS put JEM in the position of negotiating on behalf of all Darfurians, Osman believes that JEM's bellicose statements from Doha will lead other Darfurians to decline to participate in talks, viewing them as merely bilateral talks between two warring parties. Osman met with JEM Economic Advisor Dr. Gibriel Ibrahim to speak about this, and also plans to meet with Qatari Foreign Minister al-Mahmoud and Joint Chief Mediator Bassole. On the subject of SLM leader Abdul Wahid al Nur, Osman said that his refusal to participate in talks will lead the Fur elites and intellectuals to reconsider him as a leader; however, abandoning him in favor of another leader will entail a time-consuming consultation process among the Fur people. Osman personally believes that Abdul Wahid should be held accountable for all the missed opportunities since he retreated into exile. He told poloff that upon returning to Khartoum later this week, he intends to open discussions with Fur leaders on this subject. However, he cautioned that it would be a consultative process among the Fur, there is no timetable for if or when the Fur will reach a decision, and he had no idea whom they would choose. ¶3. (SBU) On February 16, poloffs also met with SPLM South Darfur MP (and Abdul Wahid's father in law) Abulgasim Seifeldin. Seifeldin, a member of the Fur tribe originally from Jebel Marra, expressed frustration and dismay with his intransigent son-in-law, and asserted that the Fur people need broader representation. However, he cautioned that it would be a mistake to exclude or marginalize Abdul Wahid, because he maintains significant popular support. "I don't think it would be helpful to bring someone in to replace him," he said, noting that in Fur culture anyone who split off in attempt to form their own movement would be considered a traitor. "Attempting to exclude him would cause significant problems." Seifeldin then gently chastised poloffs for the international community's attempts to find a "replacement" for Abdul Wahid, and laughed when asked about the presence of human rights lawyer (and purported cousin of Abdul Wahid) Salih Mahmoud Osman in the Doha talks. "Osman is very highly respected and he has helped many people in his human rights work," said Seifeldin. "But he's not a tribal leader, and he certainly does not represent the Fur people." Instead, Seifeldin said, Osman was in Doha as an observer of the proceedings for the Sudanese Communist Party. (Note: Seifeldin also corrected the misperception that Osman is a cousin of Abdel Wahid's, noting "they are only from the same village but are not related." End note.) ¶4. (SBU) Rather than attempting to bypass Abdul Wahid in potential peace talks, Seifeldin said that he hoped to exert new pressure on Abdul Wahid with the full backing of Darfuri civil society. He described to poloffs his active involvement in the ongoing effort led by Professor Abdul Rahman B. Dossa and Professor Atayeb Hajj Attia of the University of Khartoum (reftel) to collect and unify all civil society proposals and resolutions so as to create a unified, comprehensive view of Darfurian civil society. (Note: Fur Shura Council Members Dr. Yousif Idris Ahmed and El Amid Mahmoud Mohamed Osman are also part of this working group. Poloffs met them recently to follow up on their discussion with Senior Representative to Sudan Tim Shortley, to be reported septel. End Note.) Once a document has been completed, it will give civil society leaders a platform from which to engage Abdul Wahid, said Seifeldin. Polchief suggested that he and other civil society leaders should make a trip KHARTOUM 00000209 002 OF 002 to Paris to press Abdul Wahid toward negotiations. ¶5. (SBU) In addition to changing the mind of Abdul Wahid, Darfurian civil society members also want a place at the negotiating table, according to Seifeldin. "The rebels are not representative of the people of Darfur. They lack an understanding of political dimensions of the conflict and social impact of the war," he said, adding that one of the reasons Abuja was rejected by Darfurians was the lack of civil society representation. He stated that among the working group led by Professor Dossa, there has even been a discussion about authoring a declaration of principles to set the stage for negotiations, following the publication of their unified document. To this end, he asked poloffs for the international community's support for both the document and civil society's right to negotiate on behalf of Darfurians. ¶6. (SBU) Regarding the current talks in Doha, Seifeldin was extremely skeptical about their prospects for bringing peace to Darfur, stating that it was merely setting the stage for a reconciliation between two factions of the Islamist movement. Even if a security arrangement is attained, past histories show it will not last, he said. He also urged the international community to pressure the SPLM into playing a constructive role in solving the crisis, and accused it of holding several Fur rebels ("Abdulshafie and others") in a virtual detention in Juba by refusing to grant them access or leave. ¶7. (SBU) Comment: Despite widespread dissatisfaction with the intransigence of Abdul Wahid among Fur leaders and intellectuals, few if any of them believe that it is possible (in the near term, anyway) to replace him, given his entrenched support the in IDP camps. Given this reality, no prominent Fur leader has shown a willingness to take on the mantle of Fur leadership, and any attempt by the West to anoint someone in Abdul Wahid's place will likely be met with extreme skepticism unless that figure is really empowered by the West (in a way that would probably create other problems). Thus the best approach might be to support civil society leaders to take their message to Abdul Wahid in a direct and public way. Moreover, Darfur rebel leaders such as Abdul Wahid who have little capacity to govern will need assistance from civil society leaders, so we should do everything possible to cultivate these linkages now. Other Fur leaders in exile, such as Ahmed Diraij in London, are also worth consulting. FERNANDEZ