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