FORMER REBELS (TURNED GOVERNMENT AGENTS?) PROMOTE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000263

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR A A/S CARTER AND AF/SPG, NSC FOR MGAVIN AND
CHUDSON
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2019
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO UN AU SU
SUBJECT: FORMER REBELS (TURNED GOVERNMENT AGENTS?) PROMOTE
FUR UNIFICATION

Classified By: CDA Alberto M. Fernandez, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: On February 23, members of the Sudan
Liberation Movement/Free Will (SLM/FW,) a rebel movement
which entered the Darfur Peace Agreement after Minni Minnawi,
told CDA Fernandez that they are working to unite the Fur
tribe. According to these contacts, their work is needed as
the Fur currently suffer from two different Shura Councils,
rival rebel leaders, and an almost completely displaced and
traumatized population. Although many observers completely
dismiss Declaration of Commitment (DOC) Groups like SLM/FW as
a Government invention for infiltrating and dividing the
rebel movements, much of what the rebels argued is true.
Nonetheless, Post suspects that the GoS may have sent these
individuals to probe increased U.S. interest in the Fur
tribe, and urges caution when dealing with all DOC groups.
END SUMMARY


2. (C) On February 23, CDA Fernandez met the following
SLM/FW representatives at the U.S. Embassy: Baddr Eddin El
Tijani Adam, Nasr Eddin Mohamed Abbaker, and Musa Ali Bahar.
These SLM/FW representatives initiated the meeting through a
locally-engaged staff member at the U.S. Embassy. The
individuals originally came to the Embassy a day earlier than
their scheduled appointment and then again returned on
February 23.


3. (C) Badr Eddin El Tijani Adam opened the meeting by
thanking the U.S. for its efforts in Darfur - "the conflict
that has primarily affected the Fur tribe." "Our people have
been completely displaced, and our lands are occupied by
(ethnic Arab) settlers from Nigeria and West Africa," stated
Adam, citing Wadi Salih as one area with a heavy
concentration of new West African immigrants. Adam then
vowed that the young Fur people will not submit to this
displacement and requested U.S. intervention and pressure on
the GOS. Adam sharply criticized the recent negotiations in
Doha between JEM and the GoS, and said that the GoS should
first implement the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement.


4. (C) These SLM/FW representatives then asserted that
their movement can lead unification efforts for the Fur
tribe. The GOS has divided the Fur through establishing its
own version of the Fur Shura Council, by driving a wedge
between rival rebel movements, and through encouraging the
resettlement of others on Fur lands, said these contacts.
The SLM/FW representatives then stated that UNAMID needs to
provide better protection to the people of Darfur. CDA
Fernandez quickly responded that the U.S. views GoS
harassment and attacks on IDP camps as a "red line." He also
explained that the GOS has prevented U.S. outreach to the Fur
tribe through blocking U.S. visits to Fur areas such as Jebel
Marra or Wadi Salih. He warned the visitors that, while the
USG strongly supports a unified Fur voice as an essential
part of peace in Darfur, any Khartoum-based effort will have
to overcome the suspicion that it is a regime plot. A
reconstituted Fur Shura Council would also have to
demonstrate its independence and credibility to the mostly
Fur IDP camp population in Darfur.


5. (SBU) At the close of the meeting the SLM/FW
representatives presented a general 2-page proposal on
unifying the Fur tribe to the CDA. The proposal recomme.ds
seven vague principles (e.g. "guarantee the rights of the
IDPs...") for strengthening the Fur and their relationship
with other tribes in Darfur. The representativesalso
delivered the lengthy strategic plan of the Compensation
Commission. (Note: Both documents are in Arabic and
available by request from Post. End Note.)


6. (C) COMMENT: Although Post agrees almost with
everything that was said in the meeting, the background of
the individuals, the nature of their request, and the timing
of the meeting raise a series of red flags. SLM/Free Will
was never just a Fur movement (their founder was a Tunjur who
served as an SLA-AW negotiator in Abuja,) and it is
disingenuous for them to portray themselves as
representatives of the Fur. Furthermore, since the death of
their founder Abdel Rahman Musa Abaker in 2008, SLM/Free Will
has fragmented into several factions. It is therefore
unrealistic for this faction to assert that it, with its own
internal problems, could ever unite the Fur people. Former
loaally-engaged staff member and Darfur expert Hamid Nur told
poloff after the meeting that these individuals are directly
controlled by Sudanese National Intelligence (NISS) which is
also quite interested in Fur politics. The fact that they
were also passing documents from the Compensation Committee,

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whose chairman Abulgasim Ahmed Abulgasim, is widely believed
to be controlled by Intelligence Chief Salah Ghosh, also
makes us deeply suspicious of their motives. As the U.S.
continues its outreach to the Fur tribe, it is possible that
Sudanese officials are getting wind of this initiative and
attempting to enter the game. For now, we will keep these
individuals at an arm's length, and remain suspicious of DOC
groups attempting to warm up to the U.S. Government.
FERNANDEZ