Mbeki Meets with Khartoum Dip Corps to Solicit Suggestions

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000474 DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A A/S CARTER, AF/C NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI ASEC AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: Mbeki Meets with Khartoum Dip Corps to Solicit Suggestions for AU Darfur Fact-Finding Mission ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In a Khartoum meeting on April 2, Former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki surprised an unprepared Khartoum diplomatic corps by soliciting suggestions from them on how the African Union might best help resolve the Darfur crisis. The diplomats thought Mbeki had called the gathering to brief them on his AU Darfur Fact Finding Mission. Before turning the tables on the diplomats, Mbeki briefly described to them his mission as one of assessing and recommending by July how the AU might best help resolve the conflict. Mbeki plans discussions with the Government of National Unity (GNU)in Khartoum, Darfur rebel groups, neighboring countries, as well as civil society in Darfur. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Former President Thabo Mbeki met with about 30 members of the Khartoum Diplomatic Corps on April 2 for what they thought was a briefing on his upcoming mission for the AU on resolving the conflict in Darfur. The audience consisted mostly of Chiefs of Mission from resident African embassies, also included the Chinese and French Ambassadors plus the Italian and Russian DCMs. U.S. Embassy DCM Asquino, accompanied by poloff, represented CDA Fernandez. Mbeki briefly explained his mandate as one of assessing the Darfur situation and advising the AU by July on how it could best accelerate a resolution to the conflict. ¶3. (SBU) Mbeki noted that he sees any resolution as having three components. First, a negotiated peace settlement. Second, reconciling the various combatants. Finally, identifying and punishing any war crimes that might have been committed. Mbeki said he plans to listen to the views of all concerned with the conflict, in Sudan and in the neighboring countries. As part of this process, he wanted to hear the views of Khartoum's foreign diplomats. He then asked the assembled group for their suggestions on how the AU might best proceed. The audience, which had been told that they would be briefed by Mbeki, was clearly unprepared to provide input and taken somewhat aback by his unanticipated request. ¶4. (SBU) After an awkward silence, members of the Diplomatic Corps pressed Mbeki for more information on his mission and then offered some preliminary thoughts. The Nigerian Ambassador noted the fragmentation of the Darfur rebel groups was an obstacle to negotiations. He added that JEM had said it would boycott the ongoing Doha peace process unless the GoS rescinded its order expelling 13 international humanitarian NGOs from the country in retaliation for the International Criminal Court (ICC) indictment of President Bashir. The Nigerian wondered if Mbeki would press the GOS for the return of these NGOs. He also asked if Mbeki's engagement with the GoS included meetings with the SPLM, or only with the NCP. ¶5. (SBU) President Mbeki replied that his mandate is not to supplant Doha or other existing processes, but to generate ideas on how the AU might usefully support them, as well as explore complementary new initiatives it might launch. He said that UN-AU negotiator Bassole will assist in securing meetings with the various Darfur rebel factions. He noted that during April 3-4, he would travel to Darfur to meet with UNAMID, internally-displaced persons (IDPs),civil society groups and tribal leaders. Once he is back in Khartoum, he said he would have a meeting with President Bashir. He added that he would return to Darfur at a later date to meet with rebel leaders. Mbeki said that he also plans to travel to N'djemena and Tripoli for talks with Chad and Libya. He noted he already had met with President Bashir and VP Taha, and hopes to meet later with First VP (and SPLM leader) Salva Kiir and SLM/MM leader and Senior Assistant to the President Mini Manawi, although these meetings appear more tentative. In addition, he said he planned to meet with ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo as well as with representatives from the UNHCR before issuing his report to the AU in July. ¶6. (SBU) The Chinese Ambassador commented that resolving the Darfur conflict will require a comprehensive strategy and needs to involve all of the parties in Sudan. The Ugandan Ambassador urged Mbeki to engage with the "silent majority" of women and children who have been affected by the war in Darfur, and to encourage their honest views by protecting them from retaliation. The Kenyan Ambassador said that his government believes that establishing peace in Darfur is the immediate need, and that reconciliation and justice should come after. The Italian DCM said that the EU stood ready to work with the AU to address problems in Darfur. DCM Asquino noted U.S. concern that the GoS decision to expel the humanitarian INGOs threatens to create a major humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Mbeki replied that he too shared the latter concern. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: The large meeting was poorly organized from the start. After arriving 45 minutes late, a somewhat-flustered Mbeki KHARTOUM 00000474 002 OF 002 apologized repeatedly to the assembled "excellencies," saying his staff had not informed him the meeting had been added to his schedule. In addition, those invited were not informed in advance that they would be asked for their views on Darfur. For this reason, the meeting was not conducive to a frank exchange of views on the sources of the conflict there, or how the AU might best help end it. It is to be hoped that the rest of Mbeki's mission goes better than his meeting here with diplomats. The Darfur conflict is only one component of Sudan's larger crisis, and any solution to it must be part of a broader resolution of the whole. Whether Mbeki and his large delegation (whom, unfortunately, he never introduced) are willing or capable of tackling the root causes of Sudan's larger conflicts remains to be seen. It was interesting that during the meeting in Khartoum, the toughest, most skeptical questions on Mbeki's AU mission to Darfur came from fellow Africans. For its part, the SPLM also appears deeply suspicious of Mbeki. It is worried that Mbeki's current mission is intended more to lend support to Bashir than to resolve Darfur's or Sudan's problems. FERNANDEZ