SUDAN FORMALLY COMPLAINS OF CHADIAN-SUPPORTED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000572 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR USSES GRATION, AF A A/S CARTER, AF/C, IO, NSC FOR MGAVIN, ADDIS ABABA PLEASE PASS TO USAU E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2019 TAGS: ASEC KPKO PGOV PREL UN AU SU SUBJECT: SUDAN FORMALLY COMPLAINS OF CHADIAN-SUPPORTED REBELS AND CHADIAN TROOPS CROSSING INTO DARFUR REF: KHARTOUM 525 Classified By: CDA Alberto M. Fernandez, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The Sudanese Foreign Ministry summoned CDA Fernandez on the afternoon of April 28 to present him with a written complaint about a supposed crossing into Sudan of a considerable number of rebel forces by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) openly supported by Chadian military elements. MFA Director General for Bilateral Affairs Abdel Basit Al-Sanousi presented CDA with a document detailing two separate incidents over the past week: the first seems to be an incident of a single ANT-plated vehicle straying into the Sudanese state of West Darfur while the second is more detailed information of a large incursion by JEM right on the border of North Darfur, allegedly supported openly by the ANT. Sanousi told CDA that he would be summoning the other P-5 ambassadors to present the same complaint, noting that "instead of negotiating with us in Doha, JEM wants more violence." He reiterated GOS talking points that Sudan is willing to abide by any verifiable procedure which controls the border between Chad and Sudan, an offer President Bashir first made to President Deby in Ouagadougou in 2004 and which, Sanousi claimed, "Chad continues to reject." ¶2. (C) CDA noted that he would pass on the information to the Department and SE Gration. He responded that the United States believes in a negotiated political settlement to the problem of Darfur and is not in favor of JEM attacks in Sudan. He noted that Sudan also actively supports the Chadian rebels opposed to Deby and that there are reports that these forces, clearly supported by Sudan, have crossed into Chad. We are also opposed to any Sudanese supported attacks on Chad. ¶3. (SBU) Begin text: "New Chadian and JEM hostile movements On 20/4/2009, five armed personnel riding a land cruiser vehicle with Chadian Army plates crossed the border in the direction of Fur Branga region, and have been arrested by our forces. Same day evening, the Chadian Army mobilized its forces with forty land cruiser vehicles on our common borders at the entrance of Fur Branga region. On 25/4/2009 at 23:00 hrs, a force from the Justice and Equality Movement riding 120 vehicles supported by 40 vehicles with Chadian Army plates mounted with artillery led by Abdel Karim Shalawi and a colonel from the Chadian Army left Umm Jaras region towards our common borders. On 26/4/2009 at 23:00 hrs, the mentioned forces splintered into three groups as follows: the first, based in Wadi Hawar, North Darfur. The second, based in Northeast Karyari. The third, based north of Elteena and south of Karyari. The first group, led by mutineer Mohamed Salih Jarbo riding 40 vehicles moved on 27/4/2009 at 12:00 hrs toward Donky El Hosh region." End text ¶4. (C) UNAMID JMAC (Joint Mission Analysis Center) chief Serge Kuhn, a French Army colonel, told polchief on April 28 that UNAMID currently has no information about these alleged incursions. He pointed out that it doesn't mean they haven't happened, just that they haven't heard of these particular incidents. Wadi Hawar, Elteena (presumably Tine) and Karyari are all right on the Sudan-Chad border so most of these forces could actually be still in Chad or in ill-defined no man's land. Donky el Hosh is deeper inside Sudan, about 50 kms north of Birmaza in an area closely monitored by the forces of Minni Minnawi, now bitterly opposed to JEM. Minnawi told CDA Fernandez on April 27 that the situation in Darfur remains quiet. Jarbo is a name which makes the Sudanese regime nervous since he was supposedly a column commander in the Omdurman raid. ¶5. (C) Comment: While nothing new and possibly too alarmist, this formal regime complaint fits in with recent reporting (reftel) of possible movement and maneuvering by both the Chadian rebels and JEM. Similar complaints by the Sudanese in the past have presaged dramatic events on the ground. In January 2008, the Sudanese complained to us of Chadian border violations, including air strikes and support for JEM in the Kulbus area of West Darfur, the month before an audacious KHARTOUM 00000572 002 OF 002 failed effort by the GOS-supported Chadian rebels to take Ndjamena in February 2008. In May 2008, MFA U/S Siddiq complained that a large JEM force had crossed the border and that force crossed 500 miles of desert and eventually raided the Khartoum suburb of Omdurman. In January 2009, the Sudanese tracked a similar JEM force that eventually attacked SLM-MM in Muhajeria, leading to tens of thousands of new IDPs. There have also been occasional false alarms but with the start of the rainy season only a couple of months away, this is the time for rebels, whether Darfuri or Chadian, to make a move before desert tracks turn to mud. End comment. FERNANDEZ