IRISH AMBASSADOR BRIEFS CDA ON NGO KIDNAPPING

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 000820

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A/S CARSON, AF/C, EUR/UB
NSC FOR MGAVIN
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC EAID KPKO UNSC AU SU EI
SUBJECT: IRISH AMBASSADOR BRIEFS CDA ON NGO KIDNAPPING

Classified By: CDA Robert E. Whitehead, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Gerard Corr, Ireland's Ambassador to Cairo, met with
CDA Whitehead on July 8 to discuss the kidnapping of two
female staff of the Irish NGO GOAL that occurred on July 3 in
Kutum. Corr is in Khartoum accompanied by a military officer,
as well as a small police and military team currently in
Darfur liaising with GOS security officials there in attempt
to obtain the release of the Irish and Kenyan nationals. Corr
told CDA that the incident has aroused intense public and
media interest in Ireland, as it has in Kenya, and that he
has been collaborating closely with Kenyan Ambassador Ngesu
in Khartoum. Sudanese security forces have confirmed to them
that the two kidnapped humanitarians are being held near
Kutum, though the identity of their captors remains unknown.


2. (C) Corr said that the group holding the two women had
made no demands, and that the Irish government is unwilling
to pay a ransom for their release. He cited a similar case
where a humanitarian aid worker had been released after three
weeks of captivity and said that he hoped for a similar
outcome this time. UN officials have told him that they doubt
any of the rebel groups present in the area would take such
actions -- they have no motive to do so, nor much freedom of
movement in Kutum -- and that the GOS would probably seek a
speedy resolution of the case if elements loyal to it were
involved. The seizure of the hostages appeared too well
organized to be the work of armed bandits, Corr said.


3. (C) Corr and the Kenyan Ambassador have requested meetings
with MFA Undersecretary Mutriff Siddiq, NISS Director General
Salah Ghosh, Minister of Justice Abdelbasit Sabdarat, and HAC
Director Hassabo Mohemed Abdulrahman for June 9. He observed
that the latter's description of the capture of the two women
differed notably from other sources. State officials in
Darfur had been more positive in their conversations with the
Irish team there than have Corr's interlocutors in Khartoum,
who appeared unsure about where things stand. Corr said that
the Sudanese Ambassador to Ireland, resident in London, had
traveled to Dublin to meet with the Irish Foreign Minister
and the family of the kidnapped Irish national, but that his
meeting with the Foreign Minister focused largely on
Ireland's public support for the ICC indictment of President
Bashir. However, the Sudanese Ambassador had in no way linked
this to resolution of the kidnapping case.


4. (C) Corr requested that the US. Embassy Khartoum pass on
any information it might pick up from its network of contacts
in Darfur and the humanitarian community. CDA replied that
the Embassy has been following the case closely, and assured
Corr that the Embassy stands ready to assist him and his team
with information sharing and in other ways, as possible, to
help resolve the case.
WHITEHEAD