REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE ON PARTICIPATION IN EVENTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 000838 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF A/S CARSON, SE GRATION, S/USSES NSC FOR MGAVIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV SU SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR GUIDANCE ON PARTICIPATION IN EVENTS ENTAILING POSSIBLE CONTACT WITH PRESIDENT BASHIR Classified By: CDA Robert Whitehead for reasons 1.4 (b( and (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request ) see para. 4. ¶2. (C) During the coming months Post anticipates protocol/religious events that likely will entail contact between Embassy personnel, including the Chief of Mission, and President Bashir. The Muslim holy month of Ramadan traditionally features a brief ceremonial reception for the diplomatic community with a reception line of COMs to greet the President, Foreign Minister and other senior government officials. Further, there also willl be a series of high-level representational Iftars (the evening meal breaking the Ramadan fast),including those hosted by the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan and the Foreign Minister, to which both the COM and President Bashir likely would be invited. In addition, there are other occasional events, such as graduation ceremonies, to which the diplomatic community will be invited and at which Bashir may preside or attend. ¶3. (C) EU Chiefs of Mission currently are debating whether to participate in these events, with no consensus achieved. The UK must refer back to Foreign and Commonwealth Office on a case by case basis, and some EU nations (ICC signatories) have sent deputies to protocol events including Bashir. The Canadians have imposed a de facto quarantine on Bashir and will not attend at any level any event where he is present, but some ambassadors/charges from other countries have participated. There is general agreement among EU countries that meetings between ambassadors or high-level visitors and Bashir are possible if substantive diplomatic business warrants this, as in the case of Bruno Joubert meeting with Bashir at the release of a kidnapped French hostage freed by Sudanese security forces. The majority of events where we might encounter Bashir entail little more than the exchange of ceremonial pleasantries and likely would receive no international media attention, although they might be reported in the local media, including video footage and photographs. For the record, the GOS has recently not invited representatives from ICC signatory countries to various official events that might have led to snubs. However, diplomats from AU and G-88 countries were invited to these and did attend. ¶4. Action request: Post sees five possible options: 1.) attend at appropriate level, including COM, and minimize contact to the extent possible, 2.) attend at appropriate level below the COM, 3.) do not attend at any level, 4.) refer possible contact to Washington on a case by case basis and 5.) consider participation on a case-by-case basis, using our own best judgment. Please provide Department guidance on whether, and if so at what level, to participate in events at which President Bashir may be present or, by extension, other GOS officials that have been indicted by international courts or tribunals. WHITEHEAD