EU SPECIAL ENVOY PURSUES GOC-REBEL DIALOGUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000259 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/C, S/USSES - SE GRATION NSC FOR GAVIN LONDON FOR POL - LORD PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA AND KANEDA ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR AU E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF SU LY EU CD SUBJECT: EU SPECIAL ENVOY PURSUES GOC-REBEL DIALOGUE NDJAMENA 00000259 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sue Bremner for reasons 1.4(b) and 1.4 (d). -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) The EU,s Special Envoy for Africa, Ambassador Georg Lennkh, updated Charge June 26 on his recent efforts to bring the GOC and Chadian rebel groups together to discuss peaceful resolution of their differences. Lennkh said that at least some rebels seemed amenable to meeting with the GOC, and at least one prominent GOC politician, Infrastructure Minister Younousmi, had expressed interest in Lennkh's efforts. Lennkh acknowledged that a strong push would be necessary to bring the GOC to the table formally. The Special Envoy stressed that the negotiating initiative was his own for the time being, but he added that the EU Presidency (both the current Czech leadership and the incoming Swedes) were aware and supportive of it, that that some EU capitals -- including Paris, where Bruno Joubert was on board -- wished him well and might be inclined to formalize the activity. END SUMMARY. -------------- REBELS SEEM WILLING TO MEET GOC -------------- ¶2. (C) Ambassador Lennkh said that he had met recently in Geneva with representatives of some of Chad's rebel groups -- in specific, those associated with the United Forces of Resistance (UFR) -- and that another meeting was scheduled in ten days. He noted that differences among the rebels were marked, with some more inclined to consider returning home and others more inclined to hold out. Lennkh said that the URF seemed amenable to face-to-face discussions with the GOC, but what their negotiating position would be remained to be seen. He acknowledged that the GOC would likely need grand gestures -- such as public renunciation of Sudanese support on the part of the rebels, complemented by a parallel statement from Sudan that Khartoum was not (no longer) the rebels' backer -- to entice the GOC to appear for negotiations. -------------- SOME IN GOC OPEN TO DIALOGUE -------------- ¶3. (C) As for the GOC, Lennkh said he thought that some officials were beginning to sense that the international community, including the U.S. and France, felt the time had come to negotiate. Lennkh, who met with Prime Minister Youssouf Saleh Abbas and Minster of Infrastructure Adoum Younousmi June 25, described Younousmi as open to sitting down with the rebels, whereas Abbas was cautious in his reactions to Lennkh's initiative. Lennkh noted that French Presidential Advisor Bruno Joubert was enough of an enthusiast that he had raised the need for dialogue with Chadian President Deby. Lennkh conceded that the GOC negotiating position, outlined in the October 2007 Sirte Accord, signed with the rebel groups, was well known. But he said that thought that the Sirte Accord "lacked real authority," given that its implementation had been handed to Libya and Sudan. -------------- INFORMAL EFFORTS -------------- ¶4. (C) Lennkh underscored that his efforts at this stage were on his own initiative, but he added that he had kept the EU Presidency informed of his actions, and said he believe he had the tacit approval of many in the EU officialdom. Lennkh made clear that the EU would be supportive of making his dialogue a formal process, hosted by an EU country, if it seemed destined to take off. Charge noted that the USG had proposed similar initiatives to the GOC on several occasions, and that we would support anything that worked. She added that with the EU, or an EU official such as Lennkh, in the driver's seat, the initiative would have much more credibility than it would if it were spearheaded, for example, by private citizens. Lennkh asked to speak with S/E Scott Gration when the latter was in N'Djamena June 27, but NDJAMENA 00000259 002.4 OF 002 upon learning that he himself would leave before the S/E's arrival, Lennkh agreed to seek an appointment with Gration in Tripoli. Charge strongly recommended that Lennkh also speak with AF A/S Johnnie Carson in Tripoli. ¶5. (U) Minimize considered. BREMNER