SUDAN/CHAD: JEM ON ABDUL WAHID, CHAD-SUDAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 000067 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR S/USSES, AF/C E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2020 TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS SU CD UK SUBJECT: SUDAN/CHAD: JEM ON ABDUL WAHID, CHAD-SUDAN RELATIONS, AND DOHA REF: A. NDJAMENA 11 ¶B. 09 LONDON 2820 Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville, reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) Summary. London-based Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) spokesperson Ahmed Hussein Adam phoned Poloff on January 12 from N'djamena to offer an update on JEM's diplomatic activities. He said he had recently had a conversation with a "more open-minded" Abdul Wahid al-Nur in Paris; implied that the Government of Chad continues to mistrust the Government of Sudan without acknowledging any change in the GOC's policy toward JEM (reftel A); and offered that Joint UN/AU Mediator Bassole lacks a plan for the way forward in the Doha talks. End summary. Meeting Abdul Wahid -------------- ¶2. (C) About his recent meeting with Fur leader Abdul Wahid al-Nur in Paris (ref B),Ahmed Hussein said Abdul Wahid is "different now" but it is still difficult to predict what he will do. Ahmed Hussein described him as "more open-minded," "feeling the pressure," and "ready to deal with the situation on the ground, as he realizes that things are changing." Ahmed Hussein said he remains in contact with Abdul Wahid, who said that he wanted to work with JEM for peace. Ahmed Hussein said nothing has changed yet and JEM remains tentative and unsure about Abdul Wahid, but JEM plans to continue engaging Abdul Wahid. JEM-GOC Relations -------------- ¶3. (C) Ahmed Hussein said there is "no JEM military presence in Chad," implying that the carefully worded declaration by the Government of Chad (GOC) reported reftel A would not practically affect JEM. He reviewed familiar arguments about why the GOC cannot, does not, and will not trust the Government of Sudan (GOS),without acknowledging a change in the GOC's position vis-a-vis the GOS or JEM. He declared the GOS is not truly committed to disarming the border, as there was GOS military activity on the border in North Darfur recently (NFI),which the GOC knows. As an after thought, he said, "JEM, of course, supports normalization of relations between Chad and Sudan." JEM on Doha -------------- ¶4. (C) Ahmed Hussein and other JEM members have been meeting with Joint UN/AU Chief Mediator Gibril Bassole in N'djamena about their concerns related to the Doha talks. He specifically mentioned JEM's concern about the role of civil society in the talks and Bassole's lack of a plan for the way forward on the talks. He said Qatar was pushing Bassole for progress when the parties were not ready to deal because the Government of Qatar was concerned that Libya or Egypt would take over the process. Bassole, he concluded, tries to please everyone, making it difficult to see him as an independent mediator. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom SUSMAN