CHAD-SUDAN RAPPROCHEMENT ON FAST TRACK: KEY

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000021 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/C STATE FOR S/USSES OSD FOR DASD HUDDLESTON NSC FOR GAVIN LONDON FOR POL - LORD PARIS FOR POL - BAIN AND KANEDA ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR AU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF PHUM MARR SU LY CD SUBJECT: CHAD-SUDAN RAPPROCHEMENT ON FAST TRACK: KEY EVENTS, JAN 7-12 AND COMMENT. REF: A. NDJAMENA 011 ¶B. NDJAMENA 004 ¶C. NDJAMENA 003 ¶D. 09 NDJAMENA 621 -------------- RAPPROCHEMENT ON FAST TRACK -------------- ¶1. (SBU) FORMIN Faki told Ambassador January 11 that Chad-Sudan rapprochement continued to gain momentum, with these key developments January 7-12: -- Chadian and Sudanese "technical teams" signed documents January 7 in NDjamena aimed at implementing the border security provisions of the 2006 Bilateral Protocol agreed in Khartoum. -- The Dr. Ghazi-led Sudanese "political team" met with the Faki-led Chadian "political team" in NDjamena January 7-9. -- GOC MFA released a communique January 9 pledging that GOC had undertaken to end support to any Sudanese rebel group; to eliminate Sudanese rebel presence from Chad; and to prevent any anti-Sudanese activity to take place on Chad territory. The communique claimed that the GOS had undertaken reciprocal engagements vis-avis rebels on its territory. -- Dr. Ghazi met with JEM's Khalil Ibrahim January 9 or 10. This followed the heavy-weight GOC delegation to deliver a stern Deby ultimatum to JEM last week which we reported in Ref A. As Faki said to me yesterday: "The JEM must leave Chad. Period." -- Dr. Ghazi departed then departed for Tripoli for talks with GOL to get Libyan imprimatur of Chad-Sudan rapprochement. -- Dr. Ghazi was expected back in NDjamena January 11 or 12 to continue talks with Faki. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶2. (SBU) These rapidly paced recent events nearly speak for themselves, but we note: -- The Faki-Ghazi bilateral track continues to go from apparent success to apparent success. -- The explicit and detailed GOC communique puts the Deby Government on the line for implementation of its engagements, especially regarding JEM. -- The GOC ultimatum to JEM and the Ghazi-JEM meeting could be constitutive of an end to the "proxy war" on this side of the border. -- GOC and GOS are wise to seek early Libyan blessing of the main terms of the rapprochement, which is, we think, essential to further success. ¶3. (U) Minimize considered. NIGRO