Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
90KHARTOUM3292
1990-03-26 13:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Khartoum
Cable title:  

LIBYAN PRESENCE IN SUDAN

Tags:  PINR OFDP PREL LY SU 
pdf how-to read a cable
P 261347Z MAR 90
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2938
INFO AMEMBASSY CAIRO
AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY RIYADH
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 03292 

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/B AND DS/TAD

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PINR OFDP PREL LY SU
SUBJECT: LIBYAN PRESENCE IN SUDAN

REF: A) STATE 62856, B) KHARTOUM 2849, C) KHARTOUM 2428,
D) KHARTOUM 1749, E) KHARTOUM 2825, F) 89 KHARTOUM 10663

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 03292

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/B AND DS/TAD

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PINR OFDP PREL LY SU
SUBJECT: LIBYAN PRESENCE IN SUDAN

REF: A) STATE 62856, B) KHARTOUM 2849, C) KHARTOUM 2428,
D) KHARTOUM 1749, E) KHARTOUM 2825, F) 89 KHARTOUM 10663


1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. AT THIS TIME, LIBYAN PRESENCE IN SUDAN IS DIFFICULT
TO ESTIMATE PRECISELY, BUT OVERT LIBYAN OPERATIONS APPEAR
LIMITED. LIBYAN ARAB AIRLINES (LAA) FLIES TO KHARTOUM
FROM TRIPOLI ONCE A WEEK AND MAINTAINS A SMALL KHARTOUM
STAFF. THE LIBYAN ARAB FOREIGN INVESTMENT CO. (LAFICO)
AND THE LIBYAN SUDANESE CO. (LASCO),BOTH HOLDING
COMPANIES, ALSO MAINTAIN OFFICES IN KHARTOUM. LAFICO
BEGAN OPERATIONS ABOUT 1981 AND LASCO ABOUT 1985; BOTH
HAVE LITTLE OVERT ACTIVITY. IN ADDITION, THE LIBYAN-ARAB
HOLDING CO., A FRONT ORGANIZATION WHOSE OVERT ACTIVITIES
INVOLVE AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENTS, HAS A KHARTOUM BRANCH.
LIBYAN-SUDANESE ECONOMIC AND TRADE RELATIONS ARE DETAILED
IN REF B. AS STATED IN REF D, LIBYA IS NOW SUDAN'S ONLY
RELIABLE SOURCE OF PETROLEUM AND THE ONLY COUNTRY WILLING
TO SELL TO THE GOS ON CREDIT, FOR WHICH LIBYA WILL
INCREASINGLY DEMAND PAYMENT IN POLITICAL CURRENCY.


3. THE FRONT GROUP "ISLAMIC CALL" IS CONSIDERABLY MORE
ACTIVE THAN THE LIBYAN BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS, WITH
OFFICES IN THE KHARTOUM DISTRICTS OF NEW EXTENSION AND
RIYADH. ALTHOUGH NO DETAILS ON STAFF ARE AVAILABLE, BOTH
OFFICES ENGAGE IN PROPAGANDA ACTIVITIES AND RECEIVE
NUMEROUS SUDANESE VISITORS.


4. THE LIBYAN EMBASSY (CALLED THE "LIBYAN ARAB
BROTHERHOOD BUREAU") IN KHARTOUM HAS AN OFFICIAL STAFF OF
20 DIPLOMATS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE VERY UNSPECIFIC TITLES.
THE AMBASSADOR (CALLED THE "SECRETARY GENERAL"),RAMADHAN
ALI BASHIR, A DEAD RINGER FOR QADHAFI, ARRIVED JANUARY

29. NO BIOGRAPHIC DETAILS ON BROTHERHOOD BUREAU STAFF
ARE AVAILABLE.


5. AMONG THE BROTHERHOOD BUREAU'S ACTIVITIES REPORTEDLY
IS SUPERVISION OF LIBYAN INTELLIGENCE OPERATIVES IN SUDAN
(REF E). ALTHOUGH FEW DETAILS ABOUT THE OPERATIVES ARE
AVAILABLE, THEY REPORTEDLY ARE NOT HIGHLY EFFECTIVE
BECAUSE THEY RELY TOO HEAVILY ON MONEY AS AN INDUCEMENT.


6. FOR SOME YEARS LIBYA HAS MAINTAINED AN AGRICULTURAL
PROJECT AT SAQ AL NA'AM NEAR EL FASHER IN DARFUR WITH 10
TO 15 LIBYAN STAFF. THE PROJECT IS OVERTLY ENGAGED IN
AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING SEED TESTING, BUT IT
IS REPORTEDLY STAFFED BY LIBYAN INTELLIGENCE OPERATIVES

COMMANDED BY A COLONEL WITH A DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS LINK
TO TRIPOLI. THE PROJECT REPORTEDLY HAS BEEN USED TO
FUNNEL AID TO CHADIAN REBELS IN DARFUR, ALTHOUGH NO
LIBYAN REGULAR ARMED FORCES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN DARFUR
SINCE 1986. PROVISIONS FOR INCREASED AGRICULTURAL TRADE
BETWEEN SUDAN AND LIBYA IN RECENT AGREEMENTS SUGGEST THAT
SUCH PROJECTS MAY BECOME MORE COMMON.


7. FEW LIBYAN MILITARY PERSONNEL ARE EVIDENT IN THE
KHARTOUM AREA. REPORTS SUGGEST SOME LIBYAN MILITARY
PRESENCE IN THE WESTERN PROVINCE OF DARFUR, WHERE LIBYA
REPORTEDLY SUPPORTS CHADIAN REBELS UNDER IDRISS DEBY.
LIBYA ALSO MAINTAINS OFFICIAL CONTACT WITH THE SUDANESE
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE. IN ADDITION TO ITS ROLE AS SUDAN'S
PRINCIPAL SUPPLIER OF OIL (AN INCREASING PROPORTION OF
WHICH GOES TO THE SUDANESE MILITARY),LIBYA HAS FOR SOME
YEARS BEEN ONE OF SUDAN'S MOST IMPORTANT ARMS SUPPLIERS.
UNDER THE PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT OF SADIQ AL MAHDI, THE TWO
COUNTRIES ESTABLISHED A MILITARY PROTOCOL UNDER WHICH
LIBYA PROVIDED SUDAN WITH MIG-23 AIRCRAFT, BOMBS,
AMMUNITION, OTHER EQUIPMENT, AND TRAINING. LIBYAN PILOTS
ALSO FLEW AIRSTRIKES AGAINST THE SUDAN PEOPLE'S
LIBERATION ARMY (SPLA),A PRACTICE NOW REPORTEDLY
DISCONTINUED.


8. IN EARLY 1989, SOME 20 IL-76 TRANSPORT FLIGHTS
BROUGHT MILITARY EQUIPMENT FROM LIBYA TO SUDAN. TEN SUCH
FLIGHTS (CARRYING AMMUNITION, ROCKETS FOR USE ON
JEEP-TYPE VEHICLES, AND BOMBS) REPORTEDLY ARRIVED IN
KHARTOUM BETWEEN NOVEMBER 28 AND DECEMBER 5, 1989. THESE
FLIGHTS CONTINUE AT THE RATE OF TWO A WEEK. SIX LIBYAN
TECHNICIANS REPORTEDLY ARE STATIONED AT THE WADI SIEDNA
AIRBASE TO MAINTAIN THE MIG-23'S, AND LIBYA REPORT (#)
A FOUR-YEAR PROGRAM OF UNITY WITH LIBYA. THE AGREEMENT
CALLS FOR UNIFICATION IN THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, CULTURAL,
AND SECURITY SPHERES. IT ALSO ALLOWS SUDANESE AND LIBYAN
NATIONALS TO TRAVEL WITHOUT VISAS BETWEN SUDAN AND LIBYA,
WHICH HAS PRODUCED AN UNDETERMINABLE INCREASE IN THE
NUMBER OF LIBYANS IN SUDAN. THE SUDAN SECURITY SERVICE
HAS ALSO VOICED COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS OVER
"UNDOCUMENTED LIBYANS" IN THE KHARTOUM AREA.


10. AS A RESULT OF THE AGREEMENT, THE GOS HELD A
CONVENTION MARCH 24-26 OF SOME 1,600 PEOPLE, MOSTLY
SUDANESE INVOLVED IN PREVIOUS GOS CONFERENCES, TO PROVIDE
A SHOW OF POPULAR SUPPORT FOR THE INTEGRATION PROJECT.
QADHAFI WAS SCHEDULED TO ADDRESS THE CLOSING RALLY OF THE
CONFERENCE, BUT, DESPITE SEVERAL PRESS REPORTS TO
CONTRARY, DID NOT ARRIVE IN KHARTOUM. LIBYAN DEFENCE
MINISTER ABU BAKR YUNIS ADDRESSED THE RALLY ALONG WITH
SUDAN'S HEAD OF STATE, GENERAL OMAR AL-BASHIR. ACCORDING
TO MISSION FSN WHO ATTENDED, 50,000 TO 70,000 SUDANESE
PARTICPATED IN THE HOUR-LONG RALLY WHICH REPEATED WELL
WORN EXHORTATIONS TO AND PRAISE FOR ARAB UNITY, THE
CORNERSTONE OF WHICH IS NOW THE INTEGRATION OF SUDAN AND
LIBYA. (SEPTEL ON THE RALLY FOLLOWS).


11. AS A RESULT OF THE INTEGRATION AGREEMENT AND THE
CONFERENCE THERE IS A MUCH GREATER AND MORE OBVIOUS
LIBYAN PRESENCE IN KHARTOUM. THE SITUATION, HOWEVER, IS
TOO MUCH IN FLUX AT THE MOMENT TO PERMIT A CLEAR
ASSESSMENT OF THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THE UNITY
AGREEMENT. MOST OBSERVERS, INCLUDING SEVERAL ARAB
AMBASSADORS AND THE CHADIAN AMBASSADOR, DO NOT EXPECT
MUCH MORE THAN RHETORIC. IN THE SHORT TERM, HOWEVER, THE
LIBYANS ARE HERE IN STRENGTH, MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN OF THE
MILITARY AND OTHER MORE MODERATE SECTORS OF SOCIETY.


12. REPORTS OF SUDANESE MILITARY DISENCHANTMENT WITH THE
LIBYAN UNION HAVE CIRCULATED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS
RELATIONSHIP. THE ARREST OF SOME TWENTY RETIRED AND
ACTIVE DUTY OFFICERS MARCH 25 (SEPTEL) FOR COUP PLOTTING
REPORTEDLY FOLLOWED THEIR AGREEMENT TO MOVE ON A SPECIFIC
DATE, LARGELY AS A RESULT OF OPPOSITION TO LIBYAN
INTEGRATION. HOW EFFECTIVE THE ARRESTS ULTIMATELY PROVE
TO BE IN KEEPING THE SOLDIERS IN BARRACKS IS STILL NOT
CLEAR. WHAT IS CLEAR IS THAT SUDAN'S ARMED FORCES ARE
UNHAPPY WITH THIS RELATIONSHIP. GENERAL OMAR, WITH A WAR
IN THE SOUTH AND A DISENCHANTED MILITARY WILL BE AN
INCREASINGLY WARY AND NERVOUS CHIEF OF STATE. HIS
DEPENDENCE ON LIBYA WILL PROVIDE SMALL CONSOLATION.



CHEEK

NOTE: (#) OMISSION. CORRECTION TO FOLLOW.