Cablegate: Bashir's Second Anniversary Speech: Hot

P 020825Z JUL 91
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1463
INFO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY CAIRO
AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
AMEMBASSY SANAA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY RIYADH
AMCONSUL PONTA DELGADA
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 02937
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

E.O.: 12356: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL LY SU
SUBJECT: BASHIR'S SECOND ANNIVERSARY SPEECH: HOT
AIR IN THE DESERT

1. (U) SUMMARY: THE HIGHLIGHT OF CELEBRATIONS
(VASTLY SCALED DOWN) FOR THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF
THE NATIONAL SALVATION REVOLUTION WAS RCC CHAIRMAN
BASHIR'S SPEECH JUNE 29 AT FRIENDSHIP HALL. IN
ATTENDANCE WERE LIBYAN LEADER QHADDAFI AND CHADIAN
PRESIDENT IDRIS DEBY (THE ONLY HEADS OF STATE PRESENT
THIS YEAR) AS WELL AS SOME LOWER-LEVEL YEMENI, SOMALI
AND ERITREAN DELEGATIONS. BASHIR'S SPEECH WAS
LARGELY SELF-CONGRATULATORY AND PEPPERED WITH THE
EXPECTED DIGS AT THE FORMER POLITICAL PARTIES, THE
OPPOSITION IN EXILE AND THE SOUTHERN REBELS. ONE
UNEXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT WAS THE GOS' INTENT TO
DEMOLISH KHOBAR PRISON IN A SYMBOLIC GESTURE OF
SUDAN'S HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITMENT. END SUMMARY.

2. (LOU) SUBSTITUTING FOR THE LARGE
MILITARY/CIVILIAN PARADE STAGED LAST YEAR WAS A
"GLORIOUS CELEBRATION" HELD IN THE COURTYARD OF
FRIENDSHIP HALL, AT WHICH PRESIDENT BASHIR DELIVERED
HIS SPEECH ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE NATIONAL
SALVATION REVOLUTION. ALL CHIEFS OF MISSION, INVITED
FOR 1830 HOURS, WERE SEATED IN A LONG ROW OF CHAIRS
IN FRONT OF A PACKED MASS OF STANDING "POPULAR
FORCES" WHO APPEARED TO BE ALMOST ENTIRELY NIF
MEMBERS AND POPULAR DEFENSE FORCES (PDF) IN UNIFORM.
ASSEMBLED THERE ALMOST TWO HOURS EARLIER, THEY WERE
PRESSED TIGHTLY AGAINST THE SEATED DIPLOMATIC CORPS
AND SWEATING PROFUSELY. SINCE THE DEMONSTRATION WAS
LIMITED TO THE FENCED-IN FRONT COURTYARD OF THE HALL,
THE CROWD NUMBERED ONLY ABOUT FOUR THOUSAND, WITH
POSSIBLY TWO THOUSAND MORE LINGERING OUTSIDE THE
FENCE. DESPITE REPEATED EFFORTS TO AROUSE THE CROWD
WITH SLOGANS SHOUTED OVER LARGE LOUDSPEAKERS, IT
REMAINED LISTLESS AND UNRESPONSIVE.

3. (U) AT ABOUT 2000 HOURS, GOS MILITARY AND
CIVILIAN OFFICIALS AND SCORES OF SPECIAL GUESTS
EMERGED FROM THE AIR-CONDITIONED FRIENDSHIP HALL
WHERE THEY HAD BEEN SOCIALIZING AND ENJOYING
REFRESHMENTS, WHILE CHIEFS OF MISSION SWELTERED
OUTSIDE FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF. A LARGE CONTINGENT
OF HEAVILY-ARMED LIBYAN BODYGUARDS ALSO APPEARED AND
SEALED OFF THE STEPS LEADING UP TO THE FRONT ENTRANCE
WHERE THE INVITED WERE SEATED.

DOMESTIC HIGHLIGHTS

4. (U) IN HIS SPEECH, BASHIR MADE ALL THE EXPECTED
NOISES ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THE JUNE 30 REVOLUTION
(EVEN ONE NIF INSIDER SNIFFED TO POLOFF THAT THE
SO-CALLED REVOLUTION SHOULD BE MORE APTLY DESIGNATED
THE "COUP D'ETAT"). BASHIR HAILED ADVANCES MADE BY
THE GOS IN HEALTH, AGRICULTURE, ECONOMIC LAWS AND
PUBLIC EDUCATION. HE ALSO PRAISED THE GOS' EFFORTS
TO INTRODUCE SHARIA', TO APPLY THE FEDERAL SYSTEM,
AND TO MOUNT NATIONAL DIALOGUE CONFERENCES TO "BOOST
SHURA" (I.E. CONSULTATION).

5. (U) THESE AND OTHER CHANGES, BASHIR SAID, HAVE
FREED SUDAN "FROM THE CAPTIVITY OF POWER-SEEKING
TRADITIONAL FORCES AND DEFIED THE EXTERNAL CIRCLES
HARBORING AMBITIONS IN SUDAN." BASHIR CLAIMED THAT
THE "FOREIGN-BACKED OPPOSITION" HAD "DISINTEGRATED"
AND THE REBELLION MOVEMENT HAD "SHRUNK." THEREFORE,
IT WAS NOT NECESSSARY FOR THE GOS TO RESORT TO
EMERGENCY MEASURES. HE CALLED ON OTHER NATIONS TO
FOLLOW SUDAN'S EXAMPLE IN RELEASING POLITICAL
PRISONERS, A DECISION MADE, HE SAID, IN RESPONSE TO
APPEALS BY "ARAB AND MOSLEM BROTHERS AND IN
COMPLIANCE WITH...ISLAMIC SHARIA." BASHIR RENEWED
THE GOS AMNESTY FOR ALL WHO "OPPOSED OR CARRIED ARMS
AGAINST" THE COUNTRY BUT GAVE NO APPLICABLE DATES.
NOT SATISFIED WITH THE EARLIER RELEASE OF POLITICAL
PRISONERS, BASHIR ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT 1300 CONVICTS
WOULD BE FREED FROM PRISON. THESE CONVICTS ARE TO BE
LARGELY MADE UP OF ELDERLY PERSONS AND YOUTHS WHO
HAVE SERVED MOST OF THEIR SENTENCE (INELIGIBLE, AMONG
OTHERS, ARE THOSE IMPRISONED UNDER THE STATE SECURITY
ACT).

6. (U) BASHIR ACKNOWLEDGED THE HARDSHIPS BEING
ENDURED BY THE SUDANESE POPULATION BUT NOTED THAT
THEY WERE THE NECESSARY RESULT OF NEEDED ECONOMIC
REFORMS. HE ALSO REITERATED THAT THE "BASES" OF THE
NEW POLITICAL SYSTEM WOULD BE LAID DOWN SOON BUT GAVE
NO OTHER DETAILS.

INTERNATIONAL ARENA

7. (U) ON FOREIGN POLICY, BASHIR SAID SUDAN "WAS
ABLE TO AFFECT THE OCCURENCE OF EVENTS AND TO MAKE
THE WORLD CONSIDER ITS VIEWPOINTS" IN INTERNATIONAL
FORA. HE NOTED THAT SUDAN HAD "STOOD AGAINST THE
IRAQI INVASION OF KUWAIT AND ALSO AGAINST THE
DEVASTATION OF IRAQ." HE DEMANDED THAT THE ARAB
LEAGUE WORK TOWARDS LIFTING SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ.
BASHIR DESCRIBED THE SUDANESE-LIBYAN INTEGRATION AS
SUDAN'S "OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT" IN ITS RELATIONS
WITH THE ARAB WORLD. THE INTEGRATION, HE CLAIMED,
HAD "PRODUCED VARIOUS SUCCESSES" FOR THE SUDANESE AND
LIBYAN PEOPLES.

8. (U) BASHIR ALSO SAID SUDAN WANTED TO ENHANCE ITS
RELATIONS WITH ALL WESTERN, EUROPEAN AND EASTERN
COUNTRIES. AT THE SAME TIME, HE CALLED ON AFRICAN
STATES TO INCREASE COOPERATION AMONGST THEMSELVES, IN
PART TO AVERT FOREIGN INFLUENCE AND DETER COLONIALIST
INTERVENTIONS. HE AGAIN URGED THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO ETHIOPIAN REFUGEES IN
SUDAN.

KHOBAR

9. BASHIR'S MOST SURPRISING STATEMENT, HOWEVER, WAS
HIS ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GOS' INTENT TO DESTROY KHOBER
PRISON IN KHARTOUM NORTH. THE DESTRUCTION, TO OCCUR
JULY 1, IS INTENDED TO SHOW SUDAN'S COMMITMENT TO
HUMAN RIGHTS. (COMMENT: BASHIR'S SELECTION OF THIS
PRISON IS A STRANGE ONE. OF ALL OF SUDAN'S JAILS,
KHOBER IS CONSIDERED THE MOST COMFORTABLE. MANY
FORMER KHOBAR DETAINEES HAVE FAVORABLY CONTRASTED
THEIR ACCOMODATIONS IN KHOBAR TO THE CONDITIONS IN
OTHER PRISONS -- SHALLA FOR EXAMPLE -- OR IN "GHOST
HOUSES." TALK IN KHARTOUM IS THAT THE GOS WANTS THE
DESIRABLE REAL ESTATE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR
DEVELOPMENT INTO PRICEY HOMES FOR THE ELITE. END
COMMENT.)

THE LIBYANS

10. (LOU) THE LIBYANS IN ATTENDANCE INCLUDED SOME
OF QHADDAFI'S FEMALE BODYGUARDS DRESSED IN TIGHT
FIGHTING DESIGNER JEANS AND SPIKED HEELS AND PACKING
PISTOLS UNDER THEIR LOOSE FITTING JUMPER TOPS. THIS
MUST HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT SHOCKING TO THE ASSEMBLED
ALL-MALE ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISTS WHO HEAVILY ROBE AND
COVER UP FEMALE MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES.

11. (LOU) THE APPEARANCE OF POSTERS PICTURING
COLONEL QHADDAFI AND CHANTS OF "WAFI WAFI YA
QADDHAFI (FAITHFUL QADDHAFI) MADE IT APPARENT THAT
THE BROTHER LEADERS WOULD NOT ONLY APPEAR BUT WOULD
BE HONORED AND ADULATED AT THE CEREMONY AND WOULD
LIKELY ADDRESS THE CROWD, DISPENSING HIS USUAL
INVECTIVE AGAINST THE U.S. AND THE WEST. AMBASSADOR
CHEEK AND BRITISH AMBASSADOR RAMSAY THEREFORE
DEPARTED FROM THE PREMISES FOLLOWING THE APPEARANCE
OF QHADDAFI AND THE PLAYING OF SUDAN'S NATIONAL
ANTHEM.

CHEEK

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