Cablegate: Darfur Peace Talks: "Final, Decisive Round" Opens
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002339
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/SPG, D, DRL, INR, PRM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PREF SU NI DARFUR
SUBJECT: DARFUR PEACE TALKS: "FINAL, DECISIVE ROUND" OPENS
1. (SBU) Summary. The seventh round of the Inter-Sudanese
Peace Talks on the conflict in Darfur opened on November 29
with all speakers emphasizing the importance of reaching a
comprehensive agreement in this round. SLM leaders avoided
an early setback by compromising on a single speaker for the
opening ceremony, naming a joint negotiating team, and
selecting a chief negotiator. A more-unified JEM continues
to assume a disproportionate role because of SLM's divisions
and is working to minimize the effect of SLM's leadership
problems on a common negotiating strategy. The Government
of Sudan asserts its commitment to reaching a comprehensive
agreement can be reached by the end of the year. End
Summary.
2. (U) African Union Special Envoy Salim Salim and
Nigerian Foreign Minister Olu Adeniji opened the seventh
round of negotiations on Darfur in Abuja on November 29.
Salim, Adeniji, and other opening speakers, which included
the Chad Mediation, Government of Sudan, one speaker for the
Sudan Liberation Movement and Justice and Equality Movement,
Libya, United Nations, international community, and the Arab
League, emphasized that this round of talks must be the
final round and continue until a comprehensive agreement on
power-sharing, wealth-sharing, and security arrangements is
reached. Adeniji relayed Nigerian President Olusegun
Obasanjo's message that the parties must reach an agreement
this round as he did not wish to or intend to invite the
parties back to Abuja for an eighth round. Ambassador Pekka
Haavisto, the European Union's Special Envoy, delivered
remarks on behalf of the international community. Most of
the speakers recognized the SLM reconciliation efforts
carried out by Deputy Secretary Zoellick and A/S Frazer at
Nairobi and El Fasher as well as the follow-on efforts of
Chad, Eritrea, and Libya.
3. (SBU) The opening ceremony speeches were largely
unexceptional in content except for the rebel movements'
rejection of the Government of Sudan's plan to hold an "all
inclusive conference". In delivering the opening remarks on
behalf of both movements, Justice and Equality Movement's
Ahmed Lissan Tugod stated clearly that the conference cannot
be a substitute for the ongoing Darfur talks.
4. (SBU) The rebel movements were able to overcome
significant disagreement within SLM and present a unified,
public front for the ceremony. The compromise selection of
JEM's Tugod to speak on behalf of both rebel movements came
as the result of two days of discussion and was reached only
an hour prior to the meeting. The Eritreans, Chadians, and
Libyans and members of the international community moved
between the SLM factions represented by Abdelwahid Nur and
Mini Minawi, and to a lesser extent, JEM, to convince the
movements to decide on a single speaker. Initially, Mini
Minawi insisted that SLM, which controls more territory in
Darfur, should speak and that as the newly elected
President, he would deliver the remarks. Abdelwahid and
his followers, of course, rejected this idea and supported
the option of allowing JEM to speak rather than either Mini
or Abdelwahid. Mini agreed to this after insisting that he
be able to name the chief negotiator, Abduljabar Dosa.
Abdelwahid was not entirely happy with this development, but
concurred.
5. (U) The Government of Sudan's delegation made its
appearance only minutes before the opening. The delegation
included four members of the Sudan People's Liberation
Movement (SPLM): Minister of State for Industry Thomas
Tootshok, southern parliamentary leader Yasser Armand, Sudan
Council of Churches leader Baba Clement, and SPLM economic
advisor Louk, who will work on wealth-sharing issues.
6. (U) Salim's workplan for the negotiations includes
running two track negotiating sessions concurrently,
starting with power-sharing on November 30. The power-
sharing session will begin with "Article 4" of the agenda
adopted during the sixth round in Abuja which looks at the
federal system and other levels of governance. Initial
consultations on security arrangements led by Nigerian
General Joe Garba will also begin this week. Salim had
hoped to start with wealth-sharing negotiations but the
resource persons and experts will not arrive until next
week. Many had hoped for three concurrent sessions, but the
facilities at the Chida Hotel can only accommodate two at a
time. It will be difficult for the rebel movements to
handle two simultaneous sessions as it is.
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COMMENT
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7. (SBU) The seventh round opened without any major
controversies. The SLM, although still divided, is saying
all the right things about a joint negotiating position.
Both Abdelwahid and Mini have promised not to bring their
leadership issues to the table. So far, we appear to be off
to a good start on that score although there are continuing
rumblings of SLM internal armed conflict on the ground in
Darfur.
FUREY