Cablegate: Sudan Liberation Movement-Abdelshafi Returns To

VZCZCXRO9405
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKM #0917 1500054
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300054Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8839
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KAMPALA 000917

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV UG SU
SUBJECT: SUDAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT-ABDELSHAFI RETURNS TO
KAMPALA

REF: A. HONIGSTEIN-FITZGIBBON E-MAIL MAY 25

B. 2007

1. (SBU) Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) faction leader
Ahmed Abdelshafi Toba returned to Uganda on May 26. On May
27, P/E Chief met with Abdelshafi on May 27, who proudly
showed off photographs of the Sudanese helicopter and pilot
that his faction downed, and of meetings with U.S. and United
Nations officials. Abdelshafi supports efforts to bring the
SLM together and prefers the facilitation of the Center for
Humanitarian Dialogue (CHD). He said he would prefer the
meeting to be held in Kampala, but could accept Nairobi.
(Note: Abdelwahid has strong ties to Nairobi. End Note.)
Members of Abdelshafi's faction are trying to put off San
Egidio, which keeps calling them. He is comfortable with
Andrew Marshall and CHD. He was not enthusiastic about the
Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM) facilitation and
Juba venue, but understands that it may be important to have
SPLM involvement for strategic political reasons. SPLM
members had contacted him when he was in N'Djamena.

2. (SBU) According to Abdelshafi, many SLM commanders are
ready to sit together and discuss uniting. Since the Abuja
talks, a number of commanders are holding their home
territories without any close factional affiliation.
Abdelshafi is in contact with five of Abdelwahid's
commanders, who disobeyed their boss to meet with him. He
said that the timing for a leadership conference with outside
facilitation was good and would give a number of key leaders,
such as Dr. Saleh, Ahmed Kubur, and Abdullah Yahiya, "a place
to go." According to Abdelshafi, once united, the SLM could
discuss its views on the Darfur Peace Agreement. Abdelshafi
said that the African Union/United Nations and the U.S.
needed to consider what to do about Minni Minnawi's position
if the other SLM factions united. He did not espouse any
particular viewpoint on the issue, but said that Minni's role
or relationship to the SLM dialogue and the DPA would need to
be sorted out.
CHRITTON

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