Cablegate: Summary of the Cfc Meetings, Week of May 14

VZCZCXRO7863
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0822/01 1480334
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 280334Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7347
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0091

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000822

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/CRS
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY

SENSITIVE, SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO AU CD SU

SUBJECT: Summary of the CFC Meetings, Week of May 14

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Summary
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1. (SBU) The Cease-fire Commission (CFC) did not meet on May 14.
During the May 16 meeting of the Second Chamber, the Justice and
Equality Movement (JEM) sparred with the Deputy Force Commander over
access to helicopters and the restructuring of the African Union
Mission in Sudan (AMIS) into three sectors. Discussions in the
First Chamber concentrated on the investigation of the April 1
attack on AMIS forces in Umm Barru. End summary.

2. (SBU) There were no meetings on May 14. Meetings were held May
16. On that day, Deputy Force Commander (DFC) Ephrem Rurangwa
introduced Brigadier General Pierre Roques as the new Second Vice
Chairman and EU Observer to the CFC. He replaces Brig. Gen. J.G.
Sintes, who left El Fasher the same day. Roques will be in this
position for the next six months.

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Second Chamber Meeting
----------------------

3. (SBU) Col. Abdo of Sudan Liberation Army/Non-signatories Faction
(SLA/NSF) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) representative
General Bashier attended the meeting. The DFC remarked that General
Bashier had been absent from recent CFC meetings. Bashier accused
the DFC of bias against JEM. He claimed that he had been refused a
helicopter flight back from Abeche, Chad, whereas both Minni Minawi
and the Sudanese Government representative were granted access to
the flight. The DFC replied that he had not been told that Gen.
Bashier would be absent from the Second Chamber and had not received
a request for any transportation. He also convinced Bashier to
discuss the matter in private after the meeting.

4. (SBU) The Secretariat presented a table of data on the recent
spate of carjackings, including the types of vehicles stolen, their
owners, and the areas from which they were stolen. Noting the lack
of any analysis, the DFC ordered the Secretariat to present a more
comprehensive report at the next meeting. Bashier said that JEM was
ready to help if their representatives were notified in a timely
manner and could intercede. Col. Abdo also reiterated his
willingness to help.

5. (SBU) Bashier asked the DFC for the status of the letter
requesting that non-signatory representatives be allowed to return
to the sectors. The DFC said that no official written reply had yet
arrived but that the GOS had informed him that they would not allow
it. The DFC asked whether Bashier had received a copy of the
Communiqu from the Joint Commission, which calls for re-deployment
of party representatives. Bashier said that he did not have a
representative at the Joint Commission, and that the Commission and
its decisions do not apply to him or his movement. However, Bashier
said he understood that AMIS was going to consolidate to three
sectors, which he considered to be contrary to the Ndjamena
agreement. If that was so, he said there was no basis for JEM to
continue attending Second Chamber meetings.

6. (SBU) The Deputy Force Commander scolded the Secretariat for
failing to obtain a report of bombings in Sector 6 that was alleged
at the last meeting. (Note: The Secretariat is often unable to
obtain reports from the sub-sectors. End note.)

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First Chamber Meeting
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7. (SBU) The minutes of the meeting were distributed to the members
only moments before the meeting started. The DFC ordered that they
be distributed earlier to afford members the time to read them. The
DFC also distributed a copy of the Joint Communiqu released May 9
and asked members to read it, but no discussion ensued. Instead,
the Chamber again focused on the Umm Barru investigation.
SLM/Minawi submitted a paper outlining its position. The SLM/Minawi
asserted that there had been no justification for the killing of the
three local Sudanese on April 1, that the report's conclusion of SLM
involvement was based on false information, and that it contained
too many errors in analysis. On these grounds, the SLM/Minawi asked
that the report be rewritten. The other CFC members objected to a
complete rewrite but suggested that the report could be reviewed to
remove any biased commentary. S/CRS Poloff will chair the review
committee, which will report back to the CFC on May 28.

8. (SBU) The JEM-Peace Wing representative informed the Chamber that
the Sudanese Government had begun bombing its people in Deim
Bishara, and the DFC directed the Secretariat to contact Sector 2 to
investigate.

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