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DE RUEHAE #0956/01 3201403
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 161403Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8545
INFO RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 0230
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 6018
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0368
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 2899
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0181
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1250
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4670
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0250
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1425
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0584
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000956 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2016 
TAGS: PREL PINR PGOV ER SU
SUBJECT: GSE SUDAN MEDIATOR OFFERS VIEWS ON POSSIBLE DARFUR 
 MEDIATION AND ESPA PROGRESS 
 
REF: A. ASMARA 933 B. ASMARA 940 
 
Classified By: AMB Scott H. DeLisi, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Ambassador met with Yemane Ghebreab, PFDJ 
head of Political Affairs and GSE mediator for Sudan, on 
November 14 to discuss his recent visit to Khartoum, plans 
for a potential Eritrean mediation on Darfur and the 
outcome of the Eastern Front consultative conference in 
Rubda.  Ghebreab provided a candid assessment on the 
conflicting issues surrounding a Darfur mediation.  He 
reaffirmed the GSE's willingness to play a role in 
resolving the crisis in Darfur and acknowledged that there 
is still no clear timeframe, agenda, or structure for the 
talks.  Ghebreab also discussed the internal divisions 
within the Eastern Front which are hindering the 
formulation of the party's organizational structure and 
forward movement on implementation of the Eastern Sudan 
Peace Agreement (ESPA).  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Yemane Ghebreab told the Ambassador that in his 
recent meetings during the week of November 6 in Khartoum 
with National Congress Party (NCP) officials that the GOS 
affirmed that they want the GSE to take the lead mediating 
role between the GOS and DPA non-signatories.  However, the 
GOS had two preconditions.  First, they did not want the 
international community to play a "major" role.  When the 
Ambassador voiced concern that the GSE also seemed 
disinclined to include the international community Ghebreab 
tried to reassure him that was not the case.  He said that 
the GSE itself was not opposed to the involvement of the 
international community and that it understood that all the 
non-signatories were insistent that the international 
community participate.  But, he said, the GSE also did not 
want a future mediation to look like "the circus in Abuja." 
 
¶3. (C) The other issue about which NCP officials were 
concerned was Chad.  While the DPA non-signatories all 
believe that Chad and other regional actors must have a key 
role in a future mediation, the GOS is adamantly opposed to 
Chad's involvement.  Ghebreab claims that the GSE has been 
pushing the GOS to accept Chad in a future mediation, 
arguing that without its involvement, Chad poses a threat 
as a spoiler to peace in Darfur.  Ghebreab said that 
President Isaias had made this point to Sudan's President 
Bashir recently in China during the Sino-Africa Summit and 
to Idriss Deby when the two met subsequently in Libya. 
 
¶4. (C) Ghebreab stated that the GSE favored a mediation 
approach that would be inclusive of all non-DPA 
signatories, to ensure no one is left out to undermine a 
future agreement.  He continued that the Justice and 
Equality Movement (JEM) had to be involved to ensure they 
do not pose a future threat.  He also acknowledged that 
while all the DPA non-signatories had accepted the GSE as a 
mediator, the GSE was aware that some concerns had been 
voiced.  In particular, he mentioned AbdulWahid's 
reservation about Asmara serving as a venue for the 
mediation, preferring the mediation occur outside of 
Eritrea.  Ghebreab noted that a number of outstanding 
issues still needed to be addressed before any mediation 
process moves forward. 
 
¶5. (C) The Ambassador inquired about the allegations that 
several DPA non-signatories had been held in Asmara against 
their wills.  Ghebreab replied that all had been provided 
travel documents on or about November 1 and all had been 
free to travel at that time.  However, the DPA non- 
signatories also had made a commitment to the GSE and GOS 
delegation on October 21 to be back in Asmara for pre-talks 
with the GOS on November 20.  AbdulWahid's and Abdul 
Shafi's decision to depart Asmara at such a late date as 
November 12 initially created a problem in meeting this 
November 20 commitment.  However, the GSE has now postponed 
 
the November 20 meeting until all the DPA non-signatories 
are able to consult in the field and return to Asmara. 
(Comment:  Ghebreab did not provide the new date for the 
pretalks.  Post's information on non-signatory travel plans 
as of November 16: AbdulWahid has arrived in Europe, Abdul 
Shafi is on his way to N'djamena and then Darfur and 
Diraige has departed for Cairo and London.  End Comment). 
 
 
¶6. (C) Turning to the ESPA, Ghebreab stated that he had 
visited Rubda November 9-11 (a border town between Sudan 
and Eritrea), where the Eastern Front consultative 
conference was taking place, and was frustrated with the 
outcome.  In essence, the consultative conference never 
took place.  While all of the Eastern Front parties were 
present, no discussions on the structure of the 
organization, nor decisions on positions were made. 
Instead, the conference devolved into an internal debate 
within a sub-clan of the Beja, the Hadendewa tribe. 
(Comment:  Emboff had been told by another Sudanese contact 
that divisions had emerged between Musa Muhammed Ahmed 
(Chairman of the Eastern Front), Abdulla Kuna and Ali Safi 
and Suliman Bitay and Fekki Ali (formerly of the Beja 
Relief Organization), the later of which did not take part 
in the negotiations with the GOS. End Comment).  Ghebreab 
said that the GSE and other Eastern Sudan groups had 
departed Rubda without any decisions being made.  He hoped 
that once the internal Hadendawa issues were resolved, they 
would reconvene the conference. 
 
¶7. (C) Comment: While the Eritreans continue to express 
interest in the role of Darfur mediator, they seem well 
aware of the many conflicting issues which will need to be 
resolved before a process is initiated.  The GSE continues 
to meet with the NCP, SPLM and DPA non-signatories to iron 
out their differences.  Ghebreab and his delegation 
departed for Khartoum again on November 15 and are rumored 
to be traveling onward to Juba and possibly Darfur.  Post 
expects the GSE to have a clearer notion on the possibility 
of mediation upon their return. 
 
¶8. (C) Comment Cont'd: Post was not surprised to hear about 
the internal divisions besetting the Eastern Front in 
Rubda.  Bitay has frequently played the part of spoiler in 
the past and has even fought on behalf of the GOS forces, 
including involvement in attacks around Hamesh Koreib 
earlier this year.  Post plans to meet with members of the 
Eastern Front who have returned to Asmara to learn more 
about the seriousness of these divisions and their 
implications for the implementation of the ESPA.  End 
Comment. 
DELISI