VZCZCXRO9834
PP RUEHBC RUEHBZ RUEHDE RUEHDU RUEHKUK RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV
RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0475/01 0950817
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 050817Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3462
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000475 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A A/S, AF/E 
NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM KPKO SOCI ASEC AU INSC SU
SUBJECT: SE GRATION'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR 
GHAZI SALAHADEEN 
 
REF: A. KHARTOUM 470 
     ¶B. KHARTOUM 469 
     ¶C. KHARTOUM 468 
 
Classified By: CDA Alberto M. Fernandez, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a meeting with the President's Special 
Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration, NCP-insider and Presidential 
Advisor Dr. Ghazi Salahadeen lauded the SE's mission to 
improve ties with Sudan while seeking improvements in the 
situation in Darfur and CPA implementation.  He was less 
supportive of SE Gration's call to reverse the decision on 
the thirteen expelled International NGOs, but said the regime 
is willing to work with the UN to find a way to limit the 
impact of the expulsions. SE Gration said that he will work 
with the UN to develop a proposal on NGOs that effectively 
addresses humanitarian aid gaps and allows the regime to save 
face. END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (C) Meeting with SE Gration, USSES Tim Shortley, CDA 
Fernandez, and emboffs on April 2 in Khartoum, Presidential 
Advisor and NCP intellectual Dr. Ghazi Salahadeen said that 
the time is ripe for improving US/Sudan relations and offered 
his support to SE Gration in his mission to find a political 
way forward. He told Gration that the regime is looking 
forward to the realization of President Obama's principles of 
change, promising "I can assure you of our cooperation." He 
called President Obama election an "auspicious moment" for 
improving US/Sudan relations and said that "with 
determination, it has the potential to be a success story." 
After SE Gration outlined his vision to establish a long-term 
road-map to resolve the Darfur and CPA issues and normalize 
bilateral relations after we succeed, Salahadeen commented, 
"What you are saying is music to my ears and has the 
potential to positively impact Sudan and the region at 
large." 
 
¶3. (C) Salahadeen noted that improving relations will be a 
challenge as many in the NCP believe that Sudan has not 
gained from its strategic engagement with the US.  "We have 
failed time and again to put relations on track. In the past 
ten years, we have come across diplomats who had similar 
intentions, but Sudan is still a pariah in the eyes of some, 
and remains designated as a State Sponsor of Terror despite 
our intelligence cooperation. Our relations are encumbered 
with a lot of baggage which tends to introduce an element of 
suspicion which we have to get over and we will need to tread 
cautiously at the beginning." He noted, however, that there 
is a strong desire within the regime to find a way out of 
this malaise and improve ties with the US. "We need to be 
hopeful. We don't hate you, we actually admire you. We see 
your films, read your books, study your history. We have 
strong objections to the way you conduct your politics." He 
believes that Sudan has benefited from strong US engagement 
in the past, notably the CPA, which he identified as the 
regime's "greatest achievement" 
 
¶4. (C) Salahadeen sought to raise an attractive specter of 
improved relations by painting a tantalizing picture of 
Sudan, a "big and rich country, in resources and people, a 
regional power in many terms which borders nine countries and 
has access to the Red Sea." He said the key to SE Gration's 
success will be President Bashir's response. "Make your visit 
have the best impact it can on the Big Man. The President has 
been indicted, maligned and abused. Let's hope that this 
visit will have the right impact on him. He is already 
well-disposed." 
 
¶5. (C) On Darfur, Salahadeen said the regime is unfairly 
characterized as indifferent towards the suffering of IDPs, 
but argued that the impact of the Darfur conflict has been 
exaggerated and politicized. "Do not make wrong assumptions 
that the GoS is so callous that it doesn't care about the 
suffering of its people. We are not that evil." He said that 
the key to resolving Darfur is to bring about a reasonable 
level of security. He said that UNAMID should be strengthened 
within the Parameters of UN Resolution 1769, but said that 
Sudan would be very reluctant to accept a new mechanism, such 
as a new mandate for UNAMID operations. He lamented that 
political negotiations with rebel groups "have been a 
non-starter. We have no-one to tango with." He cautioned that 
even with improved security, "Darfur will never become what 
you or I would like it to be. After all, this is Africa." 
 
KHARTOUM 00000475  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶6. (C) Salahadeen believes the end vision must include the 
return of IDPs to their homes. "We would like to have no IDPs 
at all, as prolonged existence leads to dependency and 
criminalization of the IDP population. Go back they must, 
develop their own country they must, grow their own food they 
must. If a reasonable level of security is established, then 
you can start talking about resettlement, which is the end 
goal." SE Gration said that he agreed that the end goal 
should include the return of people to their homes so that 
the focus can move from relief to development. The SE 
underlined that the immediate concern is the gap in 
humanitarian services in the wake of the expulsion of 13 
international NGOs as Darfur nears its rainy season and a 
potential for large numbers of deaths from cholera and 
meningitis. 
 
¶7. (C) SE Gration called on Salahadeen to support finding 
ways to minimize deaths resulting from the expulsions of the 
thirteen INGOs, re-flag some of the expelled aid groups so 
that they can continue to operate, and allow those aid 
workers who have been expelled to leave in dignity. 
Salahadeen countered that "We need to objectively investigate 
the situation in Darfur and not exaggerate the impact. We 
have strong objections about what the NGOs are doing and 
there is something fundamentally wrong with forcing people to 
accept your charity."  Salahadeen said that the regime wants 
to de-politicize the NGO issue and work with the US through 
the UN as a buffer. He asked the SE for specific proposals to 
plug the gap, if different than those of the UN. He said that 
the regime is not ruling out negotiating on the NGO issue, 
but would do so based on objective criteria. SE Gration said 
that he will discuss the issue in meetings at the UN and 
respond with a proposal that will allow the regime to limit 
the impact of the aid gaps, while saving face after the 
President's declaration that the expelled aid groups will not 
be allowed to return. Salahadeen added that while Sudan has 
"embarked on the President's call for Sudanization of 
humanitarian work," International NGOs will still be 
permitted to work in Sudan "in partnership with local NGOs to 
build capacity." 
 
¶8. (C) Salahadeen complained that rebel movements continue to 
traverse Sudan's long, porous border with Chad, noting "If we 
can not resolve our issues with Chad, there will never be 
peace in Darfur." He said the GoS has been unable to police 
the border. "If you cannot control your border with Mexico, 
how can we control our border with Chad?" He warned that with 
the continued traffic of armed rebel groups crossing back and 
forth, the possibility of Darfur spilling over and becoming a 
regional problem is very real. He suggested that France could 
be of greater help in engaging Chad, but admitted that the 
NCP needed more "creative solutions." 
 
¶9. (C) COMMENT: Salahadeen's positive reaction to SE 
Gration's visit and optimistic view for the future of 
US/Sudan relations (following progress in Darfur and on CPA 
implementation) is in sync with past calls by regime 
moderates for a road map for improved ties with the US. 
Though many in the regime harbor old resentments toward the 
US for perceived broken promises, Salahadeen is not unique in 
his belief that turning the page on relations with the US 
could benefit Sudan profoundly. While Salahadeen, like many 
in the regime, is fundamentally opposed to the work of most 
INGOs, he understands that some compromise on NGOs is needed 
to fill the humanitarian aid gap and, more importantly to 
Salahadeen, signal to the USG that the NCP is not callous and 
evil, as it is perceived to be based on its past behavior. SE 
Gration will discuss possible NGO proposals for the regime 
during his meetings at the UN that offer the GoS a chance to 
deliver on improving the humanitarian situation in Darfur and 
demonstrate that it is serious in its commitment to resolve 
the Darfur crisis and improve ties with the US. END COMMENT. 
FERNANDEZ