P 020825Z JUL 91
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1463
INFO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY CAIRO
AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
AMEMBASSY SANAA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY RIYADH
AMCONSUL PONTA DELGADA
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KHARTOUM 02937 
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 
 
E.O.: 12356:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL LY SU
SUBJECT:  BASHIR'S SECOND ANNIVERSARY SPEECH:  HOT 
          AIR IN THE DESERT 
 
¶1.  (U)  SUMMARY:  THE HIGHLIGHT OF CELEBRATIONS 
(VASTLY SCALED DOWN) FOR THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF 
THE NATIONAL SALVATION REVOLUTION WAS RCC CHAIRMAN 
BASHIR'S SPEECH JUNE 29 AT FRIENDSHIP HALL.  IN 
ATTENDANCE WERE LIBYAN LEADER QHADDAFI AND CHADIAN 
PRESIDENT IDRIS DEBY (THE ONLY HEADS OF STATE PRESENT 
THIS YEAR) AS WELL AS SOME LOWER-LEVEL YEMENI, SOMALI 
AND ERITREAN DELEGATIONS.  BASHIR'S SPEECH WAS 
LARGELY SELF-CONGRATULATORY AND PEPPERED WITH THE 
EXPECTED DIGS AT THE FORMER POLITICAL PARTIES, THE 
OPPOSITION IN EXILE AND THE SOUTHERN REBELS.  ONE 
UNEXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT WAS THE GOS' INTENT TO 
DEMOLISH KHOBAR PRISON IN A SYMBOLIC GESTURE OF 
SUDAN'S HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITMENT.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (LOU)  SUBSTITUTING FOR THE LARGE 
MILITARY/CIVILIAN PARADE STAGED LAST YEAR WAS A 
"GLORIOUS CELEBRATION" HELD IN THE COURTYARD OF 
FRIENDSHIP HALL, AT WHICH PRESIDENT BASHIR DELIVERED 
HIS SPEECH ON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE NATIONAL 
SALVATION REVOLUTION.  ALL CHIEFS OF MISSION, INVITED 
FOR 1830 HOURS, WERE SEATED IN A LONG ROW OF CHAIRS 
IN FRONT OF A PACKED MASS OF STANDING "POPULAR 
FORCES" WHO APPEARED TO BE ALMOST ENTIRELY NIF 
MEMBERS AND POPULAR DEFENSE FORCES (PDF) IN UNIFORM. 
ASSEMBLED THERE ALMOST TWO HOURS EARLIER, THEY WERE 
PRESSED TIGHTLY AGAINST THE SEATED DIPLOMATIC CORPS 
AND SWEATING PROFUSELY.  SINCE THE DEMONSTRATION WAS 
LIMITED TO THE FENCED-IN FRONT COURTYARD OF THE HALL, 
THE CROWD NUMBERED ONLY ABOUT FOUR THOUSAND, WITH 
POSSIBLY TWO THOUSAND MORE LINGERING OUTSIDE THE 
FENCE.  DESPITE REPEATED EFFORTS TO AROUSE THE CROWD 
WITH SLOGANS SHOUTED OVER LARGE LOUDSPEAKERS, IT 
REMAINED LISTLESS AND UNRESPONSIVE. 
 
¶3.  (U)  AT ABOUT 2000 HOURS, GOS MILITARY AND 
CIVILIAN OFFICIALS AND SCORES OF SPECIAL GUESTS 
EMERGED FROM THE AIR-CONDITIONED FRIENDSHIP HALL 
WHERE THEY HAD BEEN SOCIALIZING AND ENJOYING 
REFRESHMENTS, WHILE CHIEFS OF MISSION SWELTERED 
OUTSIDE FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF.  A LARGE CONTINGENT 
OF HEAVILY-ARMED LIBYAN BODYGUARDS ALSO APPEARED AND 
SEALED OFF THE STEPS LEADING UP TO THE FRONT ENTRANCE 
WHERE THE INVITED WERE SEATED. 
 
DOMESTIC HIGHLIGHTS 
 
¶4.  (U)  IN HIS SPEECH, BASHIR MADE ALL THE EXPECTED 
NOISES ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THE JUNE 30 REVOLUTION 
(EVEN ONE NIF INSIDER SNIFFED TO POLOFF THAT THE 
SO-CALLED REVOLUTION SHOULD BE MORE APTLY DESIGNATED 
THE "COUP D'ETAT").  BASHIR HAILED ADVANCES MADE BY 
THE GOS IN HEALTH, AGRICULTURE, ECONOMIC LAWS AND 
PUBLIC EDUCATION.  HE ALSO PRAISED THE GOS' EFFORTS 
TO INTRODUCE SHARIA', TO APPLY THE FEDERAL SYSTEM, 
AND TO MOUNT NATIONAL DIALOGUE CONFERENCES TO "BOOST 
SHURA" (I.E. CONSULTATION). 
 
¶5.  (U)  THESE AND OTHER CHANGES, BASHIR SAID, HAVE 
FREED SUDAN "FROM THE CAPTIVITY OF POWER-SEEKING 
TRADITIONAL FORCES AND DEFIED THE EXTERNAL CIRCLES 
HARBORING AMBITIONS IN SUDAN."  BASHIR CLAIMED THAT 
THE "FOREIGN-BACKED OPPOSITION" HAD "DISINTEGRATED" 
AND THE REBELLION MOVEMENT HAD "SHRUNK."  THEREFORE, 
IT WAS NOT NECESSSARY FOR THE GOS TO RESORT TO 
EMERGENCY MEASURES.  HE CALLED ON OTHER NATIONS TO 
FOLLOW SUDAN'S EXAMPLE IN RELEASING POLITICAL 
PRISONERS, A DECISION MADE, HE SAID, IN RESPONSE TO 
APPEALS BY "ARAB AND MOSLEM BROTHERS AND IN 
COMPLIANCE WITH...ISLAMIC SHARIA."  BASHIR RENEWED 
THE GOS AMNESTY FOR ALL WHO "OPPOSED OR CARRIED ARMS 
AGAINST" THE COUNTRY BUT GAVE NO APPLICABLE DATES. 
NOT SATISFIED WITH THE EARLIER RELEASE OF POLITICAL 
PRISONERS, BASHIR ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT 1300 CONVICTS 
WOULD BE FREED FROM PRISON.  THESE CONVICTS ARE TO BE 
LARGELY MADE UP OF ELDERLY PERSONS AND YOUTHS WHO 
HAVE SERVED MOST OF THEIR SENTENCE (INELIGIBLE, AMONG 
OTHERS, ARE THOSE IMPRISONED UNDER THE STATE SECURITY 
ACT). 
 
¶6.  (U)  BASHIR ACKNOWLEDGED THE HARDSHIPS BEING 
ENDURED BY THE SUDANESE POPULATION BUT NOTED THAT 
THEY WERE THE NECESSARY RESULT OF NEEDED ECONOMIC 
REFORMS.  HE ALSO REITERATED THAT THE "BASES" OF THE 
NEW POLITICAL SYSTEM WOULD BE LAID DOWN SOON BUT GAVE 
NO OTHER DETAILS. 
 
INTERNATIONAL ARENA 
 
¶7.  (U)  ON FOREIGN POLICY, BASHIR SAID SUDAN "WAS 
ABLE TO AFFECT THE OCCURENCE OF EVENTS AND TO MAKE 
THE WORLD CONSIDER ITS VIEWPOINTS" IN INTERNATIONAL 
FORA.  HE NOTED THAT SUDAN HAD "STOOD AGAINST THE 
IRAQI INVASION OF KUWAIT AND ALSO AGAINST THE 
DEVASTATION OF IRAQ."  HE DEMANDED THAT THE ARAB 
LEAGUE WORK TOWARDS LIFTING SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ. 
BASHIR DESCRIBED THE SUDANESE-LIBYAN INTEGRATION AS 
SUDAN'S "OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT" IN ITS RELATIONS 
WITH THE ARAB WORLD.  THE INTEGRATION, HE CLAIMED, 
HAD "PRODUCED VARIOUS SUCCESSES" FOR THE SUDANESE AND 
LIBYAN PEOPLES. 
 
¶8.  (U)  BASHIR ALSO SAID SUDAN WANTED TO ENHANCE ITS 
RELATIONS WITH ALL WESTERN, EUROPEAN AND EASTERN 
COUNTRIES.  AT THE SAME TIME, HE CALLED ON AFRICAN 
STATES TO INCREASE COOPERATION AMONGST THEMSELVES, IN 
PART TO AVERT FOREIGN INFLUENCE AND DETER COLONIALIST 
INTERVENTIONS.  HE AGAIN URGED THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO ETHIOPIAN REFUGEES IN 
SUDAN. 
 
KHOBAR 
 
¶9.  BASHIR'S MOST SURPRISING STATEMENT, HOWEVER, WAS 
HIS ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GOS' INTENT TO DESTROY KHOBER 
PRISON IN KHARTOUM NORTH.  THE DESTRUCTION, TO OCCUR 
JULY 1, IS INTENDED TO SHOW SUDAN'S COMMITMENT TO 
HUMAN RIGHTS.  (COMMENT:  BASHIR'S SELECTION OF THIS 
PRISON IS A STRANGE ONE.  OF ALL OF SUDAN'S JAILS, 
KHOBER IS CONSIDERED THE MOST COMFORTABLE.  MANY 
FORMER KHOBAR DETAINEES HAVE FAVORABLY CONTRASTED 
THEIR ACCOMODATIONS IN KHOBAR TO THE CONDITIONS IN 
OTHER PRISONS -- SHALLA FOR EXAMPLE -- OR IN "GHOST 
HOUSES."  TALK IN KHARTOUM IS THAT THE GOS WANTS THE 
DESIRABLE REAL ESTATE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 
DEVELOPMENT INTO PRICEY HOMES FOR THE ELITE.  END 
COMMENT.) 
 
THE LIBYANS 
 
¶10.  (LOU)  THE LIBYANS IN ATTENDANCE INCLUDED SOME 
OF QHADDAFI'S FEMALE BODYGUARDS DRESSED IN TIGHT 
FIGHTING DESIGNER JEANS AND SPIKED HEELS AND PACKING 
PISTOLS UNDER THEIR LOOSE FITTING JUMPER TOPS.  THIS 
MUST HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT SHOCKING TO THE ASSEMBLED 
ALL-MALE ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISTS WHO HEAVILY ROBE AND 
COVER UP FEMALE MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES. 
 
¶11.  (LOU)  THE APPEARANCE OF POSTERS PICTURING 
COLONEL QHADDAFI  AND CHANTS OF "WAFI WAFI YA 
QADDHAFI (FAITHFUL QADDHAFI) MADE IT APPARENT THAT 
THE BROTHER LEADERS WOULD NOT ONLY APPEAR BUT WOULD 
BE HONORED AND ADULATED AT THE CEREMONY AND WOULD 
LIKELY ADDRESS THE CROWD, DISPENSING HIS USUAL 
INVECTIVE AGAINST THE U.S. AND THE WEST.  AMBASSADOR 
CHEEK AND BRITISH AMBASSADOR RAMSAY THEREFORE 
DEPARTED FROM THE PREMISES FOLLOWING THE APPEARANCE 
OF QHADDAFI AND THE PLAYING OF SUDAN'S NATIONAL 
ANTHEM. 
 
 
CHEEK