VZCZCXRO2958
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0207 0261425
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 261425Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1196
INFO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC 0021
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC 0031
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 000207 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/SPG, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2016 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV SU
SUBJECT: EASTERN FRONT AGREES TO TALK IN LIBYA 
 
Classified By: POL:Linnisa Wahid for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Dr. Amna Dirar, Vice President of the 
Eastern Front confirmed that the Eastern Front has agreed to 
February 7 negotiations with the Sudanese government in 
Tripoli and confirmed that humanitarian access to Hamesh 
Koreib through Sudan would be discussed.  Dirar added that 
the Sudanese delegation must be made up from the Government 
of National Unity, and not only the National Congress Party. 
She believed that the government was not serious about 
negotiations.  Dirar noted that JEM is not a partner to the 
Eastern Front.  End Summary. 
 
----------------------- 
Negotiations in Tripoli 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Eastern Front Vice President Dr. Amna Dirar said 
negotiations with the Sudanese government were scheduled to 
begin on February 7 in Tripoli, and would include 
international observers (Note:  Libyan views on the event 
covered septel.  End note.)  The talks will include both a 
Libyan and an Eritrean mediator, and will take place in both 
Tripoli and Asmara.  Mabrook Salim, President of the Rashaida 
Free Lions, would be in Tripoli as a member of the Eastern 
Front, despite signing a separate agreement with the Sudanese 
government.  Poloff raised the issue of Presidential Advisor 
Nafi Al Nafi representing the Government of National Unity 
(GNU) in Tripoli.  Dirar said that she preferred Nafi to 
Kamal Obeid, Assistant Secretary General of External Affairs 
for the National Congress Party (NCP), because although Nafi 
was tough, he had greater authority. The Sudanese government, 
Dirar added, must be represented by the GNU, rather than only 
the NCP.  She planned to speak with Sudanese People's 
Liberation Movement 
(SPLM) representatives later this week to urge them to press 
for SPLM representation in the GNU team in Tripoli.  Dirar 
added that she did not believe the government was serious 
about negotiations. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Access for Humanitarian Agencies 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Poloff raised the issue of humanitarian access to 
Hamesh Koreib through Sudan.  Historically, humanitarian 
access has been granted to agencies by transporting goods 
through Eritrea, making transportation difficult. Dirar said 
that the issue would be discussed during the negotiations. 
According to Dirar, if the Eastern Front opened the area to 
humanitarian agencies, the government would use the 
humanitarian access to its advantage.  Therefore, she said, 
this issue needed to be discussed during the negotiations 
before access is granted to humanitarian agencies. 
 
----------------------- 
JEM is Not Our Partner 
----------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Dirar said that the Justice and Equality Movement 
(JEM) is not a partner to the Eastern Front, although it had 
been in the past.  She noted that JEM had requested to attend 
the negotiations in Tripoli; however, the Eastern Front 
rejected its proposal.  According to Dirar, the Beja Congress 
is a political party and the JEM is not; the Beha Congress 
does not want another political party in the talks to cause 
confusion. 
 
¶5. (C) Comment:  Dr. Amna's remarks on the structure of the 
talks appear to express her personal desires, and not the 
arrangement made with the Sudanese government.  We doubt the 
Sudanese government would agree to negotiations in Asmara and 
an Eritrean mediator, given Eritrea's support of the Eastern 
Front.  Despite the warming relationship between Sudan and 
Eritrea, we doubt the relationship has become so friendly 
that Khartoum would welcome Eritrea hosting the negotiations. 
 Furthermore, the presence of international observers at the 
talks is uncertain, because the Libyans refuse to allow 
international observers except for the signing of an 
agreement. (Note: This was confirmed during a January 24 
meeting of A/S Frazer and Charge Hume with Libyan officials 
covered septel).  We believe that the Eastern Front would not 
agree to negotiations in Libya without the presence of 
international observers to pressure the Sudanese government 
to engage in good faith discussions.  If the Eastern Front 
does agree to negotiations without international observers, 
it would be the result of strong pressure from the Libyans. 
HUME