VZCZCXRO6236
RR RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHROV
DE RUEHUJA #0798/01 1081026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181026Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5189
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 3788

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000798 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/SPG, D, INR, DRL, PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SU NI CD
SUBJECT: DARFUR PEACE TALKS: TAHA REMAINS, AU PREPARING 
FINAL DOCUMENT 
 
REF: ABUJA 772 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU)  Summary: Sudanese Vice President Taha remains in 
Abuja to continue consultations with the parties.  JEM is 
avoiding meeting Taha, but is complaining it is being left 
out.  His delegation may be augmented with the arrival of 
Salah Gosh and Mutrif Sadiq.  The African Union's Peace and 
Security Council Commissioner reportedly directed the 
mediation to give the power and wealth-sharing documents to 
the parties this week.  USDEL continues to work the parties 
through differences over the cease-fire document.  The final 
security arrangements issues are about to be discussed. 
Chad's mediation team left Abuja after its government severed 
ties with Sudan.  USDEL is encouraging the parties to 
continue consultations with Taha and continues to bolster the 
AU mediation's efforts to put the peace deal forward.  End 
Summary. 
 
- - - - - - - 
AU MEDIATION 
- - - - - - - 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Prior to his departure for New York on April 15, 
AU Special Envoy Salim Salim told USDEL that the entire peace 
deal would be on the negotiating table by the end of the 
week.  On April 17, we heard that Peace and Security Council 
Commissioner Djinnet directed the AU mediation to share the 
power and wealth-sharing documents with the parties.  USDEL 
lawyer is working on power and wealth-sharing documents to 
get them ready for distribution. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - 
CEASE-FIRE DOCUMENT 
- - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The drafting group on security arrangements met in 
morning and evening sessions to push ahead on discussion of 
cease-fire provisions regarding preparations and 
disengagement.  The biggest blocking point is the issue of 
policing.  The movements insist on recognition of authority 
for their "police" and the government insisting on the 
contrary.  A secondary blockage is between the use of the 
phrase "janjaweed/armed militia" (movements' position) vice 
"janjaweed/outlaw militia" (government's position).  The 
movements claim that the government wants to water down every 
reference to the janjaweed.  The drafting group will meet 
again this morning, possibly making progress through phase 
two (redeployment).  Movements refuse to go further without 
tabling of texts on integration and demobilization. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  USDEL has updated earlier drafts on integration 
and demobilization for the African Union so that they can be 
presented today.  Remaining security chapters could be tabled 
as early as April 19.  Some of the problems encountered, such 
as the argument over policing or the differences on control 
of the border, might be more amenable to solution in the 
context of discussion on integration. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
GOS CONSULTATIONS WITH PARTIES 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Meanwhile, Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha 
remains in Abuja and is continuing his consultations with 
Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) leaders Minni Minnawi and 
Abdelwahid Nur.  The GOS describes Taha's meetings with Minni 
and Abdelwahid as positive.  Minni also described his initial 
meeting with Taha as promising, but after subsequent meetings 
wants Taha to be able to show more flexibility, particularly 
on integration of his forces into the military.  SPLM's 
Malick Agar, working in coordination with Taha, is also 
talking with Minni about realistic numbers of combatants to 
be integrated.  Abdelwahid and his representatives to the 
various commissions said that Taha emphasized his commitment 
to achieving a peace deal that is fair for all and will be 
respected.  Taha told Abdelwahid that the movements need to 
view the peace talks in terms of how to position themselves 
to fill the political vacuum that exists in Darfur.  Taha 
said that the Minister of Finance has instructions to work 
with the Dutch on the Joint Assessment Mission which may be 
set for late July and has allocated 100 million USD for water 
projects in Darfur.  The GOS accepts the principle of 
compensation, but is against individual compensation.  Taha 
said that the GOS was not in favor of giving Darfur a Vice 
Presidency, but instead a senior assistant to the President 
position with real competencies.  Members of Abdelwahid's 
group said that though the GOS's position does not appear to 
 
ABUJA 00000798  002 OF 002 
 
 
have changed, they view continued discussions as useful. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has refused 
Taha's invitations for a meeting, but publicly complains it 
is being left out of discussions.  JEM's excuses for refusing 
Taha's overtures range from "short notice" to complaints 
about the venue.  JEM also issued a communique questioning 
Taha's authority to make a peace deal.  Khalil left for 
N'Djamena on April 14.  The international partners and SPLM 
continue to urge JEM to see Taha. 
 
- - - - - - 
CHAD/SUDAN 
- - - - - - 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Chad pulled out of the co-mediation at the talks 
on April 17.  Chad mediation team member Habib Doutom told 
the international partners that Chad could not continue to 
mediate a conflict within a country "with which we are at 
war'.  He said that the ongoing Sudanese aggression had made 
Chad a party to the conflict.  Doutom said that the Chadian 
Government will not expel the Sudanese refugees if a UN force 
can be raised to help protect them by June 30.  The Chadian 
Government can no longer protect the refugees from attacks or 
forced recruitment into rebel forces.  Chad will remain 
engaged on resolving Darfur in other venues, through the 
African Union and United Nations.  In December, the Darfur 
rebel movements had threatened to pull out of the peace talks 
after the Sudanese-backed rebels attacked Adre.  The April 13 
attack has generated a lot of concern within SLM and JEM, but 
not led to any threats of a walk-out.  Khalil is in N'Djamena 
reportedly to help Deby.  SLM leaders are worry that Deby 
will be overthrown, but are primarily concerned about the 
well-being of their members in N'Djamena if Sudanese-backed 
Tama or Arab rebels overrun the capital. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - 
COMINGS AND GOINGS 
- - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  USDEL was told on April 17 that Sudanese 
Intelligence Chief Salah Gosh and Mutrif Sadiq were arriving 
in Abuja.  Salim Salim is expected back April 21.  JEM's 
Khalil Ibrahim is in N'Djamena. 
 
- - - - 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  Taha's continued presence is pushing the AU 
mediation to get the deal put forward.  USDEL will continue 
narrowing the differences on the security issues in order to 
make the potential trade-offs more clear to the parties in 
anticipation of the final paper. 
CAMPBELL