VZCZCXRO3647
RR RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHROV
DE RUEHUJA #0910/01 1151025
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251025Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5369
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 3867

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000910 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/SPG, D, INR, DRL, PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SU NI
SUBJECT: DARFUR PEACE TALKS: MEDIATION PROMISES TO PRESENT 
ENTIRE PEACE PACKAGE APRIL 25 
 
REF: A. ABUJA 889 
 
     ¶B. STATE 64129 
     ¶C. ABUJA 792 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU) Summary: USDEL facilitated meetings between Sudan 
Liberation Movement (SLM) faction leader Minni Minnawi to 
clarify points of divergence between both sides on 
integration and border issues.  The African Union Mediation 
Team worked into the early morning hours on April 25 to 
prepare the final draft peace agreement for presentation to 
the parties, which is expected today.  CDA Hume used an 
already scheduled meeting with Sudanese Vice President Ali 
Osman Taha on April 24 again to raise our concerns about the 
deteriorating situation along the border with Chad. End 
Summary. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - 
TAHA CONSULTATIONS 
- - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2. (SBU)  At GOS request, USDEL met with Vice President Taha 
to discuss prospects for negotiations with SLM faction leader 
Minni Minnawi.  In a strange twist, the Sudanese side 
insisted that USDEL meet first with Minnawi and make a 
judgment whether a meeting with Taha would be a success. 
USDEL said a failure of Taha to meet with Minnawi, after the 
GOS had set up the meeting, would be a serious blow to trust 
between the two.  In the USDEL/Minnawi pre-meeting, Minnawi 
shared the main points in a paper he had prepared insisting 
on integration of units into the Sudanese Armed Forces. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In the 2 1/2 hour Minnawi/Taha meeting (attended by 
USDEL), Minnawi insisted on a Joint Defense Board and Joint 
Units, such as the SPLM secured in the Comprehensive Peace 
Agreement.  Taha refused.  He said there should be joint 
policy, but not joint units.  Minnawi insisted his forces 
could be integrated into the Sudanese Armed Forces as units, 
but not absorbed as individuals.  His people needed security. 
 In the future there should be no janjaweed, nor the Popular 
Defense Forces, Nomadic Police, and Border Police in which 
the janjaweed had been given jobs. Despite several long 
silences, the two leaders maintained a dialogue.  Taha 
asserted that partnership and participation had to be the 
basis of any agreement, but there could not be co-existence 
of two separate military forces in Darfur.  The government 
could be flexible on criteria for integration, but the 
formula applied in the South could not be used in Darfur. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) After the meeting, in separate conversations, both 
sides thanked USDEL for helping to arrange the meeting and to 
facilitate the dialogue.  USDEL urged both to think 
creatively about how best to improve security within the 
process of integration and to return to the dialogue.  Both 
sides agreed to do so. 
 
- - - - - - - 
AU MEDIATION 
- - - - - - - 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  USDEL met with AU Special Envoy Salim Salim on 
April 24 to update him on bilateral meetings between the 
Government of Sudan and Minni on April 23 and 24.  USDEL 
assured Salim that the international partners would 
immediately support the mediation's comprehensive package 
once it is put forward.  Salim said that the AU mediation 
team would work throughout the day on April 24 and into the 
early morning hours of April 25 to go through all four texts 
(power, wealth, security, and Darfur-Darfur Dialogue).  Salim 
said that the Darfur-Darfur dialogue text is the least 
fleshed out, but that the mediation will still move it 
forward.  An AU meeting with the partners has been called for 
noon today.  At Minni's request, USDEL is facilitating a 
meeting between him and Abdelwahid Nur to help them 
coordinate their positions for the final stage of the 
negotiations.  Late last week, Abdelwahid had initiated a 
meeting with Minni and welcomed the opportunity to 
strategize. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
CHAD/SUDAN BORDER ISSUES 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  In a USDEL meeting with Taha on April 24, Khartoum 
CDA Hume again raised the issue of insecurity along the 
Chad-Sudan border. (Refs B and C)  He repeated that the 
Government of Sudan has a responsibility to respect Chad's 
borders.  He added that Sudan should implement the Tripoli 
 
ABUJA 00000910  002 OF 002 
 
 
Agreement or find another mechanism to protect Chad's 
territorial integrity.  Taha agreed that stability in Chad is 
important for the outcome of the peace process in Darfur and 
said that the Government of Sudan was determined to secure 
effective implementation of the Tripoli Agreement.  He also 
noted that Chad still is trying to change the realities on 
the ground in Darfur. 
 
- - - - 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  We anticipate that the AU mediation will give the 
comprehensive package to the parties today.  Neither side 
will be happy with the documents.  The international 
partners, however, will demonstrate strong support for the 
mediation's package. 
FUREY