VZCZCXYZ0020
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAE #0648/01 2211357
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 091357Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY ASMARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8362
INFO RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0129
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 5942
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1187
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4617
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1360
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 0198
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0218
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1017
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0328
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0534

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000648 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC ETTC ER SU
SUBJECT: DARFUR: ABDEL SHAFI WANTS SLM/A TO REUNITE 
 
REF: A. ASMARA 00624 B. ASMARA 00636 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CDA Jennifer A. McIntyre, for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM/A) 
defector Ahmed Abdel Shafi and Babikir Abdalla 
Mohamed requested a meeting with the Embassy on 
August 8 to discuss the recent press release issued 
by 32 commanders of the SLM/A, explain the current 
state of play within the organization and ask for 
help in reuniting SLM/A splinter groups.  Shafi 
hinted at the possibility of reconciling with 
AbdulWahid, but only through a transformation in 
SLM/A leadership.  He believes that the Darfur Peace 
Agreement (DPA) could be used as a starting point for 
discussions, but feels that the SLM/A has to clean 
house before embarking on the road of resolving the 
crisis in Darfur and amending the DPA.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Shafi said he was taken by surprise by the 
timing of the press statement of 32 of AbdulWahid's 
commanders.  While all of the signatories agreed in 
principle with the statement, the statement had been 
issued "early". He had expected that a meeting of the 
commanders would have taken place before a public 
statement was issued from the field.  (Note: PolOff 
had similarly heard from other Sudanese sources that 
there was the potential for a change in leadership in 
the SLM/A, but that it probably would not be made 
public until mid to late-August.  End Note.) 
 
¶3. (C) Shafi explained that most of the commanders 
believe there is a need for new leadership and do not 
support AbdulWahid in the role of chairman anymore. 
He continued that the SLM/A needs transforming.  The 
SLM/A is not about one individual - AbdulWahid - but 
about resolving the crisis of Darfur.  The 
organization needs to be accountable to the people 
and have consensus for achieving peace.  Shafi 
emphasized that the commanders do not intend to expel 
AbdulWahid from the SLM/A, however they also do not 
believe he is the right person to lead the 
organization.  This lead to the decision to 
temporarily appoint Shafi until an internal SLM/A 
conference can be held. 
 
¶4. (C) Shafi explained that the SLM/A does not reject 
the DPA, but believes it has not addressed all the 
problems in Darfur.  When asked, Shafi stated that he 
has met with the Government of the State of Eritrea 
(GSE) and the SPLM.  The GSE has pushed Shafi and 
others to unite the SLM/A and seek consensus on 
resolving the differences on the DPA.  Shafi has also 
met with SPLM members Yassir Arman and Malik Agar in 
Asmara, both of whom have affirmed support for a 
unified SLM/A and the idea of an internal dialogue. 
When asked why the GNU would be open to discussing 
the DPA again, he stated "that if the GNU is serious 
about peace there should be good will to address the 
issues not addressed in the DPA." 
 
¶5. (C) Shafi asked for assistance from the USG and 
the international community to bring together all of 
the SLM/A - including AbdulWahid, Khamis, and the G19 
-  in order to unify the group and build consensus 
using the DPA as a starting point to achieve peace in 
Darfur.  He explained that the meeting could be held 
in Darfur or in Southern Sudan with the help of the 
SPLM.  However, he was adamant that the meeting could 
only take place with the tacit approval and support 
of the USG. 
 
¶6. (C) Comment:  This was the first time PolOff has 
met with Shafi or Babikir Mohamed.  Shafi had 
originally announced a press conference for the 
morning of August 8.  He notified post one hour prior 
that he had postponed the conference and requested a 
private meeting. (He also requested a meeting with 
the British Embassy.) Shafi appears to have postponed 
the conference in an effort to seek advice and 
support for unifying the SLM/A without creating yet 
another splinter group.  How open AbdulWahid and 
former SLM/A members would be to reunifying is 
unclear, however Shafi states that Khamis and others 
have already intimated their support for this 
initiative.  End Comment. 
 
MCINTYRE