VZCZCXRO6019
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #2411 2741557
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 011557Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4804
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 002411 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, NSC FOR COURVILLE AND SHORTLEY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2026 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PTER KCRM SA SU
SUBJECT: SAUDI ARABIA EXTRADITES PROMINENT SLM LEADER TO 
SUDAN 
 
Classified By: P/E Chief E. Whitaker, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  Prominent Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) 
leader and ethnic Fur Abu Alghasim Ahmed was arrested in 
Saudi Arabia and returned to Sudan this past week.  This 
comes shortly after his brother, Zakaria Ahmed Abu Alghasim, 
was arrested in connection with the recent beheading of 
Sudanese journalist Mohamad Taha.  Abu Alghasim was the lead 
negotiator at the Abuja peace talks on wealth-sharing and is 
a key player in the effort to arrange a Darfur Peace 
Agreement (DPA) non-signatory conference with Ahmed Abdul 
Shafi.  His return likely reflects Sudanese rejection of an 
SLM conference of DPA non-signatories.  End summary. 
 
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NEGATIVE REACTION 
----------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The vast majority of SLM and civil society leaders 
are reacting negatively to the extradition of Abu Alghasim 
shortly after he had a confrontation concerning Darfur at the 
Sudanese Consulate in Jeddah with State Minister of Finance 
Ahmed Magzoub.  On September 26, Saudi Security Forces 
arrested him at his residence.  The Saudis then turned him 
over to Sudanese officials at the Jeddah Airport for 
extradition on September 28.  We have reports that Abu 
Alghasim arrived the same night and was allowed to meet his 
family at Khartoum International Airport prior to his 
incarceration. 
 
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RUMOR MILL 
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¶3. (SBU) Rumors abound concerning the extradition of 
Alghasim, running the gamut from an exchange of terrorist 
suspects, which includes a report of Sudanese extradition of 
anti-government Saudi nationals last week, to an attempt to 
link the Fur to the murder of Mohamad Taha.  Reports have 
been circulating in Khartoum that the Government is claiming 
it has phone intercepts of Abu Alghasim and his brother 
plotting the murder of Mohamad Taha.   Embassy suspects that 
the extradition had little to do with the murder 
investigation, terrorism, or the reported argument at the 
Sudanese Consulate given the speed of the extradition 
process. 
 
¶4. (C) Comment:  SLM/Minawi officials have reported an 
increase in Government harassment of SLM members and suspect 
the flare up on September 28 between security forces/police 
and SLM members was a planned event (septel).  The Government 
has made it clear that it does not support an SLM 
non-signatory conference on Darfur.  Recent discussions with 
non-signatory activists have also made it clear that they are 
nervous about their personal safety and potential impact of 
Government actions against their businesses if they are 
linked too closely with efforts to organize the 
non-signatories.  Abu Alghasim,s detention may have more to 
do with an attempt to obstruct an SLM non-signatory 
conference than any other rumor that has come to our 
attention.  Embassy,s international re-engagement group is 
reaching out to contacts to gain additional clarity.  End 
comment. 
HUME