VZCZCXRO6506
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #2725 3261353
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221353Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5333
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 002725 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, AF/RSA, AF/SE, AND S/CRS 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV MOPS KPKO SOCI AU UN US SU
SUBJECT:  DARFUR: MFA CRITICISES U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY REMARKS 
 
Ref:  Khartoum 02711 
 
¶1. (U) Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ali Al-Sadig described 
Special Envoy for Sudan Andrew Natsios' November 20 statements on 
Darfur as being "inappropriate and not serving to resolve the 
situation in Darfur."  "We have no idea of the content of Plan A, 
never mind Plan B which he refers to.  These are American 
arrangements which we have no knowledge of."  Al-Sadig added, in 
remarks made on November 21 to the Government's Sudan News Agency, 
that it is "regrettable that the U.S. administration would confine 
the problem of Darfur in its various dimensions to the question of 
combined forces only.  This is a misinterpretation that would not 
help reach the desired solution to the problem." 
 
¶2. (U) The spokesman pointed out that if Natsios was referring to 
the outcome of the Addis Ababa meeting, the Government of Sudan was 
still conducting internal deliberations with respect to its 
conclusions.  Furthermore, he charged that Natsios had ignored the 
fact that agreement was reached on most of the outstanding questions 
under review, with remaining differences confined to just two 
points, the size of the force and command arrangements. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Comment:  This statement and other public comments of 
Sudanese officials (reftel) reflect a concerted effort to spin a 
positive outcome and distance themselves from  assurances made at 
the November 16 AU-UN meeting in Addis Ababa.  The international 
community will have to keep up the pressure on Sudan to 
follow-through on these and other, outstanding, commitments dating 
from the May 2006 signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement.  End 
comment. 
 
HUME