VZCZCXRO4397
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0697/01 1231220
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031220Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7091
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000697 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E NATSIOS, AND AF/SPG 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM EAID SU AU
SUBJECT: RESPONSE: SUDAN - SUPPORTING THE TDRA 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 58734 
 
     ¶B. KHARTOUM 00409 
     ¶C. KHARTOUM 00228 
 
¶1. (SBU) Senior Assistant to the President and Sudan 
Liberation Movement (SLM) leader Minni Minawi is traveling in 
Darfur to inaugurate the Transitional Darfur Regional 
Authority (TDRA).  His earliest expected return date to 
Khartoum is May 6.  Per Ref. A, Post will contact Minawi upon 
his return and report septel. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In a May 2 conversation with Poloff, a member of 
Minawi's inner circle discussed the status of appointments to 
the TDRA and proposed methods for USG support.  He emphasized 
that the SLM could benefit from political, communications, 
and financial/management advisors.  Strengthening the 
capacity of the SLM in these areas, he said, would facilitate 
the proper establishment of the TDRA and reduce the 
likelihood of assistance going to those elements of the TDRA 
that do not share the SLM's goals.  Minawi's advisor said 
that the current infrastructure for the TDRA headquarters in 
Khartoum -- provided by the Sudanese Government -- was 
adequate.  He noted that Minawi would be well-placed to 
identify the infrastructure needs of the TDRA offices in the 
three Darfur states after his return to Khartoum. 
 
--------------------- 
Security Arrangements 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to Minawi's advisor, the chairmen of five 
out of six TDRA commissions have been nominated or appointed. 
 The National Congress Party (NCP) appointed Sudan Armed 
Forces (SAF) General Al Dabi to chair the Security 
Arrangements Commission, which the SLM is protesting.  The 
movement is also opposed to some proposed appointments to the 
"council" of the Security Commission, which should consist of 
the following: three representatives from the Darfur rebel 
movements (not yet nominated); one representative from the 
NCP (not yet nominated); one representative from the African 
Union (AU) (not yet nominated); the head of the Security 
Advisory Team (SAT) (not yet nominated); the governors of the 
three Darfur states (appointed over SLM opposition); and a 
representative from the National Commission for 
Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration, established 
under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).  On technical 
grounds, the SLM has objected to the NCP's nominee for the 
last post, who was chosen from the Northern sub-commission of 
the overall body.  Minawi's advisor underscored the 
importance of ensuring that a suitable, Western general is 
appointed to head the SAT in the near future and requested 
USG assistance on this issue (Ref. B). 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Land, Resettlement/Rehabilitation, DRDF 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The NCP and the SLM have agreed on the chair of the 
Land Commission, SLM political leader Abdulrahman Adam. 
However, the NCP announced the appointments to the three 
state land commissions before Adam's nomination and without 
his input.  Ibrahim Madibbo, a signatory to the Declaration 
of Commitment (DoC), assumed the chairmanship of the 
Resettlement and Rehabilitation Commission.  Though the SLM 
had supported his nomination as the governor of South Darfur, 
they view his chairmanship of this commission to be 
ineffectual because he is a Rizeigat (Ref. C).  The NCP and 
the SLM agreed to the appointment of SLM member Abdulkabar 
Dousa to chair the Darfur Reconstruction and Development Fund 
(DRDF), though agreement has not been reached on the 
composition of the "council" to advise him.  The main 
sticking point is the member representing the Ministry of 
Finance. 
 
---------------------------------- 
Compensation, Peace/Reconciliation 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The SLM nominated Abdulhafiz Mustapha, a Masaleit 
member of the movement, to chair the Compensation Commission. 
 After rejecting Mustapha's nomination on the grounds that 
the chairman should be "neutral," the NCP nominated Ali 
Hassan Tajeldin, a member of the break-away Umma Party 
faction that is included in the Government of National Unity 
(GNU) and a former advisor to President Bashir.  The SLM 
opposes this nomination.  Appointments to the Peace and 
Reconciliation Commission are on hold pending the start of 
 
KHARTOUM 00000697  002 OF 002 
 
 
the Darfur Darfur Dialogue and Consultation (DDDC).  The SLM 
asserts that the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) non-signatories 
must be brought to the agreement, and thus accorded 
participation in this commission, before its inauguration. 
 
-------------------- 
Federal Appointments 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU)  The two state minister slots allocated to 
signatories of the DPA have assumed their positions: DoC 
signatory Abdulrahman Musa as State Minister of Cabinet 
Affairs and SLM Secretary General Mustapha Tirab as State 
Minister of Federal Government.  According to Minawi's 
advisor, Musa has lost legitimacy among his own supporters, 
who believe the NCP has co-opted him.  The NCP considers 
Presidential Advisor Abdullah Masar, who hails from Darfur 
and held the post prior to the DPA, as the Darfurian advisor 
-- a formulation that the SLM rejects.  The SLM plans to 
reserve the federal minister slot for Darfur to accommodate 
the DPA non-signatories. 
 
--------------- 
State Governors 
--------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Yousef Kibir and Al Hajj Attal Mannan, both NCP 
members, remain in their posts as the governors of North and 
South Darfur, respectively.  Though the deputy governors 
should come from the Darfur rebel movements, the NCP has 
moved to appoint a second NCP deputy as well in each state. 
DoC signatory Abdulgassem Imam, considered a tool of the NCP, 
assumed the governorship of West Darfur in early 2007. 
POWERS