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PP RUEHGI
DE RUEHDR #0794/01 1560334
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 050334Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6235
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RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA PRIORITY 0322
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RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI PRIORITY 0002
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY 2542
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 3016
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM PRIORITY 0065
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY 0973
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO PRIORITY 7459
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY 0663
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA PRIORITY 0080
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RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0437

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000794 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT AF/SPG, ALSO AF/E FOR BYODER, AF/RSA FOR MBITTRICK, 
DEPT FOR S/WCI 
ADDIS ABABA FOR AU MISSION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ECON MOPS SU TZ
SUBJECT: TANZANIA:  CONSULTATIVE MEETING OF 
PARLIAMENTARIANS OF AU MEMBER STATES ON DARFUR, MAY 26 TO 28 
 
 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
¶1. (SBU) Members of the Parliaments of ten African 
Union (AU) member states and of the Pan African Parliament 
(PAP), met in Dar es Salaam from May 26-28 to consider 
national responsibilities in responding to the humanitarian 
crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.  Dr. Salim Ahmed 
Salim, the AU Special Envoy for Darfur, opened the forum 
and participated in the three-day meeting.  The 
Members of Parliament (MPs) discussed in depth the 
historical, political and economic roots of the ongoing 
tragedy in Darfur, the constraints facing the AU Mission 
in Sudan (AMIS) forces, and difficulties to deliver 
humanitarian assistance to afflicted populations. 
In their final communiqu, the Parliamentarians recommended 
an unconditional and immediate cease fire, an appropriate 
mandate for the AMIS forces and an effective guarantee from 
the Government of Sudan (GOS) to secure humanitarian aid 
access for the more than four million Darfurians affected 
by the war.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Parliamentarians from Eritrea, Ghana, Kenya, 
Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, 
Tanzania and Uganda participated in three full days of 
panel discussions on the causes and background to the 
crisis in Darfur, responses to the crisis, peace 
building and humanitarian access, as well as closed 
deliberation sessions.  Representatives of the Darfur 
Consortium (a civil society coalition on Darfur), and 
various NGO representatives led frank discussions among 
the MPs that included references to genocide, the 
ongoing sexual violence, especially against women, 
and other grave violations of human rights and 
international law. 
 
Serious concerns about access to humanitarian aid 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
¶3. (SBU) During panel discussions on access to humanitarian 
assistance, the participants openly addressed their deep 
concerns about ethnic cleansing and decreasing access to 
humanitarian aid.  The panel chair, Saleh Ousman, a Sudanese 
opposition MP from Darfur region, stressed that the call for 
an international response to the Darfur crisis required 
proactive efforts from the African nations, not only from 
Western countries.  "Genocide is happening," he stated, "The 
people of Darfur will not forget if African nations do not 
speak out and act to stop these atrocities." 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ousman challenged the African legislators to "raise 
their voices" by influencing their respective governments to 
take action.  His call was followed by a report on the 
humanitarian assistance situation by Irungu Houghton, a 
Sudanese citizen employed by OXFAM.  Houghton said the 
efforts to deliver humanitarian aid have become "almost 
incomprehensible," with one out of four persons in the region 
having no access to humanitarian assistance; in April, 14 
humanitarian workers were abducted, 3 were shot or wounded. 
The AMIS forces saw 7 troops killed and many AU vehicles 
hijacked in April as well. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Houghton said that humanitarian aid (HA) workers 
report armed groups are operating throughout Darfur with 
impunity.  He displayed a map indicating that the areas of 
Darfur where the population is unable to access humanitarian 
aid have more than doubled in less than a year.  During the 
comments, the discussion centered on how to get more African 
NGOs involved in the HA efforts; concerns were raised as well 
over the role oil and other resources play in accelerating 
the displacement of persons and the GOS' "scorched earth" 
policy.  Many MPs were concerned about China,s role and 
 
DAR ES SAL 00000794  002 OF 002 
 
 
whether quiet deals have been made with the GOS to buy 
Sudanese oil at a price well below the world market value. 
 
Final Communiqu:  Call to Action 
--------------------------------- 
¶6. (U) The Parliamentary Consultative Meeting on Darfur 
resulted in a final communiqu that included 
recommendations for: 
- an immediate cease-fire of all hostilities; 
- a re-energized peace process led by the AU; 
- the inclusion of women in the peace process; 
- greater support for the AU Mission in Sudan 
  (AMIS); 
- implementation of a three step hybrid AU-UN 
  force; 
- condemnation and prosecution of acts of sexual 
  violence; 
- granting of humanitarian aid access by the GOS; 
- respect for the civilian and humanitarian nature 
  of camps; 
- "justice for the victims of grave violations of 
  human rights and humanitarian law";   and 
- the participation of civil society in the 
  resolution of the conflict. 
 
¶7. (U) The communiqu made particular reference to the 
difficulties facing AMIS, noting that "the beleaguered 
AU Mission in Sudan is ill-equipped, under-funded and 
lacking the robust mandate which would permit it to 
provide protection to those under threat."  The MPs 
agreed to return to their home countries and "explore 
their (respective countries') capacity to ensure budget 
allocations from national budgets in favor of the AMIS 
mission and in response to humanitarian needs in Darfur." 
Support from the United Nations through the implementation 
of the three step hybrid force reflecting the decision 
of the UN Security Council in Resolution 1706 was also 
recommended. 
 
¶8. (U) The communiqu also noted "grave violations of 
human rights and international humanitarian law" in Darfur, 
stating that "women and children in Darfur are bearing 
the brunt of the conflict with recourse to rape and gender- 
based violence as a weapon of war a widespread phenomenon." 
The Parliamentarians further recommended providing for the 
prevention and prosecution of rape as a weapon of war under 
international agreements concluded by Sudan, and 
recommended that "securing a lasting peace in Darfur will 
necessitate ensuring justice for victims of grave 
violations of human rights and humanitarian law." 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶9. (SBU) This Parliamentary Consultative Meeting of 
AU Member States on Darfur had initially been planned 
to be held in Addis Ababa.  However, in the face of 
logistics hurdles that had delayed the meeting, Tanzania 
stepped up to host the event.  Dr. Salim told PolCouns 
May 28 that the meeting would hopefully "keep up the 
momentum" by encouraging legislators of AU nations to 
speak out and press their respective governments to act 
and to support solutions for the deepening crisis in 
Darfur.  Salim noted that all efforts and suggestions by 
the Parliamentarians "could be a positive factor" in 
seeking a resolution to the Darfur crisis. 
MUSHINGI