VZCZCXRO9185
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0960 1700925
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 190925Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7653
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000960 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, AF S/E NATSIOS, AND AF/SPG 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND SHORTLEY 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV AU UN SU
SUBJECT: SPLM DARFUR CONFERENCE POSTPONED 
 
REFTEL A KHARTOUM 953  B KHARTOUM 929 
 
¶1. (SBU) The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) 
conference on Darfur has been postponed.  No date has been 
set for the conference to begin.  SPLM Task Force on Darfur 
(TFD) chair Rev. Clement Janda stressed that the SPLM's 
efforts will continue.  Janda told Acting CG Juba June 18 
that he had pressed Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) 
President Salva Kiir for a new date, but Kiir had declined 
to set one.  Instead, Kiir reportedly counseled patience 
while other efforts played out, and while consultations 
with the Darfur parties continued. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The postponement follows criticism of the SPLM for 
involving civil society, Arab groups and other Darfurian 
representatives in the first phase of its proposed three- 
phase conference.  It also follows refusal by key Darfur 
leaders to attend the SPLM's conference (Ref. A). 
 
¶3. (SBU) Janda denied reports, including one from another 
member of his task force, that Eritrea was blocking groups 
assembled in Asmara from participating in the SPLM 
conference.  Eritrean officials Yemane Gharaeb and Abdullah 
Jabr were in Juba June 16, Janda said, and reported that 
dialogue among the Darfur factions in Asmara was continuing 
and "making progress."  He said the Eritreans had asked for 
the SPLM conference to be postponed. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Libya has, however, emerged as an obstacle, 
according to Janda and GOSS Minister for Regional 
Cooperation Barnaba Marial Benjamin.  "They're not being 
helpful," Benjamin said June 17.  Janda said he had 
received a fax from Darfurian commanders in Tripoli 
indicating that they did not plan to participate in the 
SPLM conference.  Only last week, Janda claimed, a Libyan 
envoy had assured him there were no Darfurian commanders in 
Libya.  Janda also expressed frustration with the French, 
whom he claimed had misled the SPLM about the June 25 
Darfur conference in Paris.  (Note: Other Embassy contacts 
confirmed the presence of some Darfur Peace Agreement non- 
signatories in Tripoli.  End note.)