VZCZCXRO9484
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0966 1701335
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191335Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7659
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000966 
 
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: KHARTOUM 953 
 
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.)