VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKH #1308/01 2330720
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 210720Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8257

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001308 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, AF/EPS, AF/PD 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR, AND ALSO PASS USAID 
 
 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR PHUM KPAO PINS PTER SU
SUBJECT: GITMO DETAINEE RELATIVES, ACTIVISTS PROTEST 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 1298 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  About 25 demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. 
Embassy in Khartoum on August 19 to protest the continued detention 
of nine Sudanese citizens held in Guantanamo Bay.  The demonstration 
included six relatives of the detainees who carried photographs of 
their family members.  Approximately a dozen riot police encircled 
the demonstration, which remained peaceful and ended after 30 
minutes.  Sudanese and international journalists covered the event. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) At approximately 11:30 a.m. on August 19, about 25 
individuals, many carrying photographs and signs in support of the 
nine Sudanese being detained at Guantanamo Bay, demonstrated in 
front of the Embassy's main gate.  The protest was organized by 
family members of the detainees.  Although the protest was peaceful, 
police in riot gear encircled the protestors as a precaution. 
(NOTE: There have been additional police deployed in the vicinity of 
the Embassy in recent days in response to a terror threat aimed at 
Western interests (reftel).  END NOTE.)  Six family members of the 
detainees were present and carried photos of their relatives.  PAO 
stepped out onto the street where the protest was taking place and 
listened as protest organizers read English and Arabic communiqus. 
Organizers also provided PAO with what they said were signed 
petitions (English text attached paragraph 5) from Guantanamo Bay 
detainees' relatives and some 5,000 supporters.  PAO accepted the 
documents and responded by saying that the protestors' message would 
be conveyed to Washington.  The Embassy will forward these documents 
to Washington via pouch. 
 
¶3.  (U)  There was Sudanese and international press coverage of the 
event on Aug. 19 and 20.  Both Sudan TV and Al-Jazeera, as well as 
Reuters, were present at the demonstration.  The independent 
"Al-Ayaam" carried the story on its front page with a photo and the 
accompanying headline, "Khartoum demonstrates for the release of the 
Guantanamo detainees."  The article stated that the detainees have 
been in Guantanamo Bay for more than five years and that the 
Sudanese government "announces from time to time that the detainees 
will be released, without designating a definite time."  According 
to the article, this situation forced the families of the detainees 
to organize the protest. 
 
¶4.  (U) The "Al-Ayaam" article also repeated that Minister of 
Justice Muhammad Ali Mardi announced that the U.S. authorities would 
release Al-Jazeera TV cameraman, Sami Al-Haj, in the next two to 
three weeks.  This report follows Mardi's appearance on Al-Jazeera 
on August 18 where he made similar comments.  Last week, the 
Sudanese press also reported that a senior-level delegation from the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by State Minister Al-Samani 
El-Wasila was invited by the U.S. to visit Washington before the end 
of this month to discuss the release of Al-Haj.  [COMMENT:  The 
Sudanese expectations for Al-Samani's scheduled trip to Washington 
appear to be very high, even if the release of Al-Haj is not up for 
discussion. END COMMENT.] 
 
¶5.  (U)  BEGIN TEXT: 
 
"Civic Aid International Organization 
 
Important Notice 
 
The participants of this demonstration are composed of the Civic Aid 
International Organization members and the representatives from the 
families of the nine Sudanese detainees in Guantanamo who want to 
present their earnest request to the administration of the United 
States of America. 
 
Their request entails the immediate release of the detainees or 
their immediate free and fair trial that can unveil all the 
accusations that you have against them, if there is (sic) any. 
 
Our Organization backs the request of these families and five 
thousand Sudanese signatures that hopes from the Foreign Ministry of 
the United States to open up a wide range of diplomatic talks with 
the Sudan government in order to determined (sic) this issue 
completely as what had happened to the other similar Arab countries 
before. 
 
Due to the pathetic situation that the families of these detainees 
lives (sic) for more than five years, the participants of this 
demonstration here by anticipates, these families will be able to 
contact with their detainees sons, brother, and fathers as well as 
enabling the detainees to enjoy their basic legal and judicial 
rights that are mentioned in the international humanitarian law and 
human rights. 
 
At the same time, our organization would like to draw the attention 
of the United States Administration that a group of American 
advocates who represent the Sudanese detainees in Guantanamo and 
other advocates who volunteered themselves visited recently to 
Khartoum and went back with them the enough (sic) legal evidences 
and the political will of the Sudan government that affirms the 
possibility of those detainees to come back to their mother country 
while enjoying all their basic rights and freedoms as per stated in 
the constitution." END TEXT. 
 
POWERS