VZCZCXYZ0026
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKH #1874 3331320
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291320Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9349

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001874 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/SPG, S/E NATSIOS 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR, AND ALSO PASS USAID 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR PREF SU
SUBJECT: ERITREAN OPPOSITION LEADER CONCERNED ABOUT REFUGEES IN 
SUDAN RETURNING TO WAR 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 1872 
 
¶1.  (U) In a meeting with EconOff November 29, the chairman of the 
Eritrean Nahda Party, Noor M. Idris, claimed that hundreds of 
Eritrean refugees arrive in Sudan every day from Eritrea and 
Ethiopia, and estimated that there are over 200,000 Eritreans living 
in Sudan.  Idris expressed concern for the welfare of these 
Eritreans, and claimed that in October Sudan forcibly returned 69 
refugees to Eritrea, two of which were shot and killed by Eritrean 
soldiers on the border.  Idris predicted that tensions will rise 
between Ethiopia and Eritrea in the coming weeks and claimed that 
120,000 Eritrean troops have already deployed to the Ethiopian 
border.  (Note:  There were reports last week that 900 Eritrean 
soldiers came over the border into Sudan to escape fighting with 
Ethiopian troops. End Note.)  Idris called on the U.S. to "start 
contingency planning for the likelihood that war will start again 
between Sudan's neighbors." 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Idris told EconOff he is actively working to bring about 
political change in Eritrea and to unify opposition parties.  He 
stated that his organization will stage a conference for opposition 
movements in December and the "Eritrean National Dialogue Congress" 
scheduled for March, both to be held in Addis Ababa.  Idris called 
Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki a ruthless dictator with direct 
ties to Islamic terrorists, and said that he hopes to see 
significant political change in Asmara over the next year. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Idris called the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement a "a piece 
of junk," and claimed that Eritrea is working to undermine the 
agreement and create chaos in the eastern Sudanese states of Red 
Sea, Kassala, and Gedaref.  Idris's colleague, Awel Kheir, the Vice 
Chairman of the Eritrean Nahda Party, claimed that there is a 
division between the leaders of the Eastern Front, and predicted 
that the president of the Eastern Front, Musa Mohamed Ahmed, will 
soon resign from his position as assistant to President Omar 
Al-Bashir. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Idris claims to have American, Eritrean, and Ethiopian 
citizenship. Idris last contacted Embassy Khartoum in May, 2007 to 
use consular services and to discuss the Nahda party.  He said he 
has not returned to the U.S. since May, working since then in Addis 
Ababa.  He claimed to be in regular contact with U.S. officials in 
Addis Ababa, the United Nations and NGO officials, and Ethiopian 
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.  Idris delivered a "memo to the 
government of the United States of America" to EconOff.  This 
information has been forwarded to AF/SPG. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) COMMENT: Idris appeared to us an unseasoned, and slightly 
desperate, activist-politician with unrealistic expectations about 
what the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum could do for his movement. 
Although some of his concerns may be valid, his unbalanced, 
unsubstantiated, and often emotional presentation led us to doubt 
much of what he said.  However it bears reporting because he appears 
well connected to the Eritrean community in Sudan and Addis and 
obviously is itching to find a way to undermine the regime in 
Asmara.  END COMMENT 
 
FERNANDEZ