VZCZCXRO1196
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHNJ #0053 0251232
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251232Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6028
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000053 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SU CD
SUBJECT: DARFUR REBEL BAKHIT PREVIEWS NEW REBEL UNIFICATION 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Sudanese rebel Adam Bakhit informed 
N'Djamena Emboffs January 18 that he and his associates were 
forming a "united front" encompassing five rebel factions, 
with participants from SLM/Unity; SLM (Khamis Abdullah); JEM 
(Bahr Idriss); NMRD (Abdel-Karim) and URFF.  Bakhit 
criticized Sudan rebel groups which have accepted Chadian 
support in exchange for assistance against Chadian rebels, 
which most likely reflects his negative view of past JEM 
assistance to Chad government operations against Chadian 
rebel groups.  End Summary 
 
----------------- 
Rebel Unification 
----------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) SLM/Unity will join five other groups to form a 
"united front" group to achieve the goals of the Darfur 
people, Adam Bakhit told DCM and poloff during a meeting on 
January 18 to discuss Sudanese rebel unification efforts. The 
"united front' will include five rebel factions, with 
participants from SLM/Unity; SLM (Khamis Abdullah); JEM (Bahr 
Idriss); NMRD (Abdel-Karim) and URFF.  Bakhit said that when 
various rebel leaders were in Libya for the Tripoli talks, 
they decided that there was a need for a new group to unite 
the various rebel factions under one council.  This group 
would then negotiate with the government on a peace 
agreement, which would tie the situation in Darfur to the 
situation in southern Sudan. According to Bakhit, the new 
"unity group" is scheduled to be in N'djamena the week of 
January 22 and is scheduled come to an agreement on when and 
where to announce the new unified coalition. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to Bakhit, the "united front" group shares 
his goals for Darfur, namely autonomy within a federal 
system, as in Southern Sudan.  "While its not easy to work 
with the government of Sudan.... we do not want to be 
separate -- particularly because Arab countries will support 
Sudan against us."  He added that "our future is tied with 
the situation of the south," implying that if South Sudan 
votes for independence Darfur would seek the same. Bakhit 
also acknowledged that one of the failures of the various 
rebel groups has been that they have not "created a good 
leader like John Garang" and asked for international 
community support of the new group's efforts to find a new 
leader. In explanation as to why he was in N'djamena, Bakhit 
said that he was on "sick leave" due to a back injury and 
needed to visit the US to receive medical care.  Bakhit 
requested help obtaining US visas for himself and his family. 
He explained that financial support for treatment would be 
provided by Sudanese philanthropists. 
 
------------------------------- 
Relations between Chad and Sudan 
------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Bakhit called the situation on the Chad-Sudan border 
"tense." He said the real issue is the exasperation the 
Sudanese feel at Chadian incursions into their territory. 
Although there has been a lull in the aerial bombardments, no 
political or diplomatic process has begun between the two 
countries, he said.  Bakhit believes that "the problem is not 
the Chadians supporting the Sudanese rebels with weapons" but 
using those rebels to attack Chadian rebels. Bakhit commented 
that if he were to accept Chadian backing and arms to use 
against Chadian rebels the situation at the border would 
become much worse. Such a 
situation would not be good for him and would not end the 
conflict between Chad and Sudan. 
 
-------- 
Comment: 
--------- 
¶5. Bakhit's rejection of Chadian manipulation of Sudanese 
rebel groups most likely reflects his views on the JEM which 
has assisted the Government of Chad to push back Chadian 
rebels in the past. 
NIGRO