VZCZCXYZ0281
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #0311 0631215
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 031215Z MAR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC
TO RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0090
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 000311 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/C BETHEA, AF/SPG 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2013 
TAGS: PREL PGOV USDELFESTTWO SU CD
SUBJECT: MINAWI: ERDIMI REJECTS KHARTOUM'S PUSH FOR RENEWED 
OFFENSIVE 
 
REF: A. STATE 19672 
     ¶B. KHARTOUM 00273 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CDA ALBERTO M. FERNANDEZ, REASON: SECTIONS 1.4 (B) AND ( 
D) 
 
¶1. (C) POLOFF DELIVERED REQUESTED DEMARCHE TO SENIOR 
ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND SUDAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT 
(SLM) CHAIRMAN  MINNI MINAWI ON MARCH 1 (REF. A).  MINAWI 
REPORTED THAT HE LAST SPOKE TO RALLY OF FORCES FOR CHANGE 
(RFC) PRESIDENT TIMAN ERDIMI ON FEBRUARY 29.  ERDIMI TOLD HIM 
THAT NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY SERVICE (NISS) 
DIRECTOR GENERAL SALAH GHOSH MET WITH HIM AND OTHER CHADIAN 
OPPOSITION LEADERS, INCLUDING MAHAMET NOURI, IN EL GENEINA, 
WEST DARFUR "IN THE LAST THREE DAYS" AND PRESSED THEM TO 
LAUNCH A RENEWED OFFENSIVE AGAINST PRESIDENT IDRISS DEBY'S 
GOVERNMENT WITHIN TWO WEEKS. 
 
¶2. (C) ERDIMI INDICATED THAT GHOSH DEMANDED HE SUPPORT NOURI 
AS THE LEADER OF A UNITED CHADIAN OPPOSITION AND PRESUMPTIVE 
SUCCESSOR TO DEBY.  ERDIMI CLAIMED THAT GHOSH TOLD HIM THAT 
THE NATIONAL CONGRESS PARTY (NCP) LEADERSHIP "DISLIKED THE 
ZAGHAWA" AND WOULD THUS NOT SUPPORT ERDIMI TO LEAD THE 
OPPOSITION.  ERDIMI EXPLAINED TO MINAWI THAT, HAVING BEEN 
DENIED A LEADERSHIP POSITION AMONG THE CHADIAN REBEL 
MOVEMENTS, HE WILL REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN A NEW ATTEMPT TO 
OVERTHROW DEBY'S REGIME AND WILL HEAD TO JEBEL MAWIA TO WAIT 
OUT EVENTS. 
 
¶3. (C) ERDIMI CONSIDERS THE AFRICAN UNION (AU) MEDIATION 
EFFORT LED BY CONGO AND LIBYA TO BE BIASED AND UNCREDIBLE, 
PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF LIBYAN SUPPORT FOR AHMED SUBIAN--AN 
ARAB.  THE RFC PRESIDENT REITERATED HIS REQUEST FOR NEUTRAL 
MEDIATION FROM THE U.S., SAID MINAWI.  (NOTE: MINAWI IS 
LIKELY TO RAISE THIS ISSUE WITH A/S FRAZER AND OTHER USG 
OFFICIALS DURING HIS TRIP TO WASHINGTON FROM MARCH 2-8.  END 
NOTE.) 
 
¶4. (C) MINAWI POSITED THAT EVEN IF SUDAN SUCCEEDS IN 
INSTALLING NOURI IN N'DJAMENA, HIS TENURE IN OFFICE WILL BE 
SHORT-LIVED.  KHARTOUM'S ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO ESTABLISH AN 
ARAB GOVERNMENT IN CHAD, ACCORDING TO MINAWI, AND ONCE A 
PUPPET GOVERNMENT REPLACES DEBY, THEY WILL MOVE QUICKLY TO 
REPLACE NOURI WITH SUBIAN. SUCH A GOVERNMENT COULD PRESUMABLY 
GARNER NEW SUPPORT FROM IMPORTANT REGIONAL STATES SUCH AS 
LIBYA AND SAUDI ARABIA. 
FERNANDEZ