VZCZCXRO1012
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1661/01 3191109
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141109Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2312
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001661 
 
DEPT FOR AF A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON, AF/SPG, AF/C 
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON 
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: TDRA COMMISSIONERS AWKWARDLY PLEASED BY SPI AND BASHIR'S 
SPEECH 
 
REF: A) KHARTOUM 1383 
B) KHARTOUM 1216 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Land and Compensation Commissioners of the 
Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA) separately told poloff 
on November 13 that they were both pleasantly surprised by the 
results of the Sudan People's Initiative (SPI) and President 
Bashir's speech at the initiative's closing ceremony.  Despite this 
optimism, the Compensation Commissioner said that he was not 
consulted nor previously informed of Bashir's announcement of $40 
million for collective compensation in the 2009 budget, and that he 
doubts that his commission will ever be entrusted with this money. 
Both of the Land and Compensation Commissioners stated that even if 
Bashir's promises go unfulfilled, the latter are symbolic and 
demonstrate the GoS's goodwill.  The two officials updated poloff on 
the status of their commissions, requested U.S. funding for their 
efforts, and strongly criticized SLM/MM and their own TDRA. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
SPI SURPRISINGLY POSITIVE... 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶2.  (SBU) TDRA Compensation Committee Chairman Abulgasim Ahmed 
Abulgasim (see reftel A for biography) stated that both the SPI and 
President Bashir's speech at the closing session were surprisingly 
positive, and that this move will put more pressure on non-signatory 
rebels.  TDRA Land Commissioner Adam Abdulrahman (a member of 
SLM/MM's Liberation Council and a member of the Mima tribe) was even 
more enthusiastic about the Sudan People's Initiative, which he 
labeled "a very, very good framework," and even quantified its 
contribution saying "this solves 60% of all of Darfur."  (Note: 
Although enthusiastic about the SPI, Abdulrahman admitted that he 
had not yet had a chance to review the SPI's interpretation of land 
issues.  End Note.) 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Abdulrahman also asserted that the onus is now on 
Darfur's rebels to lay down their arms and participate in the peace 
process.  According to Abdulrahman, Darfuri intellectuals who did 
not participate in the SPI were "astonished" at its results. 
Abdulrahman stated that the SPI proves that the GoS and President 
Bashir genuinely want to solve the Darfur crisis. Abdulrahman 
excused Bashir's noticeable omission of a Vice President position 
and the creation of one region for Darfur.  "Bashir would need 
permission from the SPLM to create a new VP position or to unify 
Darfur, and so he did what he could," stated Abdulrahman. 
 
. . . YET SKEPTICAL ABOUT SPI'S COMPENSATION PLAN 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶4.  (SBU)  Despite his positive impression of the SPI and Bashir's 
promise for collective compensation, Abulgasim expressed skepticism 
about the implementation of this plan.  "Every year Bashir says that 
he will deliver money for compensation, and in the over two years of 
my commission, we have only received $1.5 million," stated 
Abulgasim.  Abulgasim expressed doubt that the money promised by 
Bashir will ever make its way to the people of Darfur.  Even if it 
does, "the GoS will use this money to buy people right before the 
2009 elections."  Abulgasim added that the GoS did not consult 
either him or anyone else from his commission before making the 
announcement at the SPI. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Abulgasim reported that he will meet the Minister of 
Finance Awad Al-Jaz and State Minister of the Humanitarian Affairs 
Commission (and ICC indictee) Ahmed Haroun on  November 16 to 
discuss compensation.  Abulgasim predicted that the GoS will not 
deliver the money promised by Bashir to the Compensation Committee, 
but will instead attempt to use its own institutions and mechanisms 
to deliver it to the people of Darfur.  The only way the GoS will 
allow the compensation commission to be involved is if it begs for 
the money and "bends to the will of the GoS," asserted Abulgasim. 
"In the end they will compel us to come to them for the money, as we 
cannot run an office without it," stated Abulgasim.  Nonetheless, 
Abulgasim said that the $40 million proposed by Bashir is nothing 
compared to the $800 million that his commission proposed for 
comprehensive compensation during the next 10 years. 
 
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE'S PREVIOUS PLANS 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶6.  (SBU)  Abulgasim said that he hopes that registration of IDPs in 
preparation for  compensation can begin within the next month.  He 
estimates that it will take several months and at least two million 
U.S. dollars to complete the registration of Darfur's IDPS, and that 
Bashir's announcement does not take into account the complexity of 
compensation.  Although IDPs previously rejected the registration 
process involved with the census, Abulgasim stated that his 
commission's good relationship with the IDPs will allow this next 
 
KHARTOUM 00001661  002 OF 002 
 
 
form of registration to succeed.  (Note:  Following the meeting, 
Abulgasim gave poloff a tour of the Compensation Committee office, a 
three story building with roughly 60 employees.  Approximately half 
of the offices were outfitted with computers, and many employees 
appeared to be sitting idle.  End Note.) 
 
LAND COMMISSION 
- - - - - - - - - 
¶7.  (SBU)  Abdulrahman reported that his Land Commission has tried 
to formulate a comprehensive and scientific approach to land use. 
The Land Commission has only now just completed the Terms of 
Reference (ToRS) for a comprehensive land use database and is 
seeking funding for conducting this study.  This information will 
provide the basis for creating a mechanism for resolving disputes 
over land rights.  According to Abdulrahman, only one percent of 
Darfur's land is registered in individual names, compared to 60 to 
70% in other states.  This creates an enormous challenge for his 
commission and the return of IDPs to their rightful lands.  "How do 
you prove who owns what land when nothing has been documented, there 
has been mass displacement, and there are now new occupiers?" 
questioned Abdulrahman.  Abdulrahman said that he is seeking 
approximately $20 million USD for conducting this study, and that 
the World Bank, UK, and Netherlands have all appeared interested in 
funding this project. 
 
CRITICIZING THE SLM/MM, TDRA, AND DPA 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
¶8.  (SBU) Abulgasim appeared dismissive of the latest push to 
implement the DPA and the future role of Minni Minnawi in Darfur. 
In his view, the GoS rightfully fears that any money it gives to 
SLM/MM will end up in Chad. .  Returning to earlier conversations, 
Abulgasim then accused the U.S. of favoring the Zaghawa tribe (e.g. 
"18 out of 21 people who were invited to the U.S. during Minnawi's 
last visit were Zaghawa.")  Land commissioner Abdulrahman also 
strongly criticized SLM/MM and the very weak TDRA.  "I will be very 
frank with you - the TDRA is not the way to solve Darfur, and we are 
more tribal, corrupt, and overall worse than the NCP," stated 
Abdulrahman.  He added that , the NCP rightfully hesitated to fund 
the DRDF, as the money would be wasted and perceived by Darfuris as 
supporting only the Zaghawa tribe.  TDRA institutions have competed 
for funding, wasted money, and had few successes in the last two 
years, stated Abdulrahman.  Abdulrahman stated that SLM/MM and the 
TDRA need better oversight, and said that the GoS should use 
national institutions, not the TDRA, to rebuild Darfur. According to 
Abdulrahman, the broad-based support for the Sudan People's 
Initiative has proven that the DPA is no longer the basis for any 
future negotiation. 
 
COMMENT 
- - - - - 
¶9. (SBU)  Abulgasim's and Abdulrahman's positive interpretation of 
the SPI and Bashir's speech appeared somewhat incongruent, as both 
contacts reported that they were not consulted over its specific 
recommendations, both predicted that their institutions will be 
bypassed, and both expressed doubt that that Bashir's promises will 
ever be fulfilled.  Nonetheless, these contacts remained optimistic 
that the SPI and Bashir's promises represent a start and a sincere 
desire by the GoS to solve the Darfur crisis.  We do not share, at 
this point, such unfounded optimism. Both of these non-Zaghawa 
leaders also demonstrated that their disdain for the Zaghawa, the 
SLM/MM, and even their own TDRA is almost greater than that for the 
Government.  This tribal tension represents a major challenge 
throughout Darfur and is something the Khartoum regime will always 
manipulate to its advantage. The two officials represent the latest 
of many contacts who have repeated recently that the U.S. has sided 
with the Zaghawa to the detriment of Darfur's other tribes.  Septel 
will report non-signatory rebels' reactions to the SPI and President 
Bashir speech. 
 
FERNANDEZ