VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKH #0204/01 0440942
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 130942Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2975
INFO RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000204 
 
DEPT FOR S/ES-CR, S/ES-OS, AF A/S, AF/SPG, 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SU
SUBJECT: MESSAGE OF CONGRATULATIONS FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA FROM THE 
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN 
 
REF:  STATE 118192 
 
¶1.  (U) Post has received a letter of congratulations (text in para. 
2) for President Obama from the President of the Republic of the 
Sudan, H.E. Omer Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir.  A copy of the original 
letter is being transmitted to the Department via pouch. 
 
¶2.  (U) Begin Text: 
February 11, 2009 
 
Note Verbal 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan 
presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of 
America in Khartoum and has the honor to enclose herewith the signed 
original of the letter of congratulations from H. E Omer Hassan 
Ahmed Al-Bashir President of the Republic of the Sudan to H. E 
Barack H. Obama President of the United States of America on the 
occasion of his swearing in as the 44th President of the United 
States of America. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan avails 
itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United 
States the assurances of its highest considerations. 
 
To: The Embassy of the United States - Khartoum 
 
Dear Mr. President, 
 
It gives me great pleasure to extend on behalf of myself and that of 
the people of the Sudan, my heartfelt congratulations on the 
occasion of your swearing in as the 44thpresident of the United, 
States of America. Winning the trust of the majority of the American 
people of different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds is a 
source of pride and drive to serve a great nation which managed to 
transcend all human limitations and set a model for others to 
emulate. 
 
The Government of National Unity, and the entire Sudanese people 
appreciate the United States Government's role and its immense 
efforts in helping the parties to reach and sign the Comprehensive 
Peace Agreement (CPA), the historic peace deal which ended more than 
two decades of war and destruction between the North and South 
Sudan. A similar peace agreement was concluded thereafter which 
brought to an end another conflict in Eastern Sudan. 
 
It was hoped that success in concluding those peace accords would 
provide a model to address similar conflicts in other parts of Sudan 
based on the principles of equitable sharing of power and wealth. 
Unfortunately, the rebellion in Darfur erupted in early February 
2003, and has caused ever since a huge humanitarian tragedy. In this 
context, I must acknowledge and commend the efforts made by the 
United States to end the conflict during the arduous Inter-Sudanese 
Peace Talks in Abuja, Nigeria, mediated by the African Union and 
facilitated by the international community. 
 
As a result of the rebel insurgency, civilians left their villages 
and sought refuge and security in government - controlled areas in 
Darfur.  The allegations that certain Darfurian communities are 
subjected to genocide and war crimes are belied by the fact that the 
government provided security, shelter and basic services to the 
(IDP's) and war-affected civilians before the international 
community and the (NGO's) arrival to the scene with humanitarian 
assistance. 
 
It is our unshakable conviction that peace in Darfur can only be 
realized through negotiations. Rebels who are so far been 
intransigent need to be seriously pressured to sit for negotiations. 
The one-sided pressure and the sanctions imposed on the government 
along with the proceedings of the International Criminal Court (ICC) 
send wrong and mixed signals to the rebels and encourage them to 
continue with violence as means for political gains. 
 
I avail myself of this opportunity to reassert my commitment and 
readiness to cooperate with your administration, as we did in the 
past, to achieve a durable and peaceful settlement in Darfur. 
 
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest 
consideration. 
 
Signed 
Omer Hassan Ahmed AI-Bashir 
President of the Republic of Sudan 
 
To: 
¶H. E. President Barack H. Obama 
President of the United States of America 
The White House 
Washington, DC 
 
End text. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Comment: This letter is shocking in its revision of history 
and lack of acknowledgment of the government's own brutal role in 
the crisis in Darfur - in arming Arab tribes and using them and the 
SAF to wipe out entire areas that were sympathetic to rebel demands. 
 While it is true that more pressure is needed on the rebels to push 
them toward the negotiating table, the government could have taken 
many unilateral steps long ago to improve the situation in Darfur. 
The letter is an accurate reflection of the regime's real interest 
in improving relations with the US but also shows the constant 
disconnect between intentions and actions. Lately the regime 
continues to harass humanitarian NGOs and the very day we received 
this letter, the GOS forced the head of a major USAID implementing 
partner to leave the country, because he had the temerity to ask for 
the Embassy's intervention in attempting to resolve a dispute over 
the disposition of the project's property (septel).  The regime 
continues to be vicious, calculating, and untrustworthy and any 
engagement from the US must be carefully calibrated to ensure that 
we will see tangible progress in deeds rather than words, in results 
rather than process, from the Sudanese before anything other than 
confidence-building measures are offered from our side. End 
comment. 
 
FERNANDEZ