VZCZCXRO3727
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0208/01 0480444
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 170444Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2980
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000208 
 
DEPT FOR AF A A/S CARTER, AF/SPG, AF/E, AF/C 
NSC FOR CHUDSON 
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: FUR SHURA COUNCIL PROPOSAL TO UNITE DARFURIANS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Abdul Wahid has cemented his role as leader of the 
Fur through his close contacts with the popularly-elected IDP camp 
sheiks, members of the Fur Shura Council told poloffs on February 8. 
The camp sheikhs have gained power at the expense of the traditional 
tribal leaders, they said, and Abdul Wahid maintains frequent 
contact with them by telephone. Abdul Wahid also benefits by the Fur 
people's legendary patience and their desire to remain united under 
one leader, they said. The Fur Shura Council members hoped that by 
uniting the vision of all Darfurians towards peace, they could 
convince the recalcitrant Abdul Wahid to accept peace talks or 
otherwise marginalize him. With this in mind, they presented poloffs 
with a proposal to convene a conference of Darfurian intellectuals 
in Khartoum, followed by popular consultations in Darfur, to unite 
all Darfurians towards peace. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On February 8, poloffs met with Dr. Idris Yousif Ahmed and 
El Amid Mahmoud Mohamed Osman of the Fur Shura Council to follow up 
on their discussion with Senior Representative for Sudan Tim 
Shortley (ref A). Yousif and Osman noted that the Fur Shura Council 
was an umbrella organization of intellectuals, separate from the 
native administration system. (Note: the native administration is 
the traditional administrative and judicial system dating back to 
the period of the Fur Sultanate. In this system, tribal chiefs carry 
different titles including Demengawi, Umda, Shartai, Al-Basi, Malik 
(King), Sultan, Elsheikh, Magdoom, Elnasir, Fursha, and Dimlij. End 
Note.) Yousif stated that while the native administration remains an 
integral part of Fur society, its influence has waned during the 
years of the most recent conflict and it has been challenged by the 
a parallel leadership structure formed in IDP camps. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Since the outbreak of the conflict in Darfur, displaced 
persons have created their own system of administradion by enectin' 
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