VZCZCXRO3731
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #0209/01 0480445
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 170445Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2982
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000209 
 
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: COMMUNIST PARTY HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER: "I DON'T REPRESENT THE 
FUR IN NEGOTIATIONS" 
 
REF: A) 08 KHARTOUM 1504 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: In a February 16 telephone call, renowned human 
rights lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman told poloff he is attending the 
Doha negotiations as a parliamentary observer from the Sudanese 
Communist Party, and stressed that he is not entitled by the Fur 
people to participate in negotiations. Osman expressed a desire to 
hold SLM leader Abdul Wahid al Nur accountable for his 
intransigence, but also warned that any attempt to replace him will 
require a time-consuming consultative process amongst Fur leaders. 
Meanwhile, SPLM South Darfur MP (and Abdul Wahid's father in law) 
Abulgasim Seifeldin told poloffs that while the Fur people need 
broader representation, it would be a mistake to exclude or 
marginalize Abdul Wahid, because he maintains significant popular 
support. He suggested mobilizing Fur and civil society leaders 
behind a soon-to-be-published document aimed at providing a unified, 
comprehensive view of Darfurian civil society, and using this 
document platform for civil society leaders to engage Abdul Wahid in 
Paris. Post recommends that the USG support a visit by Seifeldin to 
Washington and, if possible, Paris. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Speaking by telephone from Doha on February 16, renowned 
human rights lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman told poloff that he is 
attending the Doha negotiations as a parliamentary observer from the 
Sudanese Communist Party, and stressed that he is not entitled by 
the Fur people to participate in negotiations as a Fur leader. 
Concerned that its talks with the GOS put JEM in the position of 
negotiating on behalf of all Darfurians, Osman believes that JEM's 
bellicose statements from Doha will lead other Darfurians to decline 
to participate in talks, viewing them as merely bilateral talks 
between two warring parties.  Osman met with JEM Economic Advisor 
Dr. Gibriel Ibrahim to speak about this, and also plans to meet with 
Qatari Foreign Minister al-Mahmoud and Joint Chief Mediator Bassole. 
 On the subject of SLM leader Abdul Wahid al Nur, Osman said that 
his refusal to participate in talks will lead the Fur elites and 
intellectuals to reconsider him as a leader; however, abandoning him 
in favor of another leader will entail a time-consuming consultation 
process among the Fur people.  Osman personally believes that Abdul 
Wahid should be held accountable for all the missed opportunities 
since he retreated into exile. He told poloff that upon returning to 
Khartoum later this week, he intends to open discussions with Fur 
leaders on this subject. However, he cautioned that it would be a 
consultative process among the Fur, there is no timetable for if or 
when the Fur will reach a decision, and he had no idea whom they 
would choose. 
 
¶3. (SBU) On February 16, poloffs also met with SPLM South Darfur MP 
(and Abdul Wahid's father in law) Abulgasim Seifeldin. Seifeldin, a 
member of the Fur tribe originally from Jebel Marra, expressed 
frustration and dismay with his intransigent son-in-law, and 
asserted that the Fur people need broader representation. However, 
he cautioned that it would be a mistake to exclude or marginalize 
Abdul Wahid, because he maintains significant popular support. "I 
don't think it would be helpful to bring someone in to replace him," 
he said, noting that in Fur culture anyone who split off in attempt 
to form their own movement would be considered a traitor. 
"Attempting to exclude him would cause significant problems." 
Seifeldin then gently chastised poloffs for the international 
community's attempts to find a "replacement" for Abdul Wahid, and 
laughed when asked about the presence of human rights lawyer (and 
purported cousin of Abdul Wahid) Salih Mahmoud Osman in the Doha 
talks. "Osman is very highly respected and he has helped many people 
in his human rights work," said Seifeldin. "But he's not a tribal 
leader, and he certainly does not represent the Fur people." 
Instead, Seifeldin said, Osman was in Doha as an observer of the 
proceedings for the Sudanese Communist Party.  (Note: Seifeldin also 
corrected the misperception that Osman is a cousin of Abdel Wahid's, 
noting "they are only from the same village but are not related." 
End note.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) Rather than attempting to bypass Abdul Wahid in potential 
peace talks, Seifeldin said that he hoped to exert new pressure on 
Abdul Wahid with the full backing of Darfuri civil society. He 
described to poloffs his active involvement in the ongoing effort 
led by Professor Abdul Rahman B. Dossa and Professor Atayeb Hajj 
Attia of the University of Khartoum (reftel) to collect and unify 
all civil society proposals and resolutions so as to create a 
unified, comprehensive view of Darfurian civil society. (Note: Fur 
Shura Council Members Dr. Yousif Idris Ahmed and El Amid Mahmoud 
Mohamed Osman are also part of this working group. Poloffs met them 
recently to follow up on their discussion with Senior Representative 
to Sudan Tim Shortley, to be reported septel. End Note.) Once a 
document has been completed, it will give civil society leaders a 
platform from which to engage Abdul Wahid, said Seifeldin. Polchief 
suggested that he and other civil society leaders should make a trip 
 
KHARTOUM 00000209  002 OF 002 
 
 
to Paris to press Abdul Wahid toward negotiations. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In addition to changing the mind of Abdul Wahid, Darfurian 
civil society members also want a place at the negotiating table, 
according to Seifeldin. "The rebels are not representative of the 
people of Darfur. They lack an understanding of political dimensions 
of the conflict and social impact of the war," he said, adding that 
one of the reasons Abuja was rejected by Darfurians was the lack of 
civil society representation. He stated that among the working group 
led by Professor Dossa, there has even been a discussion about 
authoring a declaration of principles to set the stage for 
negotiations, following the publication of their unified document. 
To this end, he asked poloffs for the international community's 
support for both the document and civil society's right to negotiate 
on behalf of Darfurians. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Regarding the current talks in Doha, Seifeldin was 
extremely skeptical about their prospects for bringing peace to 
Darfur, stating that it was merely setting the stage for a 
reconciliation between two factions of the Islamist movement. Even 
if a security arrangement is attained, past histories show it will 
not last, he said. He also urged the international community to 
pressure the SPLM into playing a constructive role in solving the 
crisis, and accused it of holding several Fur rebels ("Abdulshafie 
and others") in a virtual detention in Juba by refusing to grant 
them access or leave. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment: Despite widespread dissatisfaction with the 
intransigence of Abdul Wahid among Fur leaders and intellectuals, 
few if any of them believe that it is possible (in the near term, 
anyway) to replace him, given his entrenched support the in IDP 
camps. Given this reality, no prominent Fur leader has shown a 
willingness to take on the mantle of Fur leadership, and any attempt 
by the West to anoint someone in Abdul Wahid's place will likely be 
met with extreme skepticism unless that figure is really empowered 
by the West (in a way that would probably create other problems). 
Thus the best approach might be to support civil society leaders to 
take their message to Abdul Wahid in a direct and public way. 
Moreover, Darfur rebel leaders such as Abdul Wahid who have little 
capacity to govern will need assistance from civil society leaders, 
so we should do everything possible to cultivate these linkages now. 
Other Fur leaders in exile, such as Ahmed Diraij in London, are also 
worth consulting. 
 
FERNANDEZ