VZCZCXRO6947
PP RUEHJO
DE RUEHDO #0283/01 1200554
ZNR UUUUU ZDF
P 300554Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9001
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000283 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM QA SU
SUBJECT: JEM THREATENS TO EXPAND WAR IN PURSUIT OF PEACE 
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DOHA 00000283  001.2 OF 002 
 
(SBU) KEY POINTS 
---------------- 
 
-- The Justice and Equality Movement's (JEM) representative 
in Doha, Abu Bakr Al-Qadi, told Special Envoy for Sudan Scott 
Gration April 28 that JEM believes the Government of Sudan is 
serious about peace but is no partner in the pursuit of it. 
 
-- Al-Qadi said the way to bring about peace is by taking the 
war to Khartoum and the country's center.  Only then would 
the GOS negotiate seriously and agree to a fair and equitable 
settlement of ongoing disputes. 
 
-- JEM seeks a final settlement of the dispute in Darfur that 
would involve economic development. 
 
-- Wanting to avoid the mistakes made in southern Sudan, JEM 
sees a framework agreement, perhaps in the context of a trial 
three-month cease-fire, while maintaining its arms as the 
best negotiating path forward. 
 
-- Special Envoy for Sudan Scott Gration encouraged JEM to 
transform itself into a political movement, vice army. 
 
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(SBU) COMMENT 
------------- 
 
-- JEM sees itself, and acts as, the only armed and real 
Darfur opposition to the National Congress Party and will not 
settle easily.  All it wants are more allies in its fight 
against Khartoum.  Threats to take it all the way to 
Khartoum, to South Kordofan, and to absorb the remaining 
armed movements in Darfur could be prophetic.  The concern is 
not just that JEM may destabilize Khartoum or the eastern 
portion of the Three Areas, but that it may also ensure the 
renewal inter-state conflict between Chad and Sudan, and 
further upset the fragile Comprehensive Peace Agreement. 
 
End Key Points and Comments. 
 
¶1. (SBU) In an April 28 meeting with Special Envoy (SE) for 
Sudan Gration (joined by Ambassador, S/USSES Deputy Tim 
Shortley and P/E Chief Rice), the permanent representative in 
Doha of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Abu Bakr 
Al-Qadi underscoredQt the shortest way to a cease-fire in 
Darfur is by negotiations of AU/UN's Chief Mediator's 
framework agreement.  This is because it is essential not to 
repeat the mistakes that were made in the Abuja negotiations 
of the Darfur Peace Agreement. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Al-Qadi suggested that it was possible to implement 
a cease-fire for three months, provided that a framework 
agreement comes out of it at the end.  JEM, he said, seeks a 
"final solution that would involve economic development." 
 
¶3. (SBU) Al-Qadi asked the Special Envoy why the 
international community is not "protecting our people.  Why 
are there no airplanes?"  He said JEM wants to build "an 
alliance of the marginalized against the Government of Sudan 
(GOS)." 
 
¶4. (SBU) Al-Qadi said JEM believes the GOS is serious about 
peace but is no partner in the pursuit of it.  "The GOS only 
understands the stick," he said.  Al-Qadi said the way to 
bring about is by taking the war to Khartoum and the 
country's center.  With displaced everywhere within the 
center would the GOS negotiate seriously and agree to a fair 
and equitable settlement of disputes. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Special Envoy Gration, after listening intently to 
numerous examples of GOS failings and a long history of 
disappointments for the Darfur opposition, said he agreed 
with JEM that there should be no offensive flights over 
Darfur. 
 
¶6. (SBU) SE Gration challenged JEM to transform itself from 
an army into the political movement (stress on movement) that 
its name implies. He said the people of Darfur will move 
forward toward prosperity when they have the basic 
necessities of life.  The residents of Darfur need to see 
assistance channeled to people living normally outside 
Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Success, SE Gration noted, can be measured by the 
population of Darfur that leaves the camps and leads a normal 
life.  This is what he seeks in Darfur and all of Sudan:  a 
normal life for its inhabitants.  The country has known war 
since its independence, and the Qatar Initiative on Darfur is 
 
DOHA 00000283  002.2 OF 002 
 
SUBJECT: JEM THREATENS TO EXPAND WAR IN PURSUIT OF PEACE 
an opportunity that all groups and the GOS must seize to 
bring the fighting to an end.  He encouraged JEM, again, to 
transform itself into a political movement and take advantage 
of this opportunity.  We must, he underscored, measure 
progress by the quality of life in Darfur and not the 
quantity of weapons held by the opposition groups. 
 
¶8. (U) SE Gration has cleared this message. 
 
LeBaron