VZCZCXRO6785
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0553/01 1130603
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 230603Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3607
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000553 
 
DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A A/S CARTER, AF/C 
NSC FOR MGAVIN AND CHUDSON 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: SENATOR KERRY VISIT TO DARFUR, APRIL 17, 2009 
 
REF: A) KHARTOUM 548 
B) KHARTOUM 539 
C) KHARTOUM 538 
D) KHARTOUM 537 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On April 17, Senator John F. Kerry and delegation 
traveled to El Fasher, Darfur for several hours amid much fanfare 
from local officials. Following an overly ceremonious greeting with 
dancers representing many of Darfur's tribes, North Darfur's Wali 
(Governor) Osman Kibir played down humanitarian concerns in Darfur 
and urged a greater role for the USG in solving the Darfur crisis. 
At Al Salam IDP camp, camp sheikhs voiced their frustrations at the 
lack of services following the expulsion of 13 INGOs, and urged the 
USG to take action to replace them. At UNAMID Headquarters, UNAMID 
officials told Senator Kerry that the situation in Darfur has 
evolved into a low intensity conflict characterized by 
unpredictability - and said that UNAMID is now actually analyzing 
why the conflict has reduced so dramatically. Meanwhile, Assistant 
to the President Minni Minnawi remains ambivalent on the prospect of 
peace talks in Doha, and asserted that his forces remain ready to 
confront JEM should it re-enter Darfur. End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Arriving at El Fasher Airport the morning of April 17, 
Senator Kerry and the delegation were met on the tarmac by a 
procession of dozens of local government officials and tribal 
leaders. At the office of North Darfur Wali Osman Mohammed Kibir, 
Kerry was welcomed by tribal dancers and drummers before being shown 
a power-point presentation purporting to bring "enlightenment" on 
the situation in Darfur and trumpeting the achievements of the North 
Darfur State government on security and livelihood issues. North 
Darfur Wali Kibir asserted that the humanitarian situation was being 
distorted by the international community (singling out CDA 
Fernandez's advocacy on the 42,000 recent IDPs arriving in Zam Zam 
IDP camp for special criticism), noting in particular the 
now-standard GOS line that new arrivals to Zam Zam were not 
displaced persons but rather, voluntary migrants. He further 
asserted that there were no gaps in services following the expulsion 
of the 13 INGOS. Despite these assertions, Kibir proclaimed that the 
state of North Darfur was ready for a new era of cooperation with 
the USG, and urged the USG to use its leverage and put renewed 
pressure on the rebel movements to come to the negotiating table. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Following a prolonged departure from the Wali's Office, 
Senator Kerry and the delegation proceeded to the nearby Al Salam 
IDP camp. At the CHF Community Center, camp sheiks assembled told 
the Senator that they had been living in Al Salam for almost five 
years since being displaced from areas such as Shangil Tobay and 
Tawila due to repeated attacks by Arab militia. Life in the camps 
has become worse since the March 4 expulsion of the 13 INGOs, they 
said, and urged the Senator to work towards reinstating the expelled 
entities or find other Western replacements for them. Senator Kerry 
told the sheikhs that the USG has reached a tentative understanding 
with the GOS on the resumption of aid activity, but that they 
expelled groups would not necessarily return. He promised to take 
the camp sheikhs message with him back to Washington. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Senator Kerry and the delegation proceeded to UNAMID 
Headquarters where they were briefed by Acting Joint Special 
Representative Hocine Medili, Deputy Force Commander General 
Emmanuel Karenzi, and Police Commissioner Michael Fryer. Citing a 
significant reduction in clashes among parties to the conflict, 
Acting JSR Medili characterized Darfur as a "low intensity 
conflict," but noted that the security situation remains 
unpredictable, especially because of the buildup of proxy forces 
along the Chad-Sudan border. One explanation for the lull may be 
that JEM was hurt more badly than believed when it was chased back 
to Chad, chiefly by an emboldened Minni Minnawi, in February after 
the Muhajeriyya attacks. Medili said he expected UNAMID's force 
protection capability to improve with additional deployments before 
the end of the year, and noted that plans were ongoing for the 
establishment of Mobile Monitoring Teams (MMTs) to monitor an 
eventual cessation of hostilities. Chief requirements for MMTs still 
to be met are military transport helicopters, communications 
equipment, specialist training and orientation, and non-military 
logistical support for parties and observers, he said. The 
deployment of the very important FPUs (formed police units) was 
lagging behind that of the military and civilian components, mainly 
because of the slowness of TCCs. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Following the briefing at UNAMID, Senator Kerry and the 
delegation proceeded to the Embassy-run Green House in El Fasher for 
a meeting with Assistant to the President Minni Minnawi. Minnawi 
expressed frustration with the lack of implementation of the 2006 
Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), but noted that his movement was 
committed to peace in a way unlike Khalil Ibrahim's JEM. Nonetheless 
 
KHARTOUM 00000553  002 OF 002 
 
 
if JEM attacks SLA/Minnawi forces again, "we are ready for them," he 
said. Minnawi asserted that his force was strong as ever and that 
"new fighters are joining us every day," despite widespread rumors 
to the contrary. Senator Kerry thanked Minnawi and emphasized that 
as a critical stakeholder in Darfur, the USG is eager for his 
continued role in the peace process. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment: UNAMID's contention that Darfur is now a "low 
intensity conflict" is an accurate one, as the situation on the 
ground is now characterized by sporadic (but often unpredictable and 
occasionally spectacular) incidents of violence. As the rainy season 
approaches, the prospects for a prolonged dtente appear probable, 
if neither JEM nor the Chadian rebels move in the next couple of 
months. It is critical that the international community capitalize 
on this lull to push forward on peace talks to achieve a possible 
cessation of hostilities, which could be accelerated if MMTs are 
already in place. Post recommends continued support for MMTs and the 
air transport assets they require at UNHQ in New York. End comment. 
 
FERNANDEZ