David A Fabrycky  05/31/2009 01:11:57 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  PE

Cable 
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UNCLAS        DOHA 00356
CXDOHA:
    ACTION: P/E
    INFO:   OMC RAO DAO PAO DCM FCS AMB

DISSEMINATION: P/E /2
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:JELEBARON
DRAFTED: P/E:DFABRYCKY
CLEARED: ADCM:SRICE

VZCZCDOI127
PP RUEHC RUEHEE RUCNFUR RUEHBJ RUEHBS RUEHKA
DE RUEHDO #0356/01 1510922
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 310922Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9097
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0361
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0211

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000356 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR AF/SPG AND NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL INRB SU RS CH
SUBJECT: DOHA DARFUR TALKS SITREP FOUR (RUSSIA) 
 
---------------- 
(SBU) KEY POINTS 
---------------- 
 
-- Russian Envoy Margelov told SE Gration May 27 that Russia was an 
"honest broker" on Sudan and sees the issue as a positive pilot area 
for U.S.-Russia collaboration. 
 
-- He believed Sudan would continue efforts to divide the 
international community and underscored the importance of passing 
major messages to Bashir directly. 
 
-- The Envoy lamented most Europeans' ignorance of ground truth in 
Sudan and described his plans to host a September 2009 academic 
meeting in Moscow to expose creative ideas on Sudan. 
 
End Key Points. 
 
Russia as an Honest Broker on Sudan 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) During a May 27 meeting with SE Gration, Russian 
Parliamentarian and Envoy on Sudan Mikhail Margelov noted Russia 
decided to join P5 discussions on Sudan because the issues were 
causing a headache for Russia at the UN.  He emphasized that Russia 
is not linked to Bashir or the South, does not have major 
investments in Sudan (unlike the Chinese with USD 14 billion tied up 
in the country), has no post-colonial feelings, and therefore there 
is nothing to prevent Russia from being an honest broker.  Margelov 
noted he has other responsibilities so can't be totally focused on 
Sudan but Russia has an excellent Ambassador in Khartoum who has 
been instructed to support P-5 efforts and the other Envoys. 
 
¶2. (SBU) SE Gration lauded Russia's role and noted there are a lot 
of potential areas for U.S.-Russia collaboration on Sudan.  He 
invited Russia's efforts to join the U.S. in pressuring Sudanese 
Presidential Advisor Ghazi on the NGO/humanitarian situation in 
Darfur.  SE Gration invited Russia's participation in the June 23 
forum on Darfur in Washington, casting the event as an opportunity 
to think more innovatively on monitoring and other issues. 
 
Sudan as Positive Issue for U.S.-Russia Collaboration 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Margelov responded that the U.S. and Russia have 
overlapping interests on Sudan and no one wants "another Somalia." 
Russia sees the whole Sahel region as problematic, and Sudan is one 
large part of that.  Margelov voiced his pleasure at having a 
pragmatic counterpart with SE Gration.  In the new climate of a 
"reset" in bilateral relations, Margelov said the two countries need 
to deliver positive pilot projects that are not in each other's 
backyard (e.g., not Venezuela and not Ukraine).  SE Gration agreed 
that Sudan is a wonderful area for cooperation as there is not a lot 
of baggage for the two countries. 
 
¶4. (SBU) In response to Margelov's comment about an NGO in Alaska 
working on a study of south Sudan wealth-sharing, SE Gration noted 
many U.S. NGOs are forming such studies and these efforts will help 
support the peace process. 
 
Sudanese Tactics to Divide International Pressure 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Margelov noted the Sudanese are always trying to separate 
the main countries involved in Sudan peace issues and will invent 
incentives to "pick them off" and prevent collective pressure.  He 
noted, only half-jokingly, that he was glad Russia is in tough 
economic times so the oligarchs won't be investing in Sudan and 
therefore are not a complicating factor in Russia's relations with 
the country.  In this regard, Margelov sees China as critically 
important due to its investments, people working in Sudan, and 
dependence on oil from the country.  At the same time, he sees 
Chinese Envoy Liu Guijin as having made great progress on China's 
policy in the last few months. 
 
Major Messages Need to go to Bashir Directly 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Margelov reported he had met with Bashir before the ICC 
indictment and expects to receive pressure to meet with Bashir again 
in the future.  He believes Bashir is clearly pulling the strings in 
Khartoum and the decision-maker for the regime.  Because of this, 
Margelov believes the Envoys will at least have to interact with 
Bashir indirectly.  However, he also worries that the Envoys' words 
will be modified as they make their way to Bashir so if there are 
serious messages which require decision, it will be important to 
meet directly with him. 
 
Inaccurate European Perceptions of Darfur 
----------------------------------------- 
¶7. (SBU) Margelov lamented the lack of awareness and understanding 
of Sudan issues among European politicians.  In particular, he 
derided a 2008 Council of Europe debate in Strasbourg on Sudan.  He 
noted that out of several hundred parliamentarians, he was the only 
one to have physically visited Darfur.  Terming the debate a 
"disaster," Margelov said it was based entirely on media 
distortions.  By contrast, he was surprised by three things during a 
February 2007 visit, and these nuances are usually lost in debates 
on Darfur: 
-- There were no guns for sale in the markets, suggesting a certain 
kind of order. 
-- There is no open slavery. 
-- When he flew over Darfur, he saw neither burnt villages nor 
battlefield traces, leading him to believe the conflict is not a 
massive "World War Two style war." 
 
September 2009 Academic Meeting in Russia on Sudan 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) Margelov noted Russia would be hosting a late September 
meeting in Moscow to allow intellectuals to debate various creative 
ideas for peace-building in Darfur.  In particular, he hopes the 
meeting will illuminate ideas which may not be politically correct 
for Envoys to say but can be helpful to get out in the open. 
 
Background on Russian Envoy 
--------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Margelov speaks fluent English and Arabic.  He reported 
that PM Medvedev asked him to take the job of Sudan Envoy but he can 
only be partially devoted to the efforts due to his main job as an 
elected member of Russia's Parliament.  He has one staff member 
devoted full-time to Sudan. 
 
¶10. (U) Following is the text of an official bio provided by 
Margelov's staff: 
 
In December 2000, Mikhail Margelov was elected to represent the 
Pskov Region in the Council of Federation (the Upper House of 
Russian Parliament), where he joined the Committee for Foreign 
Affairs.  In November 2001, he was elected Chairman of this 
Committee. 
 
From its creation in October 1999 until autumn 2000 Mikhail Margelov 
was a director of the Russia Information Center (Rosinformcentr). 
The Center was established as a governmental agency to cover events 
in the Northern Caucasus, as well as general coverage of the 
internal political events.  From May 1998 to September 1999 he held 
a managerial position at RIA-Novosti Information Agency. 
 
Mr. Margelov was born in 1964 in Moscow.  He graduated from the 
Institute of Countries of Asia and Africa, affiliated with Moscow 
State University.  He has worked as an interpreter in the 
International Department of the Central Committee, Communist Party 
of the Soviet Union, taught Arabic at the Higher School of the USSR 
State Security Committee, and was Senior Editor of the Arab section 
in the TASS News Agency. 
 
Mikhail Margelov is married and has a son Dmitiri. 
 
End Text of Bio. 
 
¶11. (U) SE Gration's delegation has cleared this cable. 
 
LEBARON