VZCZCXRO6463
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHGI RUEHKUK RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0774 1740752
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 230752Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3975
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 000774 
 
DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A/S CARSON, AF/C, AF/PDPA 
IIP/G/AF, PA/PRS/RRU-AF 
NSC FOR MGAVIN 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI ASEC KPAO OIIP AU UNSC SU
 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: SUDANESE MEDIA RESPONDS TO SPECIAL ENVOY 
GRATION'S JUNE 17 PRESS BRIEFING 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Khartoum's state-influenced media "selectively" 
portrayed U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan General Gration's June 17 
remarks in Washington to U.S. and international press as strongly 
supportive of the policies of the ruling National Congress Party. 
Pro-government media spun the Special Envoy's answer to the question 
of whether "genocide is ongoing in Darfur" as "putting the issue to 
rest."  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (U) On June 18, "Al-Ahdath," a relatively independent 
Arabic-language newspaper, ran a headline entitled "Gration Refuses 
to Call Situation in Darfur Genocide."  Likewise, the pro-government 
daily "Al-Wifaq" had a front-page spread proclaiming "Gration 
Affirms the Government of Sudan's Position That There Will Be No 
Return of Expelled Organizations and There Is No Genocide in 
Darfur."  In the June 19 issue of "Al-Rai al-Aam," the newspaper 
dismissed the situation in Darfur with "What's Happening in Darfur 
Is Nothing But a Conflict Between the Government and Rebels, and 
Mobsters Are Trying to Terrorize Local Residents." 
 
¶3. (U) In editorials, most of the pro-governent papers continued to 
push their interpretations of Gration's statements.  On June 20, 
"Sudan Vision," a pro-government English-language paper, wrote that 
"Mr. Gration's style discards some of the discordant rhetoric used 
by officials of both the Bush and Obama administrations," and that 
the Special Envoy is now "openly embracing the long-established 
tactical partnership between the U.S. and Sudan, which is grounded 
in counter-terrorism cooperation."  Sudan Vision also printed the 
Special Envoy's remarks verbatim. 
 
¶4. (U) On June 21, SudanTribune.com, an independent, Paris-based 
online publication that is often very critical of the Government of 
Sudan, quoted Hussein Abu Sharati, a spokesperson for the internally 
displaced peoples of Darfur, as saying "what happened and still is 
happening in Darfur is genocide, and it is regrettable to see the 
envoy of President Obama speculating over such a sensitive issue... 
we are deeply hurt and extremely disappointed." 
 
¶5. (U) On June 22, the government-run Sudan News Agency (SUNA) said 
the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was "hopeful that the 
perspective espoused by the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan... is shared 
by the entire U.S. administration," falsely stating that General 
Gration had "denied the existence of genocide in Darfur."  SUNA also 
reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "believes such a 
position will silence hostile attitudes against Sudan." 
 
ASQUINO