VZCZCXRO2617
OO RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0890/01 2141222
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021222Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4176
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000890 
 
DEPT FOR SE GRATION, S/USSES, AF A/S CARSON, AF/C 
NSC FOR MGAVIN 
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: CHADIAN REBELS WITHDRAW BUT MILITARY TENSIONS REMAIN ON 
SUDAN'S WESTERN BORDER 
 
REF:  A) KHARTOUM 591  B) KHARTOUM 888 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: In a July 29 meeting in Khartoum, United des 
Forces de la Resistance (UFR) Chadian rebel commander Mahamat Hanno 
claimed that UFR President Timane Erdimi and the UFR commanders have 
returned to Khartoum.  UFR combatants have reportedly withdrawn from 
the border but have not disarmed.  Meanwhile, this week near Kulbus, 
West Darfur, Chadian ANT patrols twice raised alarm within Sudan. 
The incidents have resulted in increased tension but no reported 
casualties. 
 
--------------------------- 
UFR PULLS BACK, STILL ARMED 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Speaking with poloff on July 29, Hanno claimed that Chadian 
rebel commanders from United des Forces de la Resistance (UFR) had 
returned to Khartoum, including Hanno's close associate UFR 
President Timane Erdimi.  Currently, UFR combatants remain in their 
camps inside Darfur, and have withdrawn from the Chadian border, but 
Hanno would not say how far they have withdrawn from the border. 
"They are in Sudan for now, but this is not a permanent position," 
Hanno said. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to Hanno, UFR has taken these temporary steps as 
a precursor to political dialogue with the Deby regime, but UFR will 
continue to consider armed action if N'Djamena does not respond to 
UFR's olive branch.  "If we can't solve it this way, then we will 
solve it another way," he vowed.  UFR combatants have not disarmed, 
and UFR does not intend for them to disarm soon.  Inviting American 
officials to visit the rebel force in the field, Hanno said, "Come 
to our camps and see.  We are not weak, but we are strong."  Hanno 
said UFR would welcome any U.S. initiative that would bring about 
dialogue with N'Djamena. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
ANT, SAF TRADE BARBS ACROSS THE BORDER 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) On July 26, a minor conflagration erupted between the 
Chadian National Army (ANT) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on the 
Chad-Sudan border near Kulbus, West Darfur.  SAF spotted a Chadian 
patrol consisting of 200 vehicles and seven tanks patrolling the 
border near Kulbus-- approximately 100 km north of El Geneina on the 
Chadian border.  An ANT colonel communicated to SAF that the patrol 
was searching for three ANT soldiers who had crossed into Sudan to 
defect to the SAF.  Although the ANT patrol never crossed into 
Sudan, the SAF fired warning shots in the air to discourage either 
desertions or military action.  By 16:30 that day the ANT patrol had 
pulled further back into Chad and no casualties were reported. 
Since then the border has remained largely quiet, according to 
UNAMID. 
 
¶5. (SBU) UNAMID military observers investigating the situation spoke 
with the GOS commander in Kulbus, who remained skeptical that the 
ANT patrol was searching for its defectors.  SAF Colonel Hamad 
Hassan told the observers on July 27 that SAF West Darfur 
headquarters was ready to send a Hind helicopter gunship to Kulbus 
as a show of force, but backed off after the ANT withdrawal later 
that afternoon.  He said that soldiers remain on high alert as their 
instructions from El Geneina remain clear that if a Chadian military 
patrol crosses into Sudan, SAF soldiers should fight back to repel 
them. 
 
¶6. (SBU) UNAMID military observers received a report from SAF that 
on July 28, a heavily armed ANT military patrol had crossed the 
Sudanese border near Kulbus, into the village of Kalua. 
Eyewitnesses reported that the ANT patrol consisted of 30 vehicles, 
including 4 armored personnel carriers and vehicles carrying 
anti-aircraft weaponry.  SAF reported to UNAMID that the patrol 
withdrew within several hours, and SAF reinforced the village with 
40 soldiers the following day. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment:  UFR leadership's willingness to pull back to 
Khartoum reflects both political expediency and a strategic weakness 
given their drubbing at the hands of ANT forces in May.  Now that 
Erdimi and other Chadian rebel leaders have returned to Khartoum, 
Post will continue to follow up on this issue.  But while Darfur's 
rainy season may keep the rebels out of N'Djamena, Sudan's borders 
are as porous as ever. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment continued.  The exact details of ANT activity south 
of Kulbus remains murky, although we believe the best information to 
date is that reported ref B from UNAMID.  Not in question, however, 
 
KHARTOUM 00000890  002 OF 002 
 
 
is the potential for military confrontation to get out of hand.  Had 
SAF HQ in West Darfur sent one of the SAF's speedy Hind gunships to 
confront an ANT patrol, a minor incident near Kulbus could have 
sparked a fight.  Cooler heads prevailed in the SAF this time, but 
continued military gamesmanship in the border area could lead to 
trouble. 
 
WHITEHEAD