VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDS #2944 3500854
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 160854Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7173
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0538
RUEWMFD/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 7997
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 002944 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/RSA, IO/UNP, AND S-USSE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV SU AU
SUBJECT: USAU: AFRICAN UNION CONTEMPLATING SUMMIT OF ALL 
SUDANESE PARTIES 
 
THIS MESSAGE IS FROM USAU AMBASSADOR MICHAEL BATTLE. 
 
¶1. The African Union is contemplating a summit in early 2010 
that would assemble all of Sudan's political leadership ahead 
of the 2010 elections.  AU Commissioner for Peace and 
Security Ramtane Lamamra raised this possibility during a 
meeting of the African Union Partners Group on Peace and 
Security issues on December 15.  The summit would be intended 
to encourage all Sudanese to participate in the general 
election, Lamamra said. 
 
¶2. Lamamra also updated the Ambassadors on the progress of 
the Thabo Mbeki-led panel tasked with implementing the 
findings and recommendations of the report produced earlier 
this fall by the High-Level Panel on Darfur, which Mbeki also 
chaired.  The report offers a "golden opportunity" for the 
Sudanese and the international community to "get their act 
together" to develop a single agenda that addresses their 
mutual interests, namely the peaceful transformation of 
Sudan, a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Darfur, and 
the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Peace 
Agreement. 
 
¶3. Lamamra also stated that the Mbeki panel is now 
collaborating with the African Union to implement the 
findings and recommendations of the report.  In addition, he 
envisions a new AU/UN reference group for Sudan that would 
include the Mbeki panel.  He will propose this idea when he, 
African Union Commission Chairperson Jean Ping, and Mbeki 
travel to New York to meet with UN officials December 21. 
Former Nigerian President Abubaker and former Burundian 
President Buyoya are also expected to travel to New York as 
part of that delegation. 
MUSHINGI