VZCZCXYZ0158
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLO #2784/01 3451517
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111517Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4312
INFO RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0133
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0758
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1524

UNCLAS LONDON 002784 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR THE SECRETARY 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR S/USSES 
USUN FOR AMBASSADOR RICE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPDC PREL PREF OPRC PHUM XA SU UK
SUBJECT: LETTER FROM ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU TO THE 
SECRETARY REGARDING THE SUDAN 
 
¶1.  Embassy London received on December 10 the following 
letter for the Secretary from Archbishop Desmond Tutu as the 
Chair of The Elders Foundation.  The letter is copied to U.S. 
Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador 
Susan Rice and the President's Special Envoy to Sudan General 
Scott Gration. 
 
¶2. BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER: 
 
Mrs. Hilary Rodham Clinton 
Secretary of State of the United States of America 
Washington, DC 
United States of America 
 
Cape Town, 8 December 2009 
 
Dear Secretary of State, 
 
As Chair of a group of global leaders known as The Elders, I 
am writing to you regarding the urgent need for your 
government to join directly with other key members of the 
international community in supporting the transition to 
democracy, peace and security in Sudan.  As we approach the 
fifth anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace 
Agreement (CPA), we are deeply concerned that increased 
violence and instability in Sudan are on the horizon.  We 
call for immediate action, a comprehensive approach and 
greater international cooperation to address the numerous 
challenges that the country is facing and prevent a return to 
conflict, which would have a devastating impact on human 
lives and regional security. 
 
Since being brought together by Nelson Mandela in July 2007, 
the Elders have been closely following events in Sudan.  Our 
first trip as a group was to Sudan in October 2007: Lakhdar 
Brahimi, Jimmy Carter, Graca Machel and I met political 
leaders from Northern and Southern Sudan, representatives of 
UN agencies and the African Union, and diplomats.  In Darfur 
we met tribal leaders, women's groups, civil society leaders 
and internally displaced persons. 
 
Violence, displacement, human rights abuses and poverty have 
taken a toll on the people we met.  We heard many painful and 
heartbreaking stories.  But we were equally inspired by the 
people's optimism and hope for the future.  They told us that 
they longed to have a say in shaping the future of their 
country; they wanted educational and economic opportunities 
to lift themselves out of poverty; and they yearned for a 
secure and prosperous future for their children and 
grandchildren. 
 
The people of Sudan have suffered for too long.  The grave 
humanitarian situation and current levels of violence remain 
of immense concern to us.  Furthermore, Africa's largest 
country is approaching an historical conjuncture of national 
elections scheduled for April 2010, a post-election 'popular 
consultation' in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, a 
referendum for self-determination in the South scheduled for 
January 2011 and a renewed peace process for Darfur.  Each of 
these events is contested by Sudan's political forces; 
cooperation and consensus are elusive. 
 
Unless the people and leaders of Northern Sudan and Southern 
Sudan come together to complete the terms of the CPA and 
prepare for the upcoming elections and a peaceful referendum, 
the nation faces even greater peril.  Failure to contain the 
real prospect of a return to large-scale conflict will have 
grave consequences for the people of Sudan and neighboring 
countries - and might affect the entire African continent. 
 
It is crucial for the electoral processes in Sudan to be 
free, open and inclusive - involving all people and regions 
of Sudan, including the internally displaced persons and 
those in the rebel-controlled areas in Darfur - in order for 
the outcome to be credible and to pave the way towards 
genuine democratization and political reform.  Full and 
unfettered access by international and national election 
observers to monitor and report on the electoral processes is 
also vital to ensuring that the Sudanese population has 
confidence in the results.  Unless the elections live up to 
democratic standards, they will likely exacerbate violence. 
 
The Elders believe that it is essential that the 
international community develops and implements a clear, 
coherent and comprehensive strategy on Sudan - addressing the 
current electoral and governance challenges that the country 
 
faces as well as the situation beyond the referendum.  Your 
government has an indispensable role to play in working with 
other key countries and regional and international 
institutions to ensure that the CPA is implemented in full 
and that the various concerns about the preparations for the 
elections and referendum are addressed.  We fear that the 
historic opportunity offered by the CPA might be lost unless 
the international community comes together and intensifies 
its efforts to safeguard the future of Sudan and its people. 
We call on you to contribute to a united and comprehensive 
approach. 
 
My fellow Elders and I stand ready and willing to support you 
- and the wider international community as a whole - in 
living up to our collective responsibilities to ensure that 
the will of the Sudanese people prevails and that stability 
and prosperity befall all of Sudan. 
 
Swift and bold action is needed to avoid yet another 
humanitarian disaster on the African continent.  The time to 
act is now. 
 
God Bless You. 
 
(signed) 
 
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu 
Chair, The Elders 
 
cc: 
- H. E. Ambassador Susan E. Rice, Permanent Representative of 
the United States of America to the United Nations 
- General Scott Gration, United States Special Envoy to Sudan 
 
END TEXT OF LETTER. 
 
Visit London's Classified Website: 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom 
 
Susman