VZCZCXRO5558
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0064/01 0121056
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 121055Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0003
INFO IGAD COLLECTIVE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000064 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR MOPS SU
SUBJECT: TENSIONS FLARE IN JEBEL MARRA AS KEY REBEL COMMANDER KILLED 
IN INFIGHTING 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 1357 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The internal struggle within the Sudan Liberation 
Army/Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) rebel faction reignited on January 5, 
when a prominent commander was killed in an ambush, according to UN 
and rebel sources. Abdalla Bakr, who had actively advanced the Doha 
rebel unification process supported by U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan 
(SE) Scott Gration, was reportedly killed by other members of 
SLA/AW who remain faithful to the Paris-based leader. Meanwhile in 
West Darfur, a local Government of Sudan (GOS) military commander 
told a United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) 
investigative patrol that GOS forces had clashed with fighters from 
the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) near Sileah on January 6-8. 
Neither side reported casualties. End Summary. 
 
 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
PROMINENT COMMANDER KILLED IN JEBEL MARRA 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) According to rebel and UN sources, on January 5 SLA/AW 
Commander Abdalla Bakr and 25 soldiers had traveled to the village 
of Boldon (about 5 km from Golul) where they arrested SLA/AW Chief 
of Military Intelligence Younis Desoung at the order of SLA/AW 
General Commander Gaddura. (Note: Younis, a relative of Abdul 
Wahid, is said to oppose the Doha rebel unification process 
supported by SE Gration. Tensions have flared within SLA/AW between 
those who favor rebel unification efforts and greater engagement 
with the international community, and those who oppose them. End 
Note.) 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) On the way back from Boldon, Bakr and his soldiers were 
reportedly ambushed in the vicinity of Golul (about 15 km east of 
Nertiti), West Darfur. Abdalla Bakr was killed in the ambush.  One 
of the attackers was also killed in action while another, along 
with Younis, managed to escape. Relatives of Abdul Wahid are 
believed to be responsible for the killing, according to SLA/AW 
Commander Osman Tawilla. (Note: This was apparently the second 
attempt on Bakr's life in recent weeks; in late December he was 
unsuccessfully ambushed in Boldon by an SLA/AW commander named 
Dugosh, who is now reportedly detained by the pro-unification 
group. Bakr was also abducted by persons loyal to Abdul Wahid in 
late November (reftel) and subsequently released. End Note.) 
According to UN sources, tensions in the region are high and the 
security situation remains unpredictable. 
 
 
 
----------------------------------- 
 
JEM CLASHES WITH GOS IN WEST DARFUR 
 
----------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) On January 9, UNAMID conducted a patrol to the town of 
Sileah (about 25 km from the Chad-Sudan border) to investigate 
media reports, attributed to JEM, that GOS aircraft had dropped 
bombs in the area. According to UNAMID, a local sheikh told the 
patrol that on January 2, GOS aircraft dropped bombs near Umdaraba 
village, about 17 km from Sileah town, for unknown reasons. The 
patrol also met with the local GOS commander, who stated that on 
January 2 JEM forces were spotted moving towards Sileah town and 
were disrupted by GOS aircraft. The GOS commander further stated 
that on January 6, JEM forces were seen moving along Aresa Jebel 
Mountain (7 km from Sileah) and upon spotting the movement, GOS 
military forces launched an attack. Clashes continued on January 8 
when JEM forces advanced towards a GOS military barracks in Sileah, 
he said, and JEM's movement was halted. No casualties were reported 
by either side, according to UNAMID. 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment: The killing of Abdalla Bakr will likely deepen 
 
KHARTOUM 00000064  002 OF 002 
 
 
divisions within the SLA/AW. If Abdul Wahid loyalists lose military 
influence in Jebel Marra, the Paris-based leader may face 
increasing pressure to join the Doha talks, set to start on January 
¶24. On the other hand, the death of Abdalla Bakr weakens the hand 
of the pro-unification group led by SLA/AW General Commander 
Gaddura, further compounded by the continued detainment of his 
Chief of Staff Yousif Ahmed Yousif (known as Karjakola) by JEM 
forces in Chad. The presence of JEM troops in West Darfur, 
meanwhile, could indicate the rebel movement is slowly being pushed 
out of Chad, a confidence-building measure in the nascent 
Chad-Sudan rapprochement. (Alternatively, the mobilization could be 
seen as attempt to gain territory and thus leverage in advance of 
planned peace talks in Doha on January 24). Either way, JEM appears 
to be growing weaker; in addition to suffering heavy losses from 
May 2009 fighting in Dar Zaghawa, JEM is said to be struggling to 
retain the loyalty of various former SLA commanders who joined it 
following the April 2009 defection of Suleiman Jamous from 
SLA/Unity. 
WHITEHEAD