VZCZCXRO2049
OO RUEHBC RUEHBZ RUEHDH RUEHDU RUEHKUK RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV
RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDO #0074 0551352
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 241352Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9716
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0002
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0196

C O N F I D E N T I A L DOHA 000074 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2020 
TAGS: PREL PHUM SU QA
SUBJECT: LEADERS SIGN DARFUR DEAL IN DOHA 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b and d). 
 
-------------- 
(C) KEY POINTS 
-------------- 
 
-- Leaders of the Justice and Equality Movement of Darfur 
(JEM) and the Government of Sudan signed a cease-fire and 
framework agreement in Doha on February 23. 
 
-- The agreement addresses such issues as power-sharing, the 
integration of the JEM armed groups into the Sudanese 
military, the allocation of resources, and compensation to 
victims.  The next step will be agreeing on the 
implementation of the framework, for which they have given 
themselves until March 15. 
 
-- The leaders will also turn their attention to the 
reconstruction in Darfur, beginning at a donors' conference 
to be held in Cairo on March 13.  Qatar has already pledge 
USD 1 billion for Darfur reconstruction. 
 
-- Western envoys expressed guarded optimism that the 
framework would lead to a lasting peace settlement, but 
cautioned that previous agreements had not been effective, 
and that much would depend on the course of the next few 
weeks. 
 
End Key Points. 
 
¶1. (SBU) At a ceremony held in Doha February 23, the 
Government of Sudan and representatives of the Justice and 
Equality Movement (JEM) signed a ceasefire and 12-point 
framework agreement which when fully implemented will give 
JEM a share of power in the Sudanese government.  Present 
were Amir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chadian President 
Idriss Deby, Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir, and 
Eritrean President Isaias Aferwerki, in addition to UN-EU 
Joint Negotiator Djibril Bassole and a representative of the 
Arab League.  The agreement was signed by Ahmed Tugud on 
behalf of JEM and by Sudanese Minister of Information and 
Culture Amin Hassan Omer. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The agreement provides for JEM participation in both 
the executive and legislative branches of the government and 
discusses such critical matters as resource distribution and 
the return of refugees.  It provides for an immediate 
cease-fire and the integration of rebel fighters into the 
police and military.  It also provides for the release of JEM 
prisoners and an amnesty for its members.  Leaders must now 
begin negotiations on how to implement this framework 
agreement. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Only one of three JEM factions signed the accord, 
but representatives of the others, speaking on the margins of 
the signing ceremony, said that they would unite their 
efforts and support the agreement.  Five other groups, also 
present in Doha for the talks, announced that they would form 
a single group and pursue an agreement with Khartoum similar 
to the one reached by JEM. 
 
¶4. (SBU) After the signing, attention turned to the 
reconstruction of Darfur.  Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the 
Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic 
Conference (OIC) announced that a donors' conference 
sponsored by Turkey and Egypt will be held in Cairo on March 
¶13.  Qatar immediately pledged a contribution of USD 1 
billion to the reconstruction effort. 
 
¶5. (C) Western envoys were guardedly optimistic that the Doha 
agreement would lead to further progress toward a sustainable 
peace in Darfur.  Canadian Representative to the Darfur Talks 
James Johnson, speaking with Poloff Caudill on February 24, 
said that the ceasefire and framework agreement was a 
positive development, but that much worked remained to be 
done on the road to peace.  He noted that the agreement by 
itself was not enough, and that the parties would now have to 
take concrete steps to implement it.  "It's a start.  I hope 
it works out, but we'll see", he said. 
 
¶6. (C) French Special Envoy Issa Mauraut offered a slightly 
more optimistic view:  "This is very good, a big opportunity 
for us," he told Poloff Caudill on February 24.  But he also 
added that there had been many agreements in the past, with 
little success in reaching a lasting peace. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Special Envoy to Sudan Gration's staff has cleared 
this cable. 
Lebaron