VZCZCXRO9625
OO RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKH #0121/01 0531253
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O R 221252Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0247
INFO DARFUR COLLECTIVE
IGAD COLLECTIVE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000121 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
NSC FOR MGAVIN, LETIM 
DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU 
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/22 
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS SU CD
SUBJECT: SE GRATION DISCUSSES DARFUR PEACE, SECURITY WITH JSR GAMBARI 
 
REF: 10 KHARTOUM 254; 10 KHARTOUM 282 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Robert E. Whitehead, Charge d'Affaires; REASON: 
1.4(B), (D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: The Government of Sudan (GOS) appears eager to 
conclude an agreement at the Doha peace talks while rebel groups 
remain intransigent, UNAMID Joint Special Representative (JSR) 
Ibrahim Gambari told SE Gration on February 20. He expressed 
concern about lack of humanitarian access to civilians displaced by 
the recent fighting in Jebel Moon and Jebel Marra, noting he is 
exerting pressure on both the GOS and rebel movements to cease 
hostilities to permit the delivery of relief supplies. In the wake 
of the ambush of a UNAMID police patrol in Nyala, the mission is 
working with the GOS to set up "security enhancement measures" 
through improved information sharing, but significant reforms to 
the justice system are needed to transform the culture of impunity 
in Darfur, he said.  Gambari also discussed UNAMID's willingness to 
support the January 15 Ndjamena Accord between Chad and Sudan, as 
well as a planned Darfur summit in Kigali, Rwanda, which he hoped 
would streamline international coordination on efforts to return 
peace, security and development to the beleaguered region. End 
Summary. 
 
 
 
¶2. (C) On February 20, SE Gration met with UNAMID Joint Special 
Representative (JSR) Ibrahim Gambari in Khartoum. Gambari briefed 
SE on his recent trip to Doha for consultations with the 
belligerent parties, noting that the GOS is "ready to deal" while 
the rebel groups remain intransigent. JEM continues to insist it 
should be the only group at the negotiating table, he said, while 
the Addis Group and Tripoli Group are still focused on internal 
discussions. Gambari said he urged JEM to lead by example and 
constructive behavior, while urging the Tripoli and Addis groups to 
overcome their differences and unify. Gambari also met with 
Government of Qatar Foreign Minister Al Mahmoud, who he described 
as initially discouraged by the lack of progress, but later more 
upbeat. He noted that Al Mahmoud took up his suggestion of 
downgrading the rebels from the five star Doha Sheraton to slightly 
less plush environs, noting that the rebels "were in no hurry" to 
reach a deal. Gambari also expressed disappointment that despite 
his urgings, the rebels showed no interest in playing a role in the 
upcoming April elections, perceiving them as completely de-linked 
from the Darfur conflict. 
 
 
 
¶3. (C) Gambari also briefed SE Gration on a February 19 meeting 
called by UNAMID with the humanitarian community to discuss the 
response to civilian displacement caused by fighting in Jebel Marra 
and Jebel Moon (ref A). He stated that while the humanitarian 
community has enough materials to provide support for displaced, 
the issue of access to affected areas remains in question. Gambari 
stated that he plans to engage the GOS and rebel movements on the 
subject, having recently telephoned Paris-based SLA Chairman Abdel 
Wahid Al Nur to urge the recalcitrant leader to commit to safe 
passage for the delivery of relief supplies, as well as a cessation 
of hostilities. Gambari noted that Abdul Wahid was reluctant to 
speak over the telephone and urged him to visit him in Paris, which 
he was currently considering. 
 
 
 
¶4. (C) Gambari also addressed the upcoming summit called by UNAMID 
in Kigali, Rwanda to discuss peace and security in Darfur. Special 
Envoys from China, the UK, France and EU have committed to attend, 
he said, noting that UN/AU Joint Chief Mediator Bassole may also 
attend. He described the summit as a "brainstorming session," 
focused on enhancing security on the ground, providing positive 
momentum for the peace process, and supporting voluntary returns 
and recovery efforts. "The end result is consensus" on how the 
international community will coordinate, he said. 
 
 
 
¶5. (C) Gambari also described his visit to Nyala in the wake of the 
February 16 ambush of a UNAMID patrol (ref B). He credited the 
survival of the seven injured peacekeepers to UNAMID's Pakistani 
Level III hospital, without which "we would have lost all of them." 
Though one of the UNAMID vehicles has been recovered and two 
perpetrators have been arrested, he urged that arrests in and of 
 
KHARTOUM 00000121  002 OF 002 
 
 
themselves were not enough and that the suspects must be prosecuted 
to the fullest extent of the law. The incident has resurrected 
calls for the GOS to take responsibility for security in Darfur 
more seriously, he said, as well as to cut down on the layers or 
flight clearances and other bureaucratic obstacles that make it 
difficult for UNAMID to respond to emergencies in a timely manner. 
 
 
 
 
¶6. (C) UNAMID Force Commander Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba noted that 
UNAMID is in discussions with the GOS to set up "security 
enhancement measures" to target carjackings and banditry through 
increased information sharing and coordination. However, he 
expected the cooperation to have a limited effect given the 
weakness of the justice system in Darfur. UNAMID's limited police 
trainings have been successful, but "significant" law and order 
enhancements are needed to transform the culture of impunity, he 
said. 
 
 
 
¶7. (C) On the subject of the January 15 N'Djamena Accord, Gambari 
was eager to know if the SE had heard whether GOC President Deby 
(ref C) had expressed any interest in a role for UNAMID in the 
joint border monitoring mechanism. SE noted that the GOC was clear 
that the agreement was bilateral in nature, emphasizing the need 
for confidence-building measures to take place between the two 
sides without interference. Gambari agreed that the bilateral 
nature of the agreement was a positive, and agreed with the SE that 
the USG and UNAMID should remain ready to assist. 
 
 
 
¶8. (C) Comment: Abdul Wahid remains a potential spoiler as long as 
refuses to participate in peace talks, so Gambari's outreach to him 
is a welcome one. Many have tried and failed before to engage with 
the recalcitrant leader, however, so we are not particularly 
optimistic about the outcome. 
 
 
 
¶9. (U) This cable has been cleared by the Office of the Special 
Envoy. 
WHITEHEAD