US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT1542

UNCLAS KUWAIT 001542 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR NEA/ARPI AND AF/E 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, ECON, EINV, PHUM, SU, KU 
SUBJECT: KUWAITI DELEGATION DESCRIBES SUDAN AS "WORSE THAN 
BEFORE" AND SAYS GOK NOT YET READY TO INVEST 
 
 
1.  (SBU)  During a 17 April meeting, Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs Under Secretary Khaled Al-Jarallah described the 
current situation in Sudan as worse than it was 20 years ago. 
 Al-Jarallah, as part of a delegation led by Minister for 
Diwan Affairs Shaykh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, 
visited Sudan from April 10-13 at the invitation of President 
Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir.  Al-Jarallah reported that the 
traveling party met with al-Bashir and Foreign Minister 
Mustafa Osman Ismail and neither raised Darfur or any of the 
UN Security Council Resolutions on Sudan.  Al-Bashir and 
Ismail, whom Al-Jarallah described as being very careful with 
their wording, said Sudan would do its best to deal with the 
situation in Darfur and wanted to avoid a clash with the U.S. 
or the UN.  They were pleased with the USD 4.5 billion 
pledged at the Oslo Donor's Conference, commenting that funds 
would be put to use in Darfur and help rebuild a country 
devastated by civil war. 
 
2.  (SBU)  Al-Jarallah said Kuwait was ready to cooperate 
with Sudan on activities that would benefit the people and 
preferred to grant loans through the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab 
Economic Development.  He added that Sudan is considering 
changing its investment laws to attract more foreign 
investors.  Al-Jarallah welcomed the change, noted that Saudi 
Arabia and Qatar have already made investments, but said 
Kuwait needed confirmation that Sudan was serious about 
reform before investing. 
 
3.  (U)  Also accompanying Al-Jarallah and Shaykh Nasser were 
Kuwait Red Crescent Society Chairman Barjas Humoud Al-Barjas, 
Kuwaiti Ambassador to Sudan Fahad Ahmad al-Awadhi, Under 
Secretary of Amiri Diwan Khalid Abdusalam Al-Bannay, Kuwaiti 
 
SIPDIS 
Fund for Arab Economic Development Deputy Chairman Abdulwahab 
Ahmad Hamad Al-Bader, Under Secretary of Amiri Diwan for 
Foreign Affairs Ahmad Ibrahim Al-Abdulrazaq, and Director of 
Ministerial Council in the Amiri Diwan Faisal Mohammed 
Al-Joa'an. 
 
4.  (U)  Khartoum:  Minimize considered. 
 
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LEBARON