US embassy cable - 05CAIRO3650

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 003650 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, MOPS, PHUM, EG, SU, Sudan Affairs 
SUBJECT: SUDAN:  NATO TECHNICAL AND LOGISTICAL ASSISTANCE 
FOR DARFUR NOT A PROBLEM FOR EGYPT 
 
REF: STATE 88194 
 
Classified by ECPO Political Officer Chris Hegadorn for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Poloff met May 12 with MFA Sudan Affairs Deputy 
Office Director Abdelmoneim Omar to press the GOE to support 
African Union (AU) Chairman Konare's recent appeal to NATO 
for provision of technical and logistical assistance for the 
AU Mission in Darfur, Sudan.  Omar said that Egypt supported 
Konare's request for technical assistance from NATO but 
objected to any "foreign military intervention" in Darfur. 
The provision of logistical and technical assistance to the 
AU - as requested by Konare and supported publicly by the 
Sudanese government - was not objectionable to Egypt, Omar 
said.  Press reports saying Egypt objected to any NATO 
involvement "are simply wrong," he added.  Sharing reftel 
talking points as an aide memoire, poloff stressed that the 
U.S. believes NATO has important contributions to make to the 
AU mission in Darfur.  Support from Egypt and other Arab 
states for NATO's provision of such assistance would be 
welcomed by the USG.  Omar stated that he would deliver the 
demarche promptly to the office of the Foreign Minister. 
 
2.  (C) During the meeting, Omar confirmed that the venue of 
the AU's Darfur Quintet summit, consisting of the leaders of 
Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Chad, and Nigeria had changed from Sharm 
El Sheikh, Egypt to Tripoli, Libya.  The meeting would be 
held Monday, May 16, although Omar said no decision has been 
made yet on whether President Mubarak would attend or if he 
would be represented by Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit. 
Asked the reason for the last-minute venue switch, Omar 
conceded that the Darfur rebel groups had threatened not to 
participate unless the meeting was held in Libya.  The 
unusual step of inviting rebel leaders to attend such a 
summit, Omar speculated, was critical in reaching agreement 
on dates for restarting political and security negotiations 
within the Abuja peace track.  While the AU Chairman would be 
in Brussels on the day of the meeting, Omar said, the AU 
would be represented, as would the Arab League by Secretary 
General Amre Moussa. 
 
3.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
 
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http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo 
 
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State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. 
 
GRAY